Paul G Izzo

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Elder Law and Disability Planning

ThompsonMcMullan's elder law practice encompasses all aspects of planning for and representation of elderly and disabled clients. We provide counsel and seasoned representation in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, including judicial estate planning needed to establish trusts and complete transfers for tax and public benefits objectives. We have substantial experience in advising both institutional trust departments and individual clients regarding long term care issues, with special emphasis on protecting public entitlements rights for elderly, incapacitated and disabled persons.

R. Shawn Majette manages the elder law practice section of the Firm. Mr. Majette is a nationally recognized expert in this field. Mr. Majette is the author of more than a dozen elder law publications. He has served on legislative task forces charged with revising Virginia’s guardianship and power of attorney statutes. Paul G. Izzo is a licensed nursing home administrator and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association for Greater Richmond, the Advisory Board of the Virginia Center on Aging at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Ethics Advisory Committee of the McGuire Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Richmond, the Advisory Board for the Public Guardianship Program of Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging, the Commission for Older Adults of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, and the Multidisciplinary Panel of the Public Guardianship Program of Commonwealth Catholic Charities. Mr. Majette and Mr. Izzo are all frequent continuing legal education lecturers for Virginia CLE, Half Moon, Lorman, NBI, and the Virginia Guardianship Association, and also speak frequently to nonprofit groups and organizations, health care professionals and the general public on estate planning, nursing home residents’ rights, and the legal concerns of the frail elderly and disabled.

The following topics fall within our area of expertise in this practice area:
* representation in all aspects of guardianship and conservatorship proceedings (both as counsel and as guardian ad litem) in the Circuit Courts of Virginia, including acting as court appointed guardian and conservator in appropriate cases;
* protecting the rights of nursing home residents;
* creative uses of “special needs” trusts sheltering assets for Medicaid and other public benefits programs (often in personal injury and decedents’ estate cases);
* protecting entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid;
counseling professionals before state licensing boards;
* advising family members regarding surrogate decision-making under health-care advance directives; and
* advising and representing family members in obtaining involuntary mental health treatment for loved ones under Virginia statutes governing civil commitment, court ordered psychiatric medication, and court ordered electro-convulsive therapy.

A growing part of the elder law practice involves aggressive representation of impaired or disabled individuals who have fallen victim to financial abuse and exploitation. We have an impressive track record of recovering misappropriated property on behalf of vulnerable citizens and creating trusts and agency relationships (such as a durable power of attorney) to ward against future victimization.

ThompsonMcMullan recognizes that this practice area is critical to an aging population, and is dedicated to providing timely and expert advice as to all issues affecting the elderly and disabled.

Paul G Izzo
Thompson & McMullan PC
100 Shockoe Slip - 3rd floor
Richmond VA 23219-4140
Tel: 804 643-4145
Fax: 804 780-1813
E-mail: pgizzo@t-mlaw.com

Practice Areas
* Estate Planning & Administration
* Elder Law and Disability Planning

Mr. Izzo has been in private practice, with substantial emphasis on elder law, since 1990. His practice areas include estate planning for incapacity and long term care, appointment of guardians and conservators for incapacitated adults, administration of decedent’s estates, nursing home residents’ rights, representation of small businesses and individuals in state tax matters, and representation of nursing home administrators before health regulatory boards.

From 1985 through 1990, Mr. Izzo was a policy analyst with the Virginia Department of Taxation, handling administrative appeals of sales and use tax and income tax audits, preparing information bulletins, drafting private letter rulings and offers in compromise for the Tax Commissioner, drafting state tax regulations, providing staff support for a comprehensive sales and use tax expenditure study, and during General Assembly sessions, evaluating the fiscal and policy impact of proposed tax legislation.

After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1977 with a B.A. in Government, Mr. Izzo was employed as a Management Intern at Central National Bank (now Wachovia Bank), Richmond, through the summer of 1978. He graduated from the University of Richmond law school in 1981.

While in private practice, Mr. Izzo was selected for an internship in long-term care administration at Westminster-Canterbury House, Richmond. This culminated in his sitting for the licensure exam for nursing home administrators in 1985, a license which he has maintained ever since.

Mr. Izzo is a member of the Richmond Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Virginia Association of Nonprofit Homes for the Aging, and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. He was also selected for inclusion in 2010 Virginia Business magazine's Legal Elite for his work in Elder Law.

Mr. Izzo is a frequent lecturer to nonprofit groups and organizations, health care professionals and the general public on estate planning, nursing home residents’ rights, and the legal concerns of the frail elderly and disabled. He served on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Richmond. He is currently serving on the Advisory Board of the Virginia Center on Aging at Virginia Commonwealth University and on the Multidisciplinary Panel of the Public Guardianship Program of Commonwealth Catholic Charities.