Attorneys at Law

George Wilson has practiced in the areas of estate and tax planning, charitable giving and trust and estate administration in Naples since 1980. He is certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Prior to founding Wilson & Johnson, Mr. Wilson was a partner at Cummings & Lockwood. A frequent speaker on topics related to estate planning, Mr. Wilson authored a chapter on “Domicile and Avoiding Ancillary Administration” in a text published by Callahan and Company and a multi-volume estate planning treatise titled “Estate and Personal Finance Planning.”

Mr. Wilson is admitted to practice law in Florida and Ohio, and he is a member of the Taxation and Real Property and Probate sections of the American Bar and Florida Bar Associations. An honors graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Mr. Wilson received his law degree from the University of Toledo Law School and a Master of Laws in Estate Planning from the University of Miami School of Law. Mr. Wilson has served as a director of the David Lawrence Foundation for Mental Health, Moorings Park, the David Lawrence Center, Step-By-Step for the Developmentally Handicapped and the Greater Naples Civic Association.

Jeffrey Hoffman practices in the areas of estate planning, charitable giving, trust and estate administration and corporate law and has been with Wilson & Johnson since 1997. He is designated as a Wills, Trust and Estate specialist by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education and was previously a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Florida.

Mr. Hoffman graduated with high honors from the University of Florida in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in accounting, further earning a Master’s degree in accounting in 1983. After working for the international accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co., he earned two additional degrees from the University of Florida, receiving a Juris Doctor with high honors in 1989 and a Master of Laws in Taxation in 1990. Mr. Hoffman is a member of the Order of the Coif.

Kyle Bacchus practices in the areas of estate and tax planning, charitable giving, and trust and estate administration. A Dean’s List graduate of Florida State University, Mr. Bacchus earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics, a minor in Business, and certificates in Entrepreneurship and Business Research. Mr. Bacchus joined Wilson & Johnson in 2015 as a Fiduciary Accountant, going on to earn his J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law where he graduated magna cum laude. While in Law School, he worked on the Ave Maria Law Review, and served as Senior Editor during his last year. His note, “A Testament to the Future of Testaments: Electronic Wills are the Future,” was voted on and chosen for publication during his time as an Associate Editor on the Law Review. He received CALI awards, given for the highest grade in the class, for Legal Drafting, Business Entities, and Real Estate Transactions. Mr. Bacchus honed his estate planning skillset by earning his LL.M. from the University of Miami School of Law’s Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning—the country’s top estate planning LL.M. program. Mr. Bacchus is a member of the Young Professionals of Naples, the Collier County Bar Association, including the Young Lawyers and Trusts and Estates Sections, and a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, the Tax Law, and the Business Law Sections of the Florida Bar. Licenses: Florida & Minnesota.

Jennifer Nackley practices in the Naples Estate, Trust and Wealth Preservation Group. In Jennifer’s practice she counsels multigenerational families on the transition of wealth including the minimization of estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes, post mortem planning and advanced charitable planning. Jennifer is passionate about her clients, their families and about preserving and protecting their legacies and memories. Her practice involves a full range of matters including estate planning, probate administration, and guardianship matters. Jennifer guides clients through the various levels of administration of substantial estates, which can include the representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in disputed matters – matters that continue the legacy and intent of her clients. Her recent experience includes:

• Consultation with clients on estate planning techniques to transition wealth on a multigenerational level while minimizing estate taxes. These techniques involve the preparation of revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable foundations and charitable trusts.
• An integral part of her practice includes counseling clients on how to prepare for and plan for the unexpected during lifetime by using health care directives, financial powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents.
• Representation of clients in various levels of administration of substantial estates, as well as the representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in disputed matters. In this regard Jennifer has been successful in commencing lawsuits to recover assets for clients that were diverted from them as a result of undue influence and elder abuse. She has successfully recovered millions of dollars for clients.
• Preparation of complex estate tax returns and the representation of clients during audits of estate and gift tax returns.
• Representation of clients in incapacity proceedings and representing guardians throughout the administration of the guardianship.

Education and Honors

Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., 1989)

• Dean’s List
• Moot Court Board (Member, 1978-1989)

St. John Fisher College (B.A., 1986)

• Dean’s List

Blake W. Kirkpatrick practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, business succession planning and charitable planning. Blake is admitted to practice in Florida and is a Board Certified Specialist in Wills, Trusts & Estates.

Blake obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics from Florida State University, law degree from St. Thomas University and a Master of Arts in Economics from Florida Atlantic University.

He has received the following awards or designations:

• Florida Super Lawyers® (2010-2019, 2021-2023)
• Attorney of the Year, Legal Aid Services of Collier County (2015)

Outside of the office, Blake is involved in outreach, missions and disaster relief efforts with his church in Naples and has volunteered time with various civic organizations including Collier County Legal Aid Society’s Wills for Heroes event in each year since its inception. He is also a coach in multiple sports at both the recreational and interscholastic levels.

He has been married to his wife for 30+ years and has three children.

Robert M. Buckel is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a Wills, Trusts and Estates law specialist. He concentrates his practice in the areas of complex estate planning, probate litigation and trust administration. He has been involved in virtually all aspects of probate and trust administration.

Mr. Buckel has practiced in the area of estate planning and probate administration in Naples, Florida since 1981. He is a longstanding member of the Florida and American Bar Associations’ sections on Probate and Trust law, as well as a member of the Naples Estate Planning Council. He is a past president of the Trust and Estates Section of the Collier County Bar Association. He has written several articles on various topics involving estate planning and is a frequent speaker on probate-related matters. Mr. Buckel has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® (2006-2020) and was named the Best Lawyers® 2020 – Litigation: Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Naples. He is also recognized by Florida Super Lawyers® (2006, 2009-2020) and carries an “AV”

“Preeminent” rating from LexisNexis and Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.

Sophia Scarcella practices in the areas of estate planning, charitable giving, trust and estate administration, and guardianship matters. Ms. Scarcella obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University in Political Science and minored in Sociology, going on to earn her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts. While in Law School, she received awards in Trusts and Estates, given for the highest grade in the class and Most Outstanding Project, in which she gave a presentation on the issues regarding protecting postmortem rights of publicity. She continued to work with her Trusts and Estates professor to complete a substantial project of research and writing titled, “Electronic Wills Executed in Extremis: A Waiver to Will Formalities.” Ms. Scarcella is a member of the Collier County Bar Association and a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, Elder Law, and the Young Lawyers Sections of the Florida Bar.

Paul D. Maté practices in the areas of estate planning, charitable giving, trust and estate administration and taxation. He has been with the firm since April 2024.

Mr. Maté graduated from the University of Florida in 2015 with an undergraduate dual degree in Journalism and Geology. After spending a year teaching English in China, he attended The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor. While in law school, he was a research assistant to both Prof. Stephanie Hoffer and Dean Lincoln Davies. He was also a participant in the 2019 Lawrence Negotiations Competition, in which he qualified as a semi-finalist. He attended Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law to attain his LL.M. in Taxation, graduating in 2021 with a Certificate in International Taxation.

Prior to joining Wilson & Johnson, he was an associate attorney in the Chicago office of Akerman LLP and an International Tax Associate in the Chicago office of KPMG LLP, where he advised multi-national corporations on cross-border transactions and assisted with tax filing.

He is currently bar licensed in Illinois and is proficient in the Spanish language.