Andrea M. DeFrain

Andrea M. DeFrain is of counsel at Bodman in Troy, Michigan. She has practiced law since 1981 and is associated with the firm’s High Net Worth practice. Her career has centered on estate planning, estate and gift taxation, probate administration, and advice to individuals and families on personal tax matters. In her current of-counsel role, Andrea continues to participate in the representation of certain clients, drawing on extensive experience with estate and financial planning issues.

Andrea earned a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Wellesley College and a J.D. from Washington University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Michigan and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Her education and legal background support work involving estate tax questions, probate procedure, and the legal arrangements that affect families with significant assets. Her practice also includes experience with tax-exempt organizations.

Andrea has advised clients about wills, estates, gift and estate tax matters, and the administration of property after death. She has also worked in the tax-exempt field, including qualified retirement plans under ERISA, private foundations, and public charities. Her legal work has included helping individuals and families consider the interaction between tax obligations, ownership decisions, and plans for transferring wealth. As of counsel, she remains involved in certain ongoing client matters.

Andrea M. DeFrain has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates in the 2025 through 2027 editions and was named among DBusiness Top Lawyers for 2019 through 2021. She has served on the board of On My Own of Michigan and on the board of the Friends of the Johnson Nature Center. Her professional background combines estate-related counsel with service to community organizations and continued involvement in select trust and estate representations.

Law Office Affiliations

• Of Counsel, Bodman PLC
• Member, State Bar of Michigan
• Member, Elder Law & Disability Rights Section
• Member, Probate & Estate Planning Section
• Member, Taxation Section
• Board of Trustees, On My Own of Michigan (2011-2017)
• Executive Board of Directors, Friends of the Johnson Nature Center (2005-2016)

Licensed State

• Michigan

Education

• Washington University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Wellesley College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges