Kara Gansmann ’07 listed among the 2022 Business North Carolina Legal Elite
UND School of Law Alumna, Kara Gansmann ’07, listed among the 2022 Business North Carolina Legal Elite
Kara Gansmann, a member of the UND School of Law Class of 2007 and attorney at Cranfill Sumner LLP was recognized by Business North Carolina magazine as part of the magazine’s Legal Elite program.
Kara Gansmann devotes her entire practice to elder law and estate planning in the Wilmington office of Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law). Kara is especially well-suited for this practice thanks to her strong interpersonal skills, her diplomatic demeanor, and pragmatic approach to problem-solving. She brings a solid sense of collegiality to her work with both clients and professionals, alike.
In private consultations, Kara counsels individuals and families on tactics for estate planning, asset protection, and long-term care planning. Kara drafts Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Trusts, including Pet Trusts, Revocable and Irrevocable Living Trusts, and Special Needs Trusts. Kara also advises clients on eligibility for public benefits like Veterans’ Aid & Attendance and prepares applications for Medicaid and Special Assistance.
In the courtroom, Kara represents clients in trust and estate administration matters, Will caveats, guardianship/incompetency proceedings, and fiduciary litigation. Kara also represents clients in administrative hearings for denials of public benefits such as Medicaid.
Kara leads a team of experienced professionals who also focus on elder law needs. The team’s paralegals assist clients in matters ranging from probate to caregiver agreements to promissory notes or real estate deed transactions intended for asset protection. Kara’s team also includes a certified geriatric care senior advisor, who assists with placement in care facilities. Kara’s entire team understands the urgency and stress associated with seniors’ needs.
Prior to joining CSH Law, Kara served as a staff attorney on an appellate court in Houston, Texas. There, she managed all aspects of complex civil and criminal appellate matters and drafted over 200 judicial opinions for court justices in over six years.
Kara frequently presents on elder law issues to community organizations, churches, and neighborhood associations across Southeastern North Carolina. She is a prolific writer on legal issues affecting seniors. Kara volunteers for and actively supports local and state organizations that benefit seniors’ lives.
Kara hails from a small town in North Carolina, where she grew to appreciate the value of a hand-shake, hard work, and the trust placed in someone’s word. As a proud North Carolina native, she’s happy to raise her family in her home state where her favorite people call her wife, mom, daughter, sister, niece, and cousin.
Since 2002, Business North Carolina magazine has honored Tar Heel lawyers by publishing Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, a listing of the state’s top lawyers in business-related categories. Winners are chosen by the state’s lawyers. Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite has become the model for other awards and lists, but it remains unique as the only award that gives every active lawyer in the state the opportunity to participate. Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite includes the top lawyers chosen using this statewide ballot.
