Attorneys
Managing Attorney, North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law, CPA, CFM, CMA, MAc.
Attorney Danica Little advises clients regarding Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Probate, Special Needs Planning, Elder Law, Guardianships, Partitions, Estate Disputes, Trust Administration, Trust and Fiduciary Disputes, Estate Tax, Income Tax, Gift Tax, Succession Planning And Business Law throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.
As a successful and highly accomplished attorney, Danica understands complex legal issues and how to solve them, but more importantly she will take the time listen to your needs and concerns so that you receive the optimal legal advice for you and your situation
Danica Little is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law, a distinction held by less than 1% of North Carolina attorneys. Attorney Little is honored as a Top Rated North Carolina Trusts and Estates Attorney, and an AV® Preeminent™ attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest distinction in the legal profession. She has received awards for outstanding client service and has received a 10 superb client satisfaction rating from Avvo which is the highest possible rating.
Danica was recently featured in Charlotte Magazine Faces as the 2016 Charlotte Face of Estate Planning and Probate Law. Danica was recognized by Fortune Magazine’s Top Women Leaders in Law and featured in Charlotte Magazine’s Top Attorneys numerous times, and named as a Best Attorney of America. Danica received the honor of being named “40 Under 40” by Charlotte Business Journal and recognized by Business Leader Magazine as a “Women Extraordinaire.” Prior to thatDanica Little was named a “Rising Star” by Thompson Reuters Super Lawyers. She has been featured in the following publications: The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, and the National Law Journal as a Top Rated Trusts and Estates Attorney. Danica has also been recognized by Business Leader Magazine, Charlotte Business Journal, Southpark Magazine, and Ballantyne Magazine.
Attorney Little has published numerous articles and lectured frequently on Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Special Needs Planning, Guardianships, Elder Law, Tax Planning and Asset Protection, among others.
Danica graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) Degree from Florida State University College of Law. In law school, Danica was inducted in the Order of the Coif, and received multiple book awards for obtaining the highest grade in her entire law class. She also obtained her Masters of Accountancy (MAc.) Degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Attorney Little is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Manager (CFM), and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
Our Accrediations
Attorney Amy Clayborne McLean manages the business law and employment law practice at Danica Little Law, PLLC. Amy works closely with businesses and their owners to provide optimal solutions by applying her invaluable corporate law experience and legal skills to benefit clients. In addition, Amy practices law in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Probate, Special Needs Planning, Elder Law, Guardianships, Partitions, Estate Disputes, Trust Administration, Estate Tax, Income Tax, Gift Tax, Succession Planning. Amy is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Probate Section.
Prior to joining Danica Little Law, PLLC, Amy served as in-house counsel for Family Dollar Stores, Inc.,a variety store chain with over 8,000 stores nationwide, and served as in-house counsel for Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc., which has over 600 locations throughout the country. Her legal career at Family Dollar and Bojangles’ provided her with incredibly broad and deep legal knowledge of Business and Employment Law. Amy is adept at business and employment matters including: contracts, commercial leases, negotiations, settlements, covenants not to compete, shareholder’s agreements, buy sell agreements, assets sales and stock sales. Amy is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, and a member of the NCBA Business Law Section, Employment Law Section, Estate Planning and Real Estate Section.
Amy is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and has an inactive law license in Georgia. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. She is the recipient of the Judge Heriot Clarkson Award for Professional Responsibility. Prior to law school, Amy graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from East Carolina University. Amy is an alumni member of Phi Sigma Alpha and Pi Alpha Delta. Amy has volunteered extensively within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the South Charlotte Recreation Association. Amy was formerly a member of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer’s Foundation, through which she represented clients pro-bono in landlord-tenant and Employment Law disputes. She also presented law-related education programs to students in Atlanta-area elementary and middle schools.
Attorney Maria C. Collins advises clients regarding Estate Administration, Probate, and Gratuitous Transfer Tax Law matters. Maria is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section as well as the North Carolina Bar Association’s Division for Young Lawyers
Maria is licensed to practice law in North Carolina. She earned Juris Doctorate from the Wake Forest University School of Law. During her time at law school, she was a member of the Wake Forest Moot Court, and she participated in the Dominick L. Gabrielli Family Law National Moot Court Competition. Additionally, Maria served as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law. She is also the recipient of the CALI Excellence Award for Appellate Advocacy and Federal Income Tax Law. Maria also served as a research assistant for several professors, and practiced as a student attorney for the Wake Forest Elder Law Clinic.
Prior to law school, Maria graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of the Arts in History as well as a Bachelor of the Arts in Classical Studies from the University of Florida.Maria is also an alumna of Sigma Kappa sorority. Although a native of Florida, Maria is pleased to have relocated to Charlotte. She enjoys spending time with her now-local parents and reading in her free time. She also is excited to engage as a member and as a volunteer with the Mecklenburg County Bar Association.
Attorney Rebecca A. Daddino is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. Attorney Daddino focuses on the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law, Estate Administration, Guardianships, and Adoption law.
Even before attending law school, Ms. Daddino knew she wanted to practice Estate Planning and Elder Law. Her passion for assisting the elderly was inspired by having been raised with the help of not only a great-grandmother, but also her maternal grandparents. Having spent so much of her youth surrounded by her extended family members, Ms. Daddino witnessed first-hand many of the legal issues surrounding the elderly.
As a student at Wake Forest Law, Ms. Daddino worked as a student attorney in the Elder Law Clinic where she assisted clients with wills, guardianships, and powers of attorney. Ms. Daddino also served as the Coordinator of Wake Forest Law’s Pro Bono Wills Project. During her tenure as Coordinator of the Wills Project, Ms. Daddino organized several clinics and community presentations on wills and advance directives. Ms. Daddino strives to be knowledgeable in her chosen fields of practice and continues to seek out opportunities to attend continuing legal education programs dedicated to Estate Planning, Elder Law, Guardianships, and Adoptions.
Ms. Daddino enjoys escape room games, tavern trivia, painting, and cruises to tropical destinations. She lives in Charlotte with the love of her life, Josh, and is a proud mom to her two cats, Napoleon and Josephine.
Danica Little is passionate about serving clients in the practice areas of Estate Planning, Trusts, Estate Administration, and Special Needs Planning.
Here are some of our Honors & Recognitions:
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell 2015, 2013
- “50 Women Leaders in Law” Fortune Magazine 2015
- “Top Rated Trusts and Estates Lawyer” Featured in The American Lawyer 2015
- Business Leader Magazine “Women Extraordinaire”
- Corporate Counsel featured as a 2015 “Top Rated Trusts and Estates Lawyer”
- ”Top Rated Trusts and Estates Lawyer” featured in the National Law Journal 2015
- Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”
- North Carolina Super Lawyers “Rising Star” Estate Planning & Probate Law
- First-Tier Ranking in Trusts & Estates Law by U.S. News
- Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”
- Chair of the Tax Section of the Mecklenburg Bar Association
- Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.)
- Certified Management Accountant (C.M.A.)
- Certified Financial Manager (C.F.M.)
- President of the Charlotte Women’s Bar
- Vice President of the Charlotte Women’s Bar
- Director of the Charlotte Women’s Bar
- Treasurer and Secretary of the Charlotte Women’s Bar
- North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law
- Licensed to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina
- Member of the Estates, Trusts and Probate Section of the N.C. Bar Association
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- Order of the Coif (Top 10% of Graduating Law School Class)
- Transnational Journal of Law, Article and Notes Editor of the Year
- Juris Doctorate Degree Magna Cum Laude Florida State University College of Law
- Buckley Book Award Torts, Book Award for Sales and Leases
- Internship for Federal Judge
Estate Planning, Tax Planning and Asset Protections Presentations
- Estate Tax, Gift Tax, Income Tax Planning (2015)
- Co-Author: North Carolina Bar Association 2014 Estate Administration Manual
- “First Steps of Probate”, Charlotte, NC (August 2014)
- “Educating the Personal Representative”, Charlotte, NC (August 2014)
- “Estates, Heirs and Errors in an Era of Entitlement,” Charlotte, North Carolina (December 2013)
- Co-Author: North Carolina Bar Association 2012 Estate Administration Manual
- “Common Probate Problems and How to Solve Them,” Charlotte, North Carolina (December 2011)
- “Ethics in Probate Practice,” Charlotte, North Carolina (December 2011)
- “Responsible Management of Attorney’s Fees and Client Trust Accounts,” Charlotte, North Carolina (December 2011)
- “Protecting Your Assets: How to Manage Risk in Your Business,” Charlotte, North Carolina (October 2011)
- “NC Guardianship Proceedings,” Charlotte, North Carolina (October 2011)
- “Basic Taxes,” Charlotte, North Carolina (September 2011)
- “Avoiding Beneficiary Designation Traps: Advanced Tactics,” National Teleseminar (March 2011)
- “Asset Protection,” Charlotte, North Carolina (March 2011)
- “Closing the Estate,” Charlotte, North Carolina (February 2011)
- “Ethics in Probate Practice,” Charlotte, North Carolina (February 2011)
- “Summary of Tax Relief of 2010,” Charlotte, North Carolina (January 2011)
- “Taxation Challenges When Each Dollar Counts,” Charlotte and Asheville, NC (December 2010)
- “Trust Administration and Termination Tips for Borderline Estates,” Charlotte and Asheville, NC (December 2010)
- Co-Author: North Carolina Bar Association 2010 Estate Administration Manual
- “Estate and Tax Planning for 2010 and Beyond,” Charlotte, North Carolina (September 2010)
- “Estate Planning for Business Owners,” Hood Hargett Breakfast Club (March 2010)
- “Creating and Preserving Business and Personal Wealth,” Regions Bank (October 2009)
- “Business Owner Estate Planning Before 2010,” Greater Charlotte Biz (September 2009)
- “Estate Planning Update,” Financial Planning Association (September 2009)
- “Now is the Time for Tax-Efficient Weealth Transfers,” Greater Charlotte Biz (August 2009)
- “An Integrated Estate and Succession Plan is Critical for Business Owners,” (August 2009)
- “Probate and the Business Owner,” Greater Charlotte Biz (July 2009)
- “Estate Planning for Business Owners,” Vistage International, Inc. (February 2009)
- “Estate Planning Traps,” Prudential Workshop (July 2008)
- “Asset Protection for Business Owners,” National Association of the Remodeling Industry (April 2008)
- “Estate Planning in Uncertain Times,” Financial Planning Association (September 2007)
- “Key Issues in Estate Planning,” Hinrichs Flanagan Financial (April 2007)