Kirby G. Upright

Kirby G. Upright is a highly experienced attorney with rich knowledge in his field of estate planning/administration, corporate tax planning and orphans’ court litigation. He believes in treating everyone he represents and counsels with the utmost degree of sensitivity, respect and responsiveness.

An attorney and a certified public accountant, Mr. Upright serves as an expert witness in estate and trust administration/planning matters across the Commonwealth. He frequently lectures and comments on legal issues and cases. He is a Fellow in the exclusive American College of Trust and Estate Counsel – one of only two in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. Upright is a frequent faculty member for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, by which he is recognized as a leading commentator in the area of legal ethics, and how those professional rules apply to the Trust and Estate areas. He has also authored numerous articles in the areas of estate planning and administration, and is the editor of the PBI publication Representing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Clients in Pennsylvania, now in its Third Edition.

Mr. Upright is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, is listed as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell as selected by his peers and the judiciary, and is recognized as an Accredited Estate Planner by the National Estate Planning Council. A former Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Upright is a member of the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. He is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley. In 2017, he was named to the list of “Select Lawyers” by Lehigh Valley Style Magazine.

Mr. Upright, whose experience ranges from simple wills to the most complicated and sophisticated estate planning situations, graduated from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Akron Law School. He earned a Master of Law degree in Taxation from Temple University School of Law.

Mr. Upright is a Vietnam veteran.

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania
• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• U.S. Tax Court

Memberships & Associations

• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Lehigh County Bar Association
• Monroe County Bar Association
• Northampton County Bar Association
• Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Planned Giving Advisory Council, Penn State University
• PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee
• Real Property, Probate and Trust Delegate, PBA House of Delegates