512-617-7323 (Direct)

ssaunders@saundersandassociates.com

Steve Saunders is the sole owner of Saunders & Associates. He is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law and a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. He is a frequent speaker at and Course Director for State Bar seminars in the estate planning and probate area. Steve’s practice is entirely dedicated to estate planning and probate work, and he has done extensive charitable planning with family foundations and community foundations. He serves on the Board of the Austin Community Foundation, his family’s foundation, the Austin High PTSA, and numerous other charities. He is a member of the University of Texas Planned Giving Advisory Council and the University’s Development Board. He has worked with charities and legislators in every session of the Texas legislature since 2001 to preserve the Rule Against Perpetuities.

512- 617-7326 (Direct)

anear@saundersandassociates.com

Anna is an attorney at Saunders & Associates. Her practice consists entirely of estate planning and probate work, and she regularly advises clients on philanthropic planning. She enjoys helping individuals and couples with simple documents everyone should have—Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, Medical Powers of Attorney, and Directives to Physicians—as well as helping clients with more complex planning to mitigate estate taxes, to protect assets, and most importantly to ensure that wealth transfers enable subsequent generations instead of stunting them. Her experience includes the implementation of irrevocable trusts for gifting purposes, revocable management trusts, and representing individuals for Marital Property Agreements and other property issues related to informal marriage and cohabitation.

Anna graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in English and originally started with the firm after receiving her J.D. from the University of Texas in 2004. After a ten-year break at home with young children, she rejoined the firm in 2016 and has served in an Of Counsel capacity since 2022. Her professional memberships include the Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, the Estate Planning & Probate Section of the Austin Bar Association, and the Estate Planning Council of Central Texas. She was a planning committee member for the Texas Bar CLE’s Intermediate Estate Planning & Probate Course in 2019.

512-617-7325 (Direct)

bklitch@saundersandassociates.com

Barbara has been part of the estate planning legal community in Austin for decades. she started her career at a large firm downtown and subsequently worked with the Texas legislature for many years. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas. Barbara joined Saunders & Associates January 1, 2024.

512-476-5183 (Direct)

swatkins@saundersandassociates.com

Sydney’s practice consists of estate planning, administration, and marital property agreements. She first worked at Saunders & Associates as a clerk while in law school. Immediately following her graduation, Sydney joined the Corporate & Securities group of a large law firm, before returning to Saunders & Associates in 2025.

Prior to law school, Sydney worked in investment and commercial banking. During her stint in investment banking, Sydney worked with family-owned, middle-market companies looking to raise capital or sell. She was later part of an award-winning risk management team at one of the nation’s largest banks. Sydney is a double longhorn: she received a bachelor’s degree in finance, with honors, from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. She is a fifth-generation Texan and is glad to help central Texas families build their own legacies.

512- 472-7111

hansendean@saundersandassociates.com

Laura Hansen Dean is Of Counsel at Saunders & Associates. She is admitted to the practice of law in Texas and Indiana. For over 40 years her practice has been dedicated to helping clients discover how their desire to support charitable causes and communities can best be included in their lifetime financial planning and estate planning for maximum impact.

She has advised extensively on the formation and management of charitable organizations, including private and public foundations, and community foundations. As the CEO of a public university foundation and a community foundation she created supporting organizations and served as Trustee of charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and pooled income funds, issued and oversaw the investment of charitable gift annuities, through the entire life cycle of all of these giving vehicles. She is a frequent speaker on charitable gift planning and charitable organizations.

In 2018 she was inducted into the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Hall of Fame as a member of the second class of inductees in recognition of her expertise, leadership and service to the practice of charitable gift planning.

512- 617-7321 (Direct)

tcox@saundersandassociates.com

Theresa’s administrative experience began in 2000 as a paralegal. Over the years she has worked as a legal assistant, in administration in the legal field, office management, and human resources. She stepped into the role of office manager in the spring of 2021 when the firms partner handling these responsibilities retired.

512- 617-7327 (Direct)

porchard@saundersandassociates.com

Prior to moving to Austin to continue her career as a paralegal, Peggy Orchard was a 40-year resident of Dallas where she began her 30-year career as a paralegal in the areas of probate, estate planning and probate law. Peggy is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has been a frequent speaker at paralegal seminars and in paralegal classrooms in Dallas where she shared her knowledge of probate law and estate administration. Peggy had also been an active volunteer for various organizations in the Dallas area. Peggy has been with Steve Saunders since 2014.

512- 617-7327 (Direct)

kripps@saundersandassociates.com

Kate was born in Austin, Texas and began in the legal field in 1985, as an office manager. Over the years, she transitioned to be a legal assistant supporting various types of law, which include probate, estate planning, corporate compliance, mergers and acquisitions.

512- 472-8461

mhale@saundersandassociates.com

Madison graduated from Georgetown Eastview High School, in Georgetown in May 2021 and is clerking for Saunders & Associates while planning for her future.