Neil authors the "
PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog", and also
"PA HealthCareDecisionMaking", a public website. Neil was educated at
Bucknell University (B.A., English, 1973), and
The Dickinson School of Law (J.D., 1976), which is now affiliated with
Pennsylvania State University.
In 1976-77, he served as law clerk to President Judge Martin J. Coyne, of the Orphans' Court Division, of the
Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He served as the Solicitor for
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (1984-85), and as the Solicitor for the
Dauphin County General Authority (1984-2000). He is a graduate of the
Leadership Harrisburg Area Program (1990).
Neil participates actively in state and local bar association activities. In 2002-03, Neil served as Chairman of the
Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, of the
Pennsylvania Bar Association. He has served as an Editor of that Section's bi-annual
Newsletter continuously since 1983 to date.
Neil served as President of the
Dauphin County Bar Association (1999-2000), and served on its Board of Directors from 1992-2001. Neil has served as a Chairman of the DCBA Orphans' Court Rules Committee since 1989 to date. In 1991, he organized and was elected as the Founding Chairman of the
DCBA's Estate Planning & Probate Law Section.
In October 2004, Neil was a PBA spokesperson for its statewide publicity campaign, conducted with the
Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General on
Living Trust Abuse, entitled
“Protect Your Family’s Future … Today: The Truth About Wills and Trusts” (County Line, p. 9). Neil is active also in community activities. Since 1978, he has been a member of the
Estate Planning Council of Central Pennsylvania, Inc., having served as its President in1987-88. Neil served as President of the
American Heart Association, Pennsylvania Affiliate, Capital Region Division (1995-96), with a position on its board from 1981 to 1996. He co-chaired the Lawyers' Division of the Annual Campaign of the
United Way of the Capital Region (1997-99). Neil is a "Founding Sponsor" of, and counsel for, the
Museum of the Antique Automobile Club of America, organized in 1992, and located in Hershey, PA. He is a Rotarian and a Mason.
Neil provides input to the PA Legislature on laws affecting seniors. Since 1992, Neil has served as a member of the "
Advisory Committee on Decedents' Estate Laws", of the
Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission. He has been active on its legislative drafting subcommittees, including those on "Guardianships & Powers of Attorney", "Transfers on Death", "Health Care Powers of Attorney", and the Pennsylvania version of a "Uniform Trust Act", all which resulted in amendments to the PA Probate, Estates & Fiduciaries Code (Title 20, PA Consolidated Statutes). Currently he participates on active JSGC-ACDEL subcommittees or legislative study committees for expanded provisions for "Transfers without Grant of Letters", "Guardianships", "Alternative Dispute Resolution", and "Assisted Reproductive Technologies. In 2002, Neil proposed (through the PBA RPPT Section), and the PA Legislature then authorized during a Special Legislative Session, the creation of a new JSGC advisory committee on "Real Property Laws", which has become very active in codifying the laws regarding real estate in Pennsylvania. He teaches regularly & often. Since 1978, he has lectured annually for the
Pennsylvania Bar Institute on topics of estate planning, document drafting, elder law, estate & trust administration, death taxation, personal planning for pet owners, and legal automation. He planned PBI's statewide courses on Act 39's POA reforms (2000) and on End-of-Life Legal Issues (2005 & 2007). He has made presentations to numerous estate planning councils in Pennsylvania.
From 2000-06, he taught advanced estate planning & administration at
Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg Campus) as an Adjunct Professor. Since 2005, Neil has taught a course on "Elder Law" at WLS.
Neil is an elected Fellow of the
American College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC), a national professional group of approximately 2,600 lawyers, with only approximately 100 Fellows in Pennsylvania. He was selected for "
Best Lawyers in America" annual publications, and in annual Philadelphia Magazine "
Super Lawyers" issues. He is an"AV"-rated lawyer by
Martindale-Hubbell.
Neil practices with Schiffman, Sheridan & Brown, P.C., of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the areas of elder law, personal & estate planning, family business succession, estate & trust administration, and Orphans' Court (PA probate court) litigation.
To contact Neil, please email him at
HendershotNE@gmail.com.
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