Our Attorneys

Christopher A. Desimone, Attorney at Law

Chris has prepared more than 3,000 Wills and Trusts. He devotes 100% of his law practice to estate and trust planning, and is a member of a national organization of Estate Planning Attorneys that develops state-of-the-art estate planning techniques, documentation and processes. In 2006, Chris was voted by his peers as a Virginia Super Lawyer in Estate Planning & Probate, an honor only the top 5% of Virginia lawyers achieve. He completed advanced training in Trusts and Trustee Standards to become an Accredited Fiduciary at the Center for Fiduciary Studies, where he graduated valedictorian of his class. In 2008, Chris was profiled by Wealth Management Magazine as an industry leader in Estate Planning for the Southeastern United States.

Chris became a Certified Instructor of Estate Planning with the Roanoke Financial Services Institute and a member of the Estates & Trusts Section of the Virginia State Bar. He was selected as Professor of Estate Planning at the Judge Advocate’s School where he was assigned to teach lawyers the techniques of estate planning. Chris wrote a monthly column devoted to estate planning in two local publications, and was quoted in The Boston Globe in a front-page article addressing trusts and estates. He was selected by the National Business Institute to teach an educational program, Elder Law in Virginia: Legal and Financial Issues, to fellow attorneys for educational credit. Chris served as an AARP participating attorney for three years and as President of the Smith Mountain Lake Estate Planning Council

Chris graduated from the University of Rochester, cum laude, and received his Juris Doctorate and MBA from the University of Buffalo. Chris was commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army and completed Airborne School to become a paratrooper. He then spent six years as a Judge Advocate in the Army JAG Corps that included duty as a trial lawyer and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Following active duty, Chris served as Headquarters Company Commander for a U.S. Army Reserve unit in Salem, Virginia. While in the Army, he won a Golden Gloves Boxing Competition in the welterweight novice division and received the IRS Commissioner’s Award for his work in creating and developing an IRS tax center. For his service, Chris was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Chris is the founder of The Special Needs Symposium, and he received a Special Contribution Award in 2003 for serving families in our community that have loved ones with disabilities. He is active in a variety of community and charitable activities and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Youth Haven/Sanctuary and the Roanoke Area Brain Injury Connection. Chris is married and his four children are 7th generation Virginians.

Chris has been a featured speaker for the United States Postmaster’s Conference; the Virginia Funeral Directors Association; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; Brambleton Center SeniorLinks Guest Speaker Series; Bluefield College Heritage Society; Roanoke County Retired Teachers Association; Lynchburg Academy of Medicine; Virginia Tech Employees Workshop; National Association of Senior Friends Program at Lewis Gale Hospital; The Women’s World Forum; Mom’s Club of Roanoke; The Vinton Women’s Club; National Alliance for the Mentally Ill; Mount Rogers Community Services Board and Family Support Committee; Franklin County Retired Teacher’s Association; Roanoke Catholic Charitable Trust Workshop; Trinity Ecumenical Church Life For One Program; The E. Louise Brown Missionary Society; Cox Communications Featured Speaker Series; Autism Society of America; Luna Energy Corporation; General Electric Company; Autism Society of America; Down Syndrome Association; Totera Women’s Club; Society of Financial Service Professionals; Cherokee Hills Women’s Club; Smith Mountain Lake Lions Club; Danville Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Estate Planning Forum; The Sheltered Workshop of Altavista; Roanoke Catholic Charitable Trust Workshop; Villas at Peppers Ferry Estate Plan Workshop; Martinsville Association of Insurance Advisors; American Association of Retired Persons (AARP); Telephone Company Retirees/Pioneer Association; The Lutheran Nursing Home of Virginia; Lynchburg Access For All Institute; Spina Bifida Association; Radford University Employees and Retirees Benefits Planning Conference; Brain Injury Conference for Southwest Virginia; and countless churches, civic organizations and financial institutions. He has made several radio guest appearances on WWWR and WFNR talk radio; was a guest lecturer for Roanoke College; a guest speaker on Blue Ridge Public Television; and accepted an invitation to be televised on WDBJ Channel 7 to discuss cutting edge developments in estate planning.

Ann McGee Green, Attorney at Law

Ann has been an attorney since 1986 and focuses her practice on the areas of estate planning, guardianship, estate and trust administration, Medicaid and Special Needs Planning.

She has led a variety of estate planning seminars at churches and community organizations and has been an instructor to other attorneys for the Virginia Continuing Legal Education Program of the Virginia Law Foundation in the areas of adult guardianship and estate planning. She has published a series of articles in Special Education Today on estate planning for the disabled (1997-98).

Ann graduated magna cum laude from the University of Virginia with a degree in Economics. After spending two years as a legal assistant in Washington D.C., she returned to the University of Virginia to complete law school in 1986. After spending five years as the Executive Director of an urban ministry in Richmond, Virginia, she began her private legal practice.

She is a member of the Virginia Bar Association, Elder Law Section, serving on the Council for the Elder Law Section. She also is a member of the Trusts and Estates Section. Ann has been accepted into the prestigious Special Needs Alliance. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where she is a member of the Trust Special Interest Group; the Virginia Chapter of NAELA, where she serves as Chapter Secretary, the Virginia State Bar, Trusts and Estates Section; and the Virginia Guardianship Association.

Ann's community involvement includes being an active member at Bonsack Baptist Church, where her husband serves as Minister of Music and serving as a past Director of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Alzheimer Association Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Good Samaritan Hospice.

Harriette Shivers, Attorney at Law

Harriette devotes her law practice to estate planning and elder law. She is a member of the Estates & Trusts Section of the Virginia State Bar; the Committee for the Needs of the Mentally Disabled, Elder Law Section, and Wills, Trusts & Estates Section of the Virginia Bar Association; and the Virginia Guardianship Association. She served as counsel for the LOA Area Agency on Aging Legal Services Program from 1993-2004.

Harriette is the author of "Guardianship Laws: Reform Efforts in Virginia" published by the University of Richmond Law Review and National Guardianship Journal; and she co-authored "Virginia Guardianship Handbook, A Practical Guide for Court Appointed Guardians of Adults" and "Virginia Handbook for Guardians and Conservators" published by Virginia Guardianship Association; and "Adult Guardianship Reform Legislation: Taking the Next Step to Protect Incapacitated Virginians" published by Virginia Lawyer.

Harriette served as a member of the Virginia Guardianship Association Committee to Draft Reform Legislation and Committee for Development of Legislation for Public Guardian and Conservator Program; the Virginia Bar Association Study Group pursuant to HJR 680 regarding Juvenile Offenders and the Insanity Defense; and Chief Justice Virginia Supreme Court Initiative to Improve the Involuntary Commitment Process in Virginia Work Group. She attended the National Conference on Law & Aging and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Institute.

Harriette has served on the Board of Directors, Virginia Guardianship Association (1992-2004, President 1994-95); Board of Directors, Family Services of Roanoke Valley (1991-1993; 1998-present); Board of Directors, On Our Own of Roanoke Valley, Inc (1993-1997; 1999-2001); Board of Directors, Blue Ridge Community Services (1990-1992); Board of Directors, Health Talents International, Inc. (1999- present); Board of Governors, Virginia Bar Association (2000-2003 ); Advisory Board, Virginia Public Guardian and Conservator Program (2000- present); Board of Trustees, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee (2002- present); and Board of Governors, Virginia State Bar Senior Lawyers' Conference (2003- present).

Harriette graduated from David Lipscomb University with a degree in Psychology. She received her law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law, cum laude.

Suzan Anderson, Attorney at Law

Suzan graduated from the State University of New York, Empire State College, with a degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. She received a Masters degree in Higher Educational Administration and then her Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University in 1985. Suzan is admitted to practice before all courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of New York.

Suzan has devoted her practice solely to the area of estate planning. She has gained a reputation as a dynamic and entertaining speaker, has spoken before numerous civic and private organizations and has presented public estate planning seminars since 1990.

As a member of a national organization of Estate Planning Attorneys, Suzan believes that planning is one of the most important things that families do for each other. As a trusted professional estate planner, she has helped make a difference in the lives of hundreds of families and individuals.