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About The Firm's Principals and Attorneys
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About the Firm
Martin, Stilwell & Jones, LLP
Martin, Stilwell & Jones, LLP is a Woodlands based law firm, specializing in the practice of estate planning, probate and trust law litigation and administration for the affluent, including business owners and their families and senior corporate executives. In addition, the firm engages in business transactional law and lititgation, and tax and financial planning for its wealthy clients.
Founded in 1987, the firm's primary offices are in The Woodlands, Texas, near Town Center, with a satellite office in Houston. The address, phone and contact information are located in the Contact Information section. The firm is organized as a Registered Limited Liability Partnership. For more detailed information about our firm's services and practice, please download our Fees & Services Memo in the Download Files section.
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About Michael D. Martin
Michael D. Martin
Michael D. Martin is a licensed Texas attorney engaged in the general practice of law and is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He earned his Bachelor of Journalism in 1973 from the University of Texas at Austin, and his J.D. in 1979 from South Texas College of Law. He continued post-graduate studies in Estate Planning at The American University in Bryn Mawhr, PA. He received clinical training in Marriage and Family Systems Therapy, as well as Organizational Dynamics and Consulting, at the Houston-Galveston Institute. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law, and Tax Sections, The Woodlands Bar Associations and the American Bar Association.
Michael provides personal counsel to families, individuals and small business owners, inlcuding tax, trust, estate and financial planning, as well as counsel on probate matters. Since January of 1991, Michael has provided legal, financial and tax counsel to affluent families with closely held businesses. Additional services include designing strategies for protecting, preserving, consolidating and distributing assets during lifetime and at death, while minimizing income and estate taxes. He is licensed to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Tax Court. Michael was counsel of record, along with colleauges Carol Cantrell (also associated with this firm) and Dr. Peter Rubin, in Knight v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 128 S. Ct. 782 (2008), relating to the deductibility of investment advisory fees by trustees of non-grantor trusts. He has published and authored various Continuing Legal Edcuation presentations and is actively engaged in charitable and community activities, including The Woodlands Bar Association's Pro Bono "Wills for Heroes" Project and the Pavilion Partners.
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About James H. Stilwell
James H. Stilwell
James H. Stilwell is a licensed Texas attorney, who handles a wide-range of litigation matters within the practice, including probate, trust and fiduciary litigation; homeowners’ association work; builder and developer litigation; and commercial litigation. James earned his Bachelor of Arts double degree in Economics and Political Science from Baylor University in 1992 and his Juris Doctorate in 1995 from the University of Texas School of Law. In addition to the vast number of Articles, Publications, Briefings, Seminars and Speeches that James has authored and presented, several of the cases in which he was the lead trial lawyer have been published, including In re Estate of Hersey, 223 S.W.3d 457, (Tex.App.—Amarillo, April 25, 2006), Lee v. Hersey, 223 S.W.3d 439, (Tex.App.—Amarillo, March 24, 2006), Paul v. Merrill Lynch Trust Co. of Texas, 183 S.W.3d 805 (Tex.App.—Waco, December 14, 2005), and Parks v. Landfill Marketing Consultants, Inc., 2004 WL 1351545 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.], June 17, 2004). He is currently a member of The Woodlands Bar Association, The State Bar of Texas, The South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Montgomery County. James received the 2005 South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award and has participated in the Woodlands Bar Association’s Pro Bono “Wills for Heroes” Project since its inception.
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About Paige H. Jones
Paige H. Jones
Paige H. Jones focuses her practice on estate planning (wills and trusts) and probate. She offers a personal, caring approach through the probate process and will assist you with formalities of dealing with the probate court. She also routinely serves as an attorney ad litem in guardianship and heirship matters in Montgomery County. Paige graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1990. She worked as an accountant in the Houston area for a short period before graduating from South Texas College of Law and joining the State Bar of Texas in 1994. She worked for Arthur Andersen in their tax department for five years before settling back in her hometown in 2000 when she joined the Law Office of Dale A. Dossey in The Woodlands. Paige is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, The Woodlands Bar Association, and is admitted to practice law in all courts in the State of Texas, United States Tax Court, and United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She has also been actively involved in her community as a member of the City of Oak Ridge North Planning and Zoning Committee from 2004-2005 and as an Associate Judge for the city from 2005-2008.
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About Carol A. Cantrell
Carol A. Cantrell
Carol A. Cantrell is a licensed Texas Attorney admitted to practice in U.S. Tax Court, the U. S Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Second Circuits, and the U. S. District Court Southern District of Texas. She earned her JD from The University of Houston Law Center and her BA in mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin, and received the honor of Cum Laude in both instances.
Carol became a Certified Public Accountant in 1976 and a Certified Financial Planner in 1982. In 1995, Carol became a Registered Investment Advisor, and was accredited for her AICPA Specialization as a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS). Carol is currently a Shareholder of Briggs & Veselka Co. in Bellaire Texas. Carol’s areas of specialty consist of Fiduciary Income Tax, Partnership Income Tax, Employee Stock Options, and Personal Financial Planning and Eldercare.
Carol often speaks at various conferences relating to areas of her specialty. Most recently she was a speaker at the 40th Annual Hackerling Institute on Estate Planning, American Institute of CPAs, National Conference on Federal Taxes, The National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, 13th Annual Conference, The State Bar of Texas, Advanced Tax Law Course, and TSCPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference.
Carol is also the author of CCH Incorporated, “Guide to Estate, Tax and Financial Planning and Stock Options. She also writes articles for The Tax Adviser, such as “Partnership Interests for Services Regs. Offer Estate Planners a “Bona Fide” Solution” (October 2005) and “New Sec. 643 Capital Gain and Loss Carryout Regs" (December 2005).
Carol is a member of the American Bar Association, and the Houston Bar Association. She serves on the Editorial Board of The Tax Adviser Magazine. She is a member of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning and Tax Sections and is on the Fiduciary Income Task Force for the AICPA Trust, Estate, & Gift Tax Committee. She also serves on the Texas Society of CPAs Board of Directors, as well their Legislative Advisory Committee. She serves on the Houston Chapter of TSCPA ElderCare Committee and on the Houston Business and Estate Planning Council Board of Directors. Carol was also counsel of record in Knight v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 128 S. Ct. 782, (2008).
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About W. Patrick Cantrell
W. Patrick Cantrell
W. Patrick Cantrell is an attorney Board certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He holds a B.B.A. Degree in Accounting from Texas Tech University, a J.D. Degree in Law from University of Houston, Bates College of Law. Pat is also a member of American, Texas, and Houston Bar Associations. He is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Texas Society (including Houston Chapter) of CPAs. He holds seven years of experience with the United States Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service as an internal revenue agent and appeals officer and Twenty-seven years of experience in public accounting and tax law, specializing in tax controversy matters and litigation support services.
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