Cynthia G. Lamar-Hart

Practice Areas

Estate, Trust & Business Planning

Fiduciary, Trust & Estate Litigation

Fiduciary Advisory Services

Financial Institution Litigation & Compliance

Charitable Foundations & Tax Exempt Organizations

Career

Cynthia Lamar-Hart is a Shareholder and serves as Chair of the Estate Planning, Fiduciary Advisory Services, and Fiduciary Litigation practice groups at Maynard Nexsen, in which she has practiced since 1989. She also has served two terms on the Firm’s Executive Committee.

In her Estate Planning practice, Cynthia focuses primarily on assisting clients with the thoughtful management of their wealth and appropriate planning for family members with special needs and circumstances and includes sophisticated will and trust drafting; estate and gift tax planning; charitable planning; insurance and employee benefit planning; and a variety of wealth transfer techniques. Her estate administration practice is designed to help clients fulfill their testamentary and tax objectives while strengthening family relationships.

In her Fiduciary Advisory Services practice, Cynthia serves as primary outside counsel to corporate fiduciaries (trust departments, trust companies, and wealth management entities), overseeing policies and procedures, marketing materials, corporate restructuring, and overall risk management.

In her Fiduciary Litigation practice, Cynthia regularly advises individual and corporate trustees and executors and represents them in pre-litigation, mediation, trial, and appellate proceedings.

In her Alternative Dispute Resolution practice, Cynthia frequently serves as a mediator in trust and estate disputes.

Cynthia's skills have earned her numerous accolades, including her consistent Band 1 ranking by Chambers and Partners as a leading attorney in the area of "Private Wealth Law." She has been distinguished by The Best Lawyers in America® as the 2025 "Lawyer of the Year" in the areas of Trusts and Estates and Litigation: Trusts and Estates for the Birmingham market. This honor follows her earlier recognitions as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2022, 2020, and 2015 for “Litigation: Trusts and Estates” and in 2016 for “Trusts & Estates.” She is consistently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® and in Super Lawyers in the areas of Trusts and Estates and Trust and Estate Litigation. Alabama Super Lawyers has recognized her among its Top 50 Lawyers in Alabama and Top 25 Women Lawyers in Alabama. In 2016 and 2017, Cynthia earned the distinction as one of Mid-South Super Lawyers' "Top 50 Female Lawyers." In 2020, Cynthia was recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as “Best of the Bar” in Trusts and Estates.

Cynthia is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, where she serves as State Chair; National Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee; and member of the Board of Regents, the governing body of the organization. Cynthia also serves on the Executive Committee of Yale Law School and an advisory board of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

Professional Memberships

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

National Association of Estate Planners

Education