Wiggin and Dana LLP announced today that it has combined with Ellis Law Group, an independent trust and estate firm in Boca Raton, Florida. Led by Seth Ellis, the Ellis Law Group team expands Wiggin’s platform in Florida and adds new breadth and depth to its Chambers High Net Worth-ranked Private Client Service Department, which helps clients navigate business succession, philanthropic arrangements, and trust and estate issues in the U.S. and internationally.

The four attorneys from Ellis Law Group lift the total number of Wiggin and Dana Private Client attorneys to 24 located in the firm’s Connecticut, New York City and Florida offices, with additional attorneys in closely related litigation, corporate and emerging company practices across the firm’s growing platform.

“As long-standing demographic trends continue to bind the Northeast with South Florida, we are investing in the relationship between these key growth markets,” said Managing Partner Tim Diemand. “With deep roots in South Florida, Seth and his team are widely known within the large, local community of entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals. Combining our firms elevates the Wiggin brand and deepens our relationships in South Florida. We’re thrilled to welcome this talented team to Wiggin.”

“As South Florida continues to grow as a business hub, the market’s demand for private client services also continues to grow – not just from Florida clients, but from East Coast clients who increasingly view South Florida as an area of opportunity,” said Private Client Services Department Chair Michael Clear. “We’ve worked closely with Seth and his team for more than six years. This highly complementary team bolsters our ability to meet these clients’ needs for trust and estate counsel as well as address issues related to emerging companies, venture capital, corporate transactions, and litigation.”

Ellis founded Ellis Law Group in 1999 and served as the firm’s managing partner prior to joining Wiggin. He brings close to three decades of experience providing estate planning, asset protection, wealth protection, business succession planning and general business counsel to clients in South Florida and throughout the country. His clients range from young families planning their futures to multi-generational clients focusing on family business continuity and wealth protection.

“Our high-net-worth clients are thinking more urgently about their estate planning ahead of the 2025 tax sunset,” said Ellis. “Amid this growing demand for private client services, Wiggin provides a bigger platform for us to serve those clients, offers a broader range of legal services, and strengthens our ability to attract and retain young, vibrant attorneys. In addition to Wiggin’s current private wealth clients, Wiggin’s entrepreneur, venture capital, family office and corporate clients often seek trust and estate counsel. As the entrepreneurial community continues to target South Florida for growth, we look forward to partnering with Wiggin’s team to expand and deepen our local offering.”

Along with Ellis, the team joining Wiggin includes counsel George Freund and Bill Bromley, and associate Ashton Malkin.