- Last Will & Testaments
- Estates
- Probate Court
John F. Hussell IV
John F. Hussell works with individual and institutional clients in multiple stages of estate planning and asset protection planning. He is a well-respected and successful corporate attorney focusing on “peace of mind strategies” – both in helping his clients pass assets to the next generation and in executing and litigating when contests arise. John is adamant that no single client “gets more attention than another,” indicating that estate planning, wealth protection and planning for the future are personal, fluid processes. He takes great care in developing relationships with each client and leveraging relationships with other trusted professionals to find solutions that fit the needs of the individual.
That philosophy – combined with “24/7 accessibility” – puts his clients at ease and is a trust factor in addressing individual administrative and legal needs. John focuses his law practice on helping individual and institutional clients with estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable giving, and asset protection planning. He has a broad range of experience in advising institutional fiduciaries and is frequently called upon to create and advise tax-exempt organizations. John has developed an extensive practice in all aspects of trust and estate litigation, including will contests, will construction actions, and fiduciary litigation. He also assists clients with elder law issues such as advanced health care directives, guardian and conservator appointments, and planning for incapacity. John’s experience in handling estate and trust matters, as well as his thorough understanding of the legal issues encompassed by estate planning and wealth protection, have enabled him to serve as an expert witness in civil actions, providing him with yet another perspective to bring to the table when assisting his own clients.
John is a natural competitor, enjoying sports and coaching and is an avid reader, which carries over into his philosophy in serving clients.
Besides English, John can assist clients in German as well.
More About Attorney Hussell
Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
- West Virginia, 1994
- U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1994
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2010
- U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia, 1994
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2014
Education
- Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia J.D. – 1994
- Marshall University
- B.A. magna cum laude – 1991
- Honors: Society of Yeager Scholars
- Major: Political Science Major: English
Professional Associations & Memberships
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
- West Virginia State Bar, Probate Committee Chairman
- Charleston Estate Planning Council, Past President
- West Virginia Bankers Association, Trust Committee
- West Virginia University, Foundation Planned Giving Advisory Committee
- Thomas Memorial Foundation Planned Giving Advisory Council
- Charleston Area Medical Center, Foundation Estate Planning Advisors’ Committee
- Kanawha County Bar Association
- West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Board of Directors Fund for the Arts, Board Member & Parliamentarian
- Episcopal Diocese of the State of West Virginia, Chancellor
- Foundation for the Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospitals, Inc, Board of Directors
Published Work
- Through the ‘Mindfield’ of Confidential Mental Health Records, October 24, 1997
- Wills Chapter of West Virginia Practice Handbook, January 1, 1996
- Historically Low-Interest Rates Create Planning Opportunities, November 16, 2011
- 7520 Rate Drop: A Rare Opportunity Awaits…, December 6, 2011
Representative Clients
- Branch Banking & Trust Company
- City National Bank
- Southern Coal Corporation
- United Bank, Inc.
Classes & Seminars
- That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: Common Mistakes in Estate
- Administration in West Virginia, North Central West Virginia Estate Planning Council, Inc
- Estate and Tax Planning During Times of Uncertainty, Estate
- Planning Update: The New WV Durable Power of Attorney Act and Other Important Estate Planning Issues, West Virginia Continuing Legal Education
- Probate Law – Common Mistakes in Estate Administration in West Virginia, 2012 Annual Training for County Clerks and Deputies
- Top Drafting Techniques for Trust & Estate Professionals: How to
- Save Your Job, Avoid Litigation and Look Like a Superstar, Annual
- Financial and Estate Planning Seminar
- The New WV Uniform Trust Code, West Virginia University College of Law Continuing Legal Education, October
- Fiduciary Litigation under the Uniform Trust Code, West Virginia
- University College of Law Continuing Legal Education, Charleston, WV, June
- Basics for Establishing Special Needs Trusts, National Business Institute National Teleconference, June
- Practical Aspects of Trust Administration under the Uniform Trust Code, The West Virginia Bankers Association Estate and Financial Planning Seminar, Charleston, WV, May
- Basics for Establishing Special Needs Trusts, National Business Institute, National Teleconference, November
- Probate Practice: The Essential Basics, National Business Institute, Charleston, WV, June
- Gift and Estate Taxes, West Virginia University College of Law Continuing Legal Education, Charleston, WV, June
- Practical Aspects of the Estate Tax Mess: What West Virginians Need to Know, The West Virginia Bankers Association Estate and Financial Planning Seminar, Charleston, WV, May
Honors & Awards
- Best Lawyers’ 2012 Charleston, WV Litigation – Trusts & Estates Lawyer of the Year
- Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®
- West Virginia State Journal Generation Next (WV 40 Under 40), 2007
- Selected for the West Virginia Super Lawyers® List
Honors & Awards
- Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP, Managing Partner, 2005 – 2014
- Campbell, Woods, Bagley, Partner, 1994 – 2005
© Copyright 2025 Wooton, Davis, Hussell & Johnson, PLLC. All rights reserved.
Digital Marketing By 