Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
205.254.1038Share profile
Band 1
Provided by Cynthia G. Lamar-Hart
Estate, Trust & Business Planning
Fiduciary, Trust & Estate Litigation
Fiduciary Advisory Services
Financial Institutions Compliance & Litigation
Charitable Foundations & Tax-Exempt Organizations
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Tax
Cynthia 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 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.
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.
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 Alabama State Chair and as a member of the Board of Regents, the governing body of the organization. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee. In addition, Cynthia serves as director of the ACTEC Foundation. Cynthia also is a past member of the Executive Committee of Yale Law School and an advisory board of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
Yale Law School
J.D.
1985 - 1988
Birmingham-Southern College
B.A., summa cum laude
1981 - 1985
"Lawyer of the Year" Litigation: Trusts and Estates
Best Lawyers in America
"Lawyer of the Year" in Trusts and Estates
Best Lawyers in America
Top 50 Super Lawyer - Alabama
Super Lawyers
Top 50 Mid-South Female Lawyer
Super Lawyers
Birmingham-Southern College Distinguished Alumni Award
Birmingham-Southern College
2024
Private Wealth Law, Band 1
Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide
Provided by Chambers
Provided by Chambers
Cynthia is almost intimidatingly smart; she is so smart, but not in an arrogant way. She's eloquent and always has the most logical responses to any questions. I really think highly of her.
Cynthia is one of the leaders in Southeast estate tax planning. There isn't an issue that she hasn't seen or cannot solve. She can tackle anything, and she does it with a smile.
Cynthia is almost intimidatingly smart; she is so smart, but not in an arrogant way. She's eloquent and always has the most logical responses to any questions. I really think highly of her.
Cynthia is one of the leaders in Southeast estate tax planning. There isn't an issue that she hasn't seen or cannot solve. She can tackle anything, and she does it with a smile.