Lawyers

Tom Phelan is currently Of Counsel, after 30 years with the firm specializing in estate planning and will drafting, as well as, estate and trust administration and foundation law.

Tom received his Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law in 1971 after graduating from Williams College in 1967. He serves on the board of or as counsel to many family and community foundations.  He began his career at Chadbourne Parke in New York City and was a partner of Stryker, Tams and Dill for many years before joining the firm.

A frequent speaker on estate planning, Tom has also been active in the community, having served on the Westfield Board of Adjustments, the Board of the Westfield Foundation and many years as parent chair of Boy Scout Troop 72.

Barbara Doyle Frantz is a partner with the firm, where she has worked since 1995. Her primary areas of practice include trust and estate planning, estate administration and related tax work, residential and commercial real estate transactions and small business planning, sales and purchases.

Barbara received her Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School, Class of 1991, and her BA in English/Political Science from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1986.

Barbara resides in Mountainside and is active in a number of organizations in the community, including the Westfield Rotary Club, the Westfield Area YMCA Board and her church. Barbara enjoys living and working in the local community and the opportunities it provides to serve and support local charities and organizations.

Gretchan R. Ohlig is a partner of the firm where she has worked since 2013. Her primary areas of practice are estate planning, estate and trust administration, guardianship matters, and real-estate law.

Gretchan received her JD from St. John’s University School of Law after graduating from UNC at Chapel Hill. Prior to practicing with the firm, Gretchan was employed with Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Anello in New York City, where she specialized in white-collar criminal defense and general litigation. Gretchan also clerked for United States District Court Judge Raymond J. Dearie in the Eastern District of New York.

Gretchan moved from a big-city law firm to PFO’s small-town practice so she could serve her local community, and she especially enjoys the relationships PFO’s team has established with its clients and their families.

She lives in Westfield with her family, where she is active in the community. She served for ten years on the Westfield Board of Education and currently is a trustee of The Westfield Foundation. When she’s not working, Gretchan is an avid Peloton rider and a busy mom.

Joyce K. Wegbreit joined the firm as a partner in January, 2020 and became Of Counsel in 2024. Her primary area of practice is real estate law, both residential and commercial transactions along with corporate law.

Joyce received her Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, Class of 1986 and her BA in Economics from the University of Rochester in 1983. Prior to joining the firm, Joyce had her own practice in Westfield, New Jersey specializing in residential and commercial real estate for 22 years. Before starting her own firm in Westfield, Joyce was employed with a bankruptcy boutique firm of Platzer, Swergold, Levine, Goldberg, Katz & Jaslow, LLP  in New York City where she specialized in transactional matters, loan work outs and real estate matters that were incidental to the bankruptcy actions.

Joyce resided in Westfield for the 25 years and has been active in the community, having served on the PTO Board for many years where her children attended elementary school and has been involved and acted as a CASA for children in the foster care system in Union County. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and dog, Gracie.

Diana Search joined the firm in 2021, bringing with her 7 years of experience in all areas of real estate law. Diana has practiced both in New York City and New Jersey, and has represented both individual and institutional clients. She is thrilled to bring her practice to PFOW.

Diana is a 2013 graduate of Brooklyn Law School and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Emory University in 2010. In her free time, Diana enjoys spending time with her young children and going for walks around her Cranford neighborhood.