Our Team

Attorney

     Thomas J. Ray, Jr. is the founder and principal attorney for Ray Law Offices, P.C. He has been an attorney for 23 years, including six years with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Foundation in St. Louis. Tom is a member of the Missouri and Oklahoma Bars, and is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.
     Tom earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Oklahoma City University. He has also received specialized training in charitable tax planning from the Tax Philanthropy Institute, Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and the National Institute for Planned Giving, Memphis, Tennessee. Tom has also received specialized training in financial planning through The College for Financial Planning, Denver, Colorado.
     Tom is considered a leading national authority on charitable tax planning, and lectures frequently on that topic. He is the author of technical training manuals for attorneys on Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Lead Trusts, Private Foundations and Supporting Organizations. Tom is a founder and principal of WealthCounsel, LLC, and is the principal draftsperson for the Wealthdocs® charitable module. He is also a principal for Planned Giving Concepts, Inc., a charitable trust administration company.

Of Counsel

     Shawn J. Estep is an attorney and Of Counsel with Ray Law Offices, P.C. He has been an attorney for seven years, and for two years was a principal with Osborn, Estep & Associates, L.L.C., which limited its practice to estate planning matters. He is a member of the Missouri Bar, and has been admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.
     Shawn earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri, and his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. He is currently pursuing an advanced law degree in taxation from Washington University School of Law. In addition to being a lawyer, Shawn is also a Professional Engineer.
     Shawn limits his practice to estate planning and probate, and has a special interest in pension planning and asset protection.

Client Services Manager

     Linda M. Ray is client services manager for Ray Law Offices, P.C. Linda assists our clients through the initial phases of the estate planning process and, after the documents are signed, she is responsible for re-titling assets into their trusts. This funding process is crucial to ensuring that our clients’ estate planning objectives are fulfilled. Linda coordinates our team approach to estate planning and is available to ensure that each client has a positive and successful experience.
     Before joining the firm in 1997, Linda was a Master’s-level reading specialist and teacher in public and private schools. She holds her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma. She has also received specialized legal assistant training through St. Louis Community College at Meramec.