This month marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of Blase & Associates, LLC on January 1, 1999. Just as back then, we continue to be dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality estate planning services at the lowest possible billing rates. We could not have done it without all of you, and we are most grateful for your continued loyalty!

Changes at the firm

We also wanted to let you know that we have recently added three very qualified legal professionals to the firm. Tammy Repaso, who comes to us with 25 years of experience practicing law and serving as a mentor to other St. Louis area attorneys, was most recently an estate planning attorney with AEGIS Law and with Tucker Allen/Cordell Planning Partners. Jaylene Tinerella, an experienced paralegal, most recently served as Senior Estate Planning Paralegal at The Kaiser Law Firm and as Paralegal and Drafting Supervisor at the Laiderman Law Firm. Jaylene is part of our Of Cousel relationship with Mickes O'Toole, a full service, mid-size law firm located in Des Peres. I have included more information about Tammy's and Jaylene's backgrounds, below. We also just added Kaylee Adams, a recent graduate of the University of Missouri - Kansas City, to assist us with drafting. All three of Tammy, Jaylene and Kaylee are already working on behalf of our clients.

The goal of adding an experienced estate planning paralegal as well as a legal assistant to the firm is to continue our tradition of providing the highest quality estate planning services for our clients, but at even lower billing rates than previously.

As always, I will continue to be responsible for meeting with clients and for providing recommendations based on my 42 years of experience and NYU LLM in Taxation background, for creating and updating all of our estate planning forms as laws change, and for responding to recent changes in the tax and other laws with creative and innovative solutions for our clients. I will also continue to be personally responsible for reviewing all work that comes out of the office, and for keeping our clients abreast of any new developments in the law, including by linking clients to my regular articles, books and webinars, through our monthly client newsletters.

Once again, we cannot thank you enough for your loyalty over these many years! With the benefit of our recent quality hires, we anticipate being able to continue to serve our clients, in an even better manner, for many years to come.

Included below is some additional biographical information about Tammy and Jaylene.

Thanks again,

Jim



www.blaselaw.com

Tammy is a skilled and empathetic attorney with 25 years of legal experience. She specializes in helping individuals and their families protect their assets, plan for the aging process, and navigate the complexities of estate planning. She prides herself on providing high quality, client-centered legal representation.

Having witnessed first-hand the struggles of individuals and families who have not planned properly for their senior years, Tammy particularly dedicates herself to helping clients understand the full range of options available to them. She wants every client to feel empowered to make smart, educated decisions that will give them peace of mind in their senior years and achieve their end-of-life objectives. These goals may include planning for personal care during in the event of incapacity, formalizing the final disposition of an estate, or protecting assets from costs associated with aging.

In addition to educating clients on estate planning matters, Tammy has substantial experience drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, HIPAA release authorizations, and health care directives. She also represents individuals in probate matters, estate administration, guardianships, and conservatorships, and has advised clients regarding planning options to protest their home and assets from long-term care costs. Her goal is to build a successful estate planning practice with a reputation for being the trusted source for personalized planning that meets the goals of each client.

Tammy received her Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 1998 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from State University of New York College. She is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina.

Passionate about helping others, Tammy is a proud two-time recipient of Missouri Attorney General’s Military Legal Assistance Team Pro Bono Service Award. In her spare time, she volunteers within her community, enjoys traveling but especially appreciates spending time with her husband and four sons, and two dogs.

Jaylene is a paralegal with our affiliated mid-size, full-service law firm, Mickes O'Toole, located in Des Peres. Before joining Mickes O'Toole, Jaylene held the title of Senior Estate Planning Paralegal at The Kaiser Law Firm, located in Chesterfield. There she worked with revocable and irrevocable trust planning, and asset protection planning.

Prior to joining the The Kaiser Law Firm, Jaylene held the title of Paralegal and Drafting Supervisor with the Laiderman Law Firm, located in Creve Coeur. There Jaylene lead the drafting team in the preparation of estate planning documents, including trusts, wills, powers of attorney, affidavits, and deeds. She also assisted business clients with maintaining corporate records, filing annual and biennial reports, and drafting annual consents and corporate meeting minutes.