In 2010, Mr. Ford achieved the highest distinction available to an attorney practicing in the area of estate planning and probate in Texas. He has become Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which is a coveted recognition bestowed on few attorneys who have demonstrated special competence in this area of law and who have received recommendations from fellow attorneys and judges with whom they have worked. In 2009, Mr. Ford completed the required course-work to become certified to serve as a mediator. In pursuit of this distinction, Mr. Ford attended the world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. He attended this intensive course with the goal of being able to conduct mediations in probate and guardianship cases, as few mediators in Texas specialize in these areas. In 2006, Mr. Ford was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas to serve on the Guardianship Certification Board, which is a 15-member board that creates policy and oversees the regulation of private professional guardians in the State of Texas. At the inaugural meeting of the GCB, Mr. Ford was elected as the Chair of the Rules Committee, where he has served with distinction since that time. Mr. Ford’s recent distinctions are reflective of a dedication to the areas of estate planning, probate, and guardianship that began early in his education. In law school, Mr. Ford was fortunate to be able to concentrate his education in estate planning and business planning, not unlike a major in undergraduate school. His concentration in estate planning and business planning involved a curriculum designed around an in-depth study of those areas. Additionally, he was able to regularly work one-on-one with professors in those fields so that before he even graduated from law school he had experience in tax planning and will drafting. Mr. Ford graduated from Baylor University with degrees in Accounting and Law. He has also completed several post-graduate courses at Baylor in pursuit of a Masters in Taxation. Following law school, he began his career as a Tax Attorney for a large international accounting and consulting firm, where he assisted clients primarily in the areas of estate and gift tax and personal income tax. The combination of his tax-related degrees and his experience working as a tax attorney have given Mr. Ford a strong background in the areas of estate planning and probate, and he has focused his attention and expertise in these areas ever since. Mr. Ford devotes his knowledge and experience to maintaining the reputation of Ford+Bergner as a leading estate planning and probate firm in Texas.

Kathryn M. Forgie began her career as an Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, for the Territory of Guam. There, in addition to beginning her lifelong love of scuba diving, she prosecuted numerous felonies including the double homicide of two police officers. Seeking a slightly expanded jurisdiction, she moved to London to practice tax and international law which she enjoyed for two years. The desire to be closer to family finally brought her to California, where she began her almost 40-year involvement in the field of pharmaceutical, medical device and pesticide litigation. For twenty years, Kathryn served as lead and co-lead national counsel and regional counsel in various large, complex litigations including lead national counsel for Bayer Aspirin in the Reyes Syndrome litigation. Her area of interest and expertise developed into running medical and scientific experts on a national, regional and local level for the defense bar.

Ryan Forman is an associate in the Real Estate practice of the firm’s New York office. Ryan represents clients in a broad range of complex real estate transactions, including, mortgage and mezzanine financing, joint ventures, and acquisitions and dispositions of hotels, office buildings, condominiums and other real estate assets. Prior to joining the firm, Ryan represented developers, investors, and owner/operators in transactions and litigation involving rent stabilized and rent regulated multifamily properties.

Patrick O. Forrester, Esq. is a highly motivated and extremely dedicated negotiator and litigator. Well respected for his work as a skilled trial lawyer. His areas of practice includes: Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Police Abuse, Divorce and Real Estate. Patrick attended Kingston College in Jamaica, went on to do his undergraduate studies at Iona College in New York, and earned a Juris Doctor degree at the City University of New York School of Law before returning to Jamaica where he obtained a Certificate in Legal Education at the Norman Manley Law School. In addition to being licensed in New York State, the United States Federal Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C., he is also licensed to practice in Jamaica W.I.. His love for the law and his desire for justice led him to serve as an Administrative Law Judge with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings in New York City from 2009-2011.