Denver, Colorado Probate Lawyers
MEET OUR TEAM
Local experts with decades of combined experience
R. Eric Solem • FOUNDING PARTNER
Zachary F. Woodward • PARTNER
Zach received a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder, and went on to receive his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He began his career as a Deputy District Attorney in Jefferson County, Colorado. During his time as a prosecutor, he conducted more than 50 jury trials, securing justice in cases ranging from felony drug trafficking to sex assault, kidnapping and murder.
Zach joined Solem Woodward & McKinley, P.C. as an associate in 2019, focusing primarily on probate litigation, though he handles all matters related to estate planning and legal protection for our community's most vulnerable members: children, those with disabilities, and the elderly. In 2021, Zach became a partner with the firm. Zach is a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.
Lance E. McKinley • PARTNER
Lance E. McKinley is a partner with the law firm of Solem Woodward & McKinley, P.C. His practice focuses on probate matters, disability trusts, estate planning and administration, and public benefits issues. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2001. He joined the firm in 2004 and has been a partner there since 2010. Prior to private practice, he was a law clerk in Arapahoe County District Court, where he clerked for the Hon. Juanita L. Rice and the Hon. Gerald J. Rafferty.
He has presented continuing education services to other lawyers on the topics of Qualified Settlement Funds, Medicare Set-Asides in liability cases, and the state Medicaid appeals process. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and Arapahoe County Bar Association.
David F. Steinhoff • OF COUNSEL
David has been practicing law for 41 years. He earned his BA in History and Mathematics and JD from the University of Denver. Prior to joining the firm in 1997, he served as Staff Attorney and Division Director for Colorado Legal Services and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado.
In addition to representing clients in estate planning and litigation, he has held fiduciary roles (trustee, conservator, special administrator, and personal representative) throughout his practice and has written articles and taught classes for the legal community and public on topics such as Estate Planning, Estate Litigation, Special Needs Planning, Medicaid, Guardianships, and Conservatorships. David served as Deputy Public Administrator for the 18th Judicial District from 2002 to 2010. He is a member of the Trust & Estates and Elder Law Sections of the Colorado Bar Association and of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). David speaks fluent Spanish.
Peter T. Harris • OF COUNSEL
Peter received his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and BA from Michigan State University. He joined the firm in 2003; and handles probate litigation, including contested guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, as well as the prosecution and defense of fiduciary theft cases. He has practiced before all trial courts in the Denver metro area and the state Court of Appeals. Peter is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.
Owen Thilly • OF COUNSEL
Owen graduated from Colorado College with a B.A. in History/Political Science in 2002 and from The University of Montana School of Law in 2008. In between his undergraduate and law school years, Owen was a Peace Corps volunteer in Chiriqui, Panama. As an environmental conservation volunteer, Owen facilitated the creation of a home garden network, a fisherman’s association and got a lot of bug bites. After law school, Owen was a plaintiff’s attorney at a small firm in Missoula, MT, specializing in personal injury claims, workers’ compensation claims, and social security disability benefits. Most recently, Owen was a Regional Attorney in the Office of Hearings Operations at the Social Security Administration, where he spent over 12 years assisting management teams with labor and employment law issues. Owen also conducted numerous high-profile harassment and hostile work environment investigations at the agency.
Owen joined the firm in March 2025, using his diverse experience to focus on estate planning, probate litigation, protected persons settlement approvals and public benefits. Owen is a member of the Denver Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association and the Trust and Estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association.
Stephanie Schrab • ATTORNEY
Stephanie received her JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she was a Chancellor’s Scholar and an officer of the Elder Law Society. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Colorado Denver.
Joining the firm in 2020, Stephanie brings a passion for law driven by personal experience. As the sibling of an individual with a significant developmental disability, she has first-hand knowledge of the issues these individuals and their families face. Stephanie’s practice focuses on estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, special needs trusts, and other probate matters, including litigation. She is a member of the Colorado, Arapahoe County and Colorado Women’s Bar Associations. She has also been selected to the Colorado Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Andrew "AJ" Gwirtsman • ATTORNEY
Andrew “AJ’ Gwirtsman joined the firm in 2023 after spending the first few years of his career in general practice, doing mostly family and criminal defense law, as well as helping clients with their estate planning and business formation needs. AJ received his BA in History from Colorado College and his JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
AJ primarily handles probate litigation, estate planning and estate administration. AJ is a member of the American Bar Association, Colorado Bar Association, and Denver Bar Association.
Adam DiGiorgio • PARALEGAL
Adam has worked as a paralegal for more than 6 years, and his experience at Solem Law has inspired him to become a lawyer. He started law school in DU Law's Part-Time program in 2024 and will graduate in 2028. After that, he plans to pass the bar.
Kelli Herrin • PARALEGAL
Kelli joined the firm in 2023. She graduated Cum Laude from Arapahoe Community College with an AAS in Paralegal Studies in May of 2024. She is a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants and Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association.
Fay Green• INTAKE AND BILLING COORDINATOR
Fay Green joined the firm in 2023. She comes to Solem Woodward and McKinley following years working as an office manager and billing specialist in the healthcare sector. Fay is the person all of our potential new clients and existing clients will have the opportunity to interact with regularly. In 2024, Fay completed a paralegal studies program through Metropolitan State University.
Cali Silva• FRONT DESK COORDINATOR
Cali Silva joined the firm in October of 2024.
Nathan Williams • IN MEMORIAM • PARTNER
Partner and friend, Nathan Williams, passed away unexpectedly on May 16, 2021. He will be greatly missed.
Nathan was both a CPA and an Attorney. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Miami University (Ohio), and began his career as an accountant in Chicago before relocating to Denver to attend the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law where he earned both his J.D. degree and LLM in taxation.
In addition to probate litigation (including trusts and estates, will contests, conservatorship and guardianship matters), Nathan was an experienced estate planner and estate administrator. He was a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association, and the Colorado Society of CPAs.
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