SCHEIER - Key Persons
Barbara Epstein joined the firm in 1999. She became a shareholder of the firm in 2010. Attorney Epstein focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, and planning for beneficiaries with special needs. She is a compassionate advisor and good listener who works closely with individuals, families and their advisors to guide them through the estate planning process and negotiate the difficult practical and emotional decisions that may arise.
Barbara is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, Amherst (B.A. magna cum laude), University of Pennsylvania (M.A. Communications) and Boston College Law School (J.D.) She also completed several courses in the LLM Program at Boston University Law School so that she could effectively advise her clients on complex estate planning and administrative issues.
Barbara works closely with accountants and financial planners when creating and implementing estate plans for her clients. She has been named as a Boston Select Wealth Manager for three consecutive years in the area of Estate Planning.
Barbara has also been active in her local community, serving six years on the Acton Conservation Commission, volunteering for Acton Community Supper, and, most recently, as a board member of Open Table Food Pantry/Community Supper in Maynard.
Barbara divides her time between Arlington and Wellfleet on the Cape. When she is in the office, she is often accompanied by her chocolate lab, Moose. Her interests include running, bicycling, downhill skiing, swimming and travelling to new places. She is the proud mother of two grown daughters, Emily and Michaela.
Heather Dumont joined our firm in September 2021. Before joining Scheier, Katin & Epstein, she owned and operated her own law firm for 10 years. Heather provides caring and compassionate legal services in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate administration as well as Federal and Massachusetts estate tax preparation. She works closely with accountants and financial planners to provide a comprehensive plan and tax savings for her clients. In addition to saving families money, Heather's goal is to provide everyone with peace of mind and guidance to choose the best plan for them.
Heather is a graduate from New York Law School (J.D. cum laude) and the University of Massachusetts, Boston (B.A. in Psychology, cum laude). Heather has volunteered with the Women's Bar Foundation's Family Law Project for Domestic Abuse Survivors and the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.
Outside the office Heather is busy with her two teenage boys and German Shepard. She also enjoys running, fishing and watching football.
Judy joined the firm in 1990. She is our office administrator and bookkeeper. Her responsibilities include client billing, three-way bank reconciliation, accounts receivable, accounts payable and staff support. Judy married her high school sweetheart and they have two children and three grandsons. She enjoys reading, attending her grandson's sports activities and spending time with her husband, family and friends.
Mark Scheier founded the firm with Michael Katin in 1990. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1972 and has practiced law in Acton since 1974.
Mark concentrates his practice in transactional law, representing buyers and sellers of real estate, representing local, regional, and national lenders in mortgage transactions, and drafting all types of real estate agreements. He also represents many area businesses, handling corporation and LLC formations, lease preparation and negotiation, contracts, and purchases and sales of businesses.
Mark is a graduate of Antioch College (B.A. 1969) and Northeastern University School of Law (J.D. 1972). He has given many seminars on aspects of the real estate transaction and real estate law to real estate professionals and the general public. He has also served as a commentator on real estate law for the Money Matters Radio Network.
As someone with substantial experience in all types of real estate and business transactions, Mark is very mindful of the special pressures affecting his clients of difficult transitions and pressure-packed deadlines.
While he possesses the technical knowledge and experience to help his clients through the most challenging legal matters, he also has a deep understanding of the very personal aspects of his clients' situations.
Focusing on transactional law, Mark helps his clients navigate through the transaction with as little anxiety as possible. He does this by taking a hands-on approach, encouraging his clients to ask questions, and by keeping them continuously informed of the status of their matters.
Mark has also been very active in the local community and area. He has served as President of the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce and has chaired its School-Business partnership committee for the past 18 years. He is the television commentator for the Acton-Boxborough football team, a position he has held with great pleasure for the past 19 years. He has been a board member of Indian Hill Music for 12 years and was the Chair of the Board of Directors of AccesSport America, an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of disabled children and adults. Mark is an avid racquetball player, participating in State and National Master's Tournaments throughout the year.
Mark lives in Lowell with his wife Rebecca. They have two adult children, Alison and Alex, who come home to visit often, but not often enough, and two grandsons whom they visit quite often.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- of Counsel
- Member of the American Bar Association
Michael Katin, a founding member of the firm, is retired but retains his status as a member of the Massachusetts Bar and is of counsel to Scheier Katin & Epstein. He remains available for consultation and owner representation for real estate sales and purchases. He offers over forty (40) years of legal experience and practiced in Acton since 1986. Michael graduated from Syracuse University in 1971 with a major in history and obtained his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1976.
The primary focus of Michael's practice is residential real estate which he undertakes with a strong sense of the importance and impact that transactions in this area of the law have on his clients and their families. Michael's concern for his individual clients' welfare extends to protection of their financial needs in establishing entrepreneurial business entities for individuals starting up their own business and in assisting others who find themselves facing a foreclosure or in need of a financial "workout" or a "Fresh Start" afforded by bankruptcy protection. He also represents mortgage lenders and serves virtually all of eastern Massachusetts.
Michael is a member of the American Bar Association, chairs the Property Law Section council of the Massachusetts Bar Association and serves on the Condominium Committee of the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts. He has resided in Newton since 1976 with his wife Eileen and where he raised their two daughters with active participation as a charter board member of the Newton Girls Basketball Association, President and Treasurer of the Brandeis Jewish Education Program, and currently is on the Board of The Discovery Museum located in Acton. Michael is an avid recreational bicyclist and has participated in the Pan Mass Challenge fundraiser for the Jimmy fund since 1995.
Job Titles:
- Additional Staff Member
- Receptionist
Tara joined the firm in 2016 as a receptionist and an administrative assistant. She supports and assists our team with a variety of different tasks and projects. She manages the telephone and front desk reception, where she greets and assists clients professionally and with a smile. Tara lives in Boxborough with her two boys and when not working enjoys spending time with family and friends.