About Mark O. Costley
With more than nineteen years experience in private practice, Mark Costley has helped hundreds of North Carolinians with estate planning, living trusts, financial law and probate, estate and trust administration. A partner with one of the largest and most vibrant estate planning practices in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, Mark's areas of practice are estate planning, trust and estate administration, planning for children and adults with special needs, business succession planning and business transactions, representation of non-profit organizations, family charitable and philanthropic counseling, civil dispute mediation, and business, estate and trust litigation. Mark's work involves elements of teaching, strategic analysis and planning, negotiation, documentation, and assisting clients in executing their plans. Mark is devoted to providing clients with the best in estate planning, estate administration and financial services law. Mark is also a certified court mediator.

Mark was drawn to and estate planning and financial planning law because of a passion for helping clients and their families avoid problems and helping them to have the necessary tools to preserve their wealth, prepare for the future and deal with problems when they do arise. Consistent with the philosophy of Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, P.L.L.C. to be "Your Counsel", Mark and his colleagues in the Estate Planning Group strive to have strong relationships with clients and their families in order to be of the greatest assistance possible when legal counsel is needed.

Experience
Mark Costley has been engaged in the private practice of law since 1985. After law school he practiced in his native state of Oklahoma with the largest firm in the state, Crowe & Dunlevy. He returned to North Carolina, forming his own firm in 1992, before joining Walker, Lambe, Rhudy & Costley, P.L.L.C. in 2002. In addition to his law practice, Mark has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Duke University and as Chairman of the Board of the Servant Center, Inc., a non-profit corporation providing health care services for veterans and the homeless. Mark has served as an instructor of business law at Greensboro, College, has been a guest lecturer on Business Ethics at Texas A & M University, and has presented continuing education papers and presentation to lawyers, CPAs, or financial professionals on subjects including Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Charitable Planning, Trust Drafting, Covenants Not to Compete, Incapacity Planning, Asset Protection, Debt Collection, and Business Formation. Mark has given scores of presentations to the public on the subjects of estate, financial planning, asset protection, health care planning, retirement planning, and related topics. Mark Costley is a member of the American Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association Estate and Trust Legislative Committee, and the Durham-Orange Estate Planning Council. He is a graduate of Leadership Greensboro, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, 1991-1992, and has served as a Member of the Duke University School of Law, Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Education
Mr. Costley received an AB, Magna Cum Laude, from Duke University in 1982, and was awarded his Juris Doctorate in 1985 by the Duke University School of Law. Mark was an editor of the Duke University Legal Research Program, a member of the law school's National Moot Court Team, and was selected by his peers to serve as commencement. speaker for his law school class. Mr. Costley completes in excess of 36 hours of Continuing Education in Estate Planning, Taxation and related areas each year.

Personal
Mr. Costley is married to Margaret Costley, and has two daughters, Eleanor born in 1995, and Audrey born in 2000. He is an active member of University Presbyterian Church, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, an avid sports fan, and enjoys reading, travel, tennis, politics and gardening. Mark plays trumpet in the Chapel Hill Philharmonia.