SMITH KANE HOLMAN - Key Persons
Daniel R. Boose joined Smith Kane Holman in 2012. Primarily a fiduciary litigation attorney, Dan handles will contests, trust contests, fiduciary removal actions, and surcharge actions against executors, trustees, and agents under power of attorney. Dan also has experience litigating matters involving trust modification, and represents beneficiaries, trustees and executors in various other cases involving estates and trusts.
David Smith is a founding partner of Smith Kane Holman.
Before starting his own practice in 1997, David was associated with the large international law firm of Duane Morris & Heckscher in Philadelphia as a member of the firm's nationally recognized Reorganization and Finance Department.
His practice is a diverse mix of commercial transactions and commercial litigation with a focus in the area of bankruptcy from both the debtor and creditor sides.
David is a highly regarded debt counseling and commercial bankruptcy lawyer, uniquely qualified to assist businesses and their owners facing difficult situations. David's extensive experience in representing both debtors and creditors allows him to view every bankruptcy and workout situation from the perspective of each side. In addition, David has a large commercial litigation practice, based in a number of state, county, and federal courts. Finally, David has extensive experience in facilitating, negotiating, and documenting corporate and commercial transactions, including the sales or acquisitions of businesses and real estate. David also represents landlords and tenants in commercial real estate transactions and litigation.
David has been chosen as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" every year from 2004 (its inception year) through 2023 - a distinction that includes 5% of the lawyers within the state. He's been recognized in Suburban Life magazine's List of Awesome Attorneys and has been named "Top Lawyer" by Main Line Magazine in the category of Bankruptcy Lawyers.
Education
J.D., 1990 Villanova University School of Law (Editor of Villanova Law Review 1988-1990, Award for Outstanding Achievement 1989-1990)
B.A., 1987 Pre-Law (Minor in Business Law) Pennsylvania State University
Michael P. Donohue joined Smith Kane Holman in July 2012. Prior to that, Mike was an associate at Haviland Hughes, LLC in Philadelphia, a boutique law firm dedicated to complex commercial litigation and class action cases. Mike previously worked throughout the Philadelphia region representing clients in a variety of civil matters, including litigation, personal injury and family law matters.
Mike came to law as a second career after many years of service as a funeral director at the Donohue Funeral Homes, Inc., an organization originally founded by Mike's great-grandfather. In 2001, Mike decided that his people skills and his desire to continue his education were well-suited to the pursuit of a law degree and ultimately the practice of law.
Mike attended Widener University School of Law at night while continuing to work in both the funeral industry and as a law clerk for former Attorneys General D. Michael Fisher and Gerald J. Pappert. As a law clerk, Mike worked in the Philadelphia regional office of the Bureau of Consumer Protection where he was given an award for outstanding service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. While attending law school, Mike was a staff member of the nationally ranked Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and a member of Widener's Moot Court Honor Society. Mike was inducted into the Order of the Barrister for significant achievement in appellate advocacy and was the recipient of the Lindsey Law Library Award for excellence in legal research.
Mike's years of service to families during his time as a funeral director as well as his significant experience in helping to operate a large family business make him uniquely qualified to represent clients with fiduciary and commercial litigation needs. Mike's enthusiasm and drive have already endeared him to the clients of Smith Kane Holman.
Education
J.D. 2005, Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, DE-cum laude
B.S. 2001, Liberal Studies, Excelsior College, Albany, NY
Practice Areas
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Nicholas M. Engel joined Smith Kane Holman in 2022. Nick focuses his practice primarily on bankruptcy and debt counseling matters, but also represents clients in commercial transactions and litigation in both state and federal court.
Job Titles:
- Trust and Estate Litigation
Timothy J. Holman partnered with David Smith in January 2014 to form Smith Kane Holman. Tim joined the firm, then known as Smith Kane, in September 2012.
Tim practices primarily as a trust and estate litigation and guardianship attorney. Tim also handles commercial and bankruptcy litigation matters.
Earlier in his career, Tim worked in the trial department of Duane, Morris & Heckscher in Philadelphia. Later he was a partner in a boutique commercial litigation law firm in Philadelphia and in a regional trust and estate law firm, where he practiced as a trust and estate litigation and guardianship litigation attorney.
Tim lectures frequently for the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and others on trust and estate litigation topics, ethical issues facing lawyers, and trial advocacy. He recently concluded a two year term as the representative of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Probate and Trust Law Section to the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He recently served a three-year term as an elected member of the Probate Section's Executive Committee, and for six years served as Chair of the Probate Section's Orphans' Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Tim taught a class on "probate process and practice" for several years in Villanova Law School's Graduate Tax Program.
Tim has been recognized from 2012 through 2024 by the "Best Lawyers in America" in the field of fiduciary litigation, and as a Pennsylvania "Super Lawyer" from 2016 through 2023 in trust and estate litigation.