Michael T. Clear

Bio

Michael, Partner at Wiggin and Dana, is Chair of the firm’s Private Client Services Department, leading a team of more than 30 lawyers and allied professionals. He advises clients on estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate litigation, and business succession planning, combining legal expertise with a counselor’s understanding of family dynamics. Known for his empathy and good humor, Michael helps clients make sound decisions and hopefully resolve disputes before litigation arises. His practice includes tax-efficient estate and gift planning, trust and estate administration, and business succession planning, including entity formation, shareholder and buy-sell agreements, and facilitating business transfers. A Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Michael frequently speaks on trust and estate strategies and is active in professional organizations, including the Connecticut Bar Association and the Exit Planning Exchange (CT XPX). He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he was Executive Managing Editor of the Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal, and holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Richmond and an M.Ed. from the University of Maryland. A former Division I baseball player, he lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife, Melissa, and their three children, and remains active in local youth sports.