By Ruth Ratzlaff, Esq.
When not practicing elder and special needs law, Wesley E. Wright, CELA, can sometimes be found portraying George Washington in parades and other events.
Wesley E. Wright, CELA, has his primary law offices of Wright Abshire, Attorneys located in Bellaire, Texas, a city within Houston. Houston was, of course, the long-time home of the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara. Wes has shaken the hands of the former president and his wife, but he is keenly interested in another president: the first President of the United States, George Washington.
Wes has done extensive research on the life of George Washington, including traveling to Barbados to visit the house Washington and his half-brother, Lawrence, leased when they traveled there to seek medical help for Lawrence who had consumption, known as tuberculosis today. Washington was only 19 years old at the time and it was the only time he traveled outside the North American continent. Barbados was a rich British colony, and the future president broadened his horizons mingling with prosperous local citizens affiliated with military, trade, and agriculture. It also gave Washington a view of another British colonial outpost that was more advanced than the provincial American colonies. Washington contracted smallpox while there, and historians believe that the resulting inoculation likely prevented him from succumbing to it later during the Revolutionary War at which time more than 135,000 colonists died from the deadly disease.
“The house in Barbados was saved by the Barbadian government from being razed to build an office building. The government purchased it in 2003; restored it in 2004, 2005, and 2006; opened it to the public in 2007, then had it designated as a UNESCO protected property in 2011— all at a cost of $1.5M U.S. or $3M Barbadian,” Wes says.
To the Next Level
Wes has taken his fascination with George Washington to the next level. Having been around horses all his life, he acquired a white horse and named him Blueskin after Washington’s white steed. “Blue is much like the one Washington is shown riding in many famous illustrations of his time as a General,” he says. Wes, who is 6'2" and weighs 210 pounds, is the same height and weight as President Washington. He has a military uniform custom tailored in the style Washington wore, which he wears while riding his white horse in Independence Day parades. “Molly [his law partner at Wright Abshire, Attorneys] reminds me that I have to continuously diet to be able to get into the uniform,” he says.
Members of the law firm who wish to participate pass out copies of the Declaration of Independence to parade attendees along the parade route. He also gives speeches as George Washington. The law firm provides these activities as a community service. “Molly and I realize that we all have limited knowledge about the beginning of our country. We wanted to do something that would stimulate discussions of Washington and others who sacrificed their reputations, their possessions, and their lives so that we could be a free country. Freedom is something that we inherited. We were born into it,” Wes relates.
The military uniform, the sword, and pistols that accompany it are on display at the Wright Abshire Bellaire office and are a regular topic of discussion with new clients. “My uniform was made in Mt. Misery, Penn., and my wig, which is made out of yak hair for indoor/outdoor use, was made by the Alley Theatre in Houston,” Wes reveals.
Wes says he tries to limit appearances as General George Washington to no more than once a month, but he makes exceptions. He was recently honored with an invitation to address the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New England Ladies Association.
His Practice
The law firm of Wright Abshire is made up of Wesley E. Wright, CELA, and Molly Dear Abshire, CELA, partners, and two associate attorneys, Amanda E. George, Esq., and Theresa A. Clarke, Esq. They also employ a receptionist, a legal administrator, paralegals for Medicaid, probate and estate planning work, as well as legal assistants — all totaling 17. They have two satellite offices in The Woodlands and Carmine where they meet with clients who live closer to those offices.
Wes entered elder law when guardianship reformation swept the country. He was doing a large amount of guardianship work and had been appointed by several courts to be the guardian of many people. Those experiences gave him good insight into persons with disabilities and Medicaid issues. He helped form a group of attorneys in Houston who were doing similar work, which became the Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association (DELAA). Around this time, the Texas NAELA Chapter was organized and he joined NAELA and the Texas Chapter.
He has phased out guardianship work, but Medicaid planning, estate planning, special needs trusts, and probate are all parts of the Wright Abshire practice.
Annual Nursing Home Booklet a Resource for the Community
The firm prepares an annual booklet on more than 200 nursing homes in the area that accept Medicaid, including a map, addresses and phone numbers, and a key to identify which ones have locked units, special dementia units, wander guard protection, and whether pets are accepted. The booklet also lists how many beds in each facility are Medicaid beds, how many are both Medicaid and Medicare beds, and how many total beds. It also lists facilities that provide ventilator care.
Wes said they felt the need for this booklet because other publications tend to group all senior housing — 55 and older, independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing — into one publication, including advertising. This can confuse consumers who are looking for a nursing facility that accepts Medicaid. The Wright Abshire Medicaid Nursing Homes booklet helps clients and potential clients identify facilities that may be appropriate and not waste their time on facilities that are not an option. The latest booklet is online at http://bit.ly/wrightabshire.
Wes and Molly have written a monthly column in the Houston Chronicle for many years called “Elder Law,” which is published in the Senior Living Section. They have also, along with H. Clyde Farrell and Patricia Flores Sitchler, co-authored two books, Save My Home-Saving the Home, Farm or Ranch from Medicaid Estate Recovery in Texas and Texas Elder Law, the 51st volume of the Texas Practice Series published by Thompson Reuters every year.
Professional Associations
Wes enjoys professional organizational work. In addition to serving as a founding member and president for the first two years of DELAA, mentioned above, he also served as chair of the Houston Bar Association’s Probate, Trusts and Estate Section, served on the national NAELA board for two years and twice served as president of the Texas NAELA Chapter. He also enjoys participating on seminar committees. He was co-chair of a national NAELA Institute with Andy Hook in Dallas in 2003 and is currently co-chair with Letha McDowell for the NAELA Annual Conference scheduled for Fort Worth in 2019. He served as chair of the NAELA Annual Symposium in South Carolina in 2004.
He has been on the planning committee for the annual University of Texas, Estate Planning, Elder Law and Guardianship Conference for many years.
Wes greatly values the relationships with other NAELA members he has developed over the years. He and his partner took great interest in trying to shape the best firm possible. They subscribed to the Ritz-Carlton Exceptional Customer Services practice mode after Wes and Tom Begley co-presented a reprise of Begley’s Ritz-Carlton speech and changed it to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” many years ago. In fact, the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center will provide the keynote speaker for the 2019 NAELA Conference.
Wes says, “I am a proponent of elder law attorneys getting out of their hometowns and cities and going to national NAELA conferences and meeting attorneys from around the country. The collegiality one can experience with other NAELA members from other locales is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my legal career. Molly and I have greatly benefited from the NAELA family of attorneys. We have many wonderful professional and personal friends all around the country due to NAELA.”
Wes says that he is very impressed with the quality of attorneys the Texas NAELA Chapter is drawing. “The Texas Chapter has been spoiled with exceptional attorneys for many years.”
When not practicing law or channeling General George Washington, Wes spends time landscaping, gardening, and target shooting. His wife is an event planner and they have two adult sons.
About the Author
Ruth Ratzlaff, Esq., is NAELA News Editor in Chief.