Gawthrop Greenwood Attorney Mary Ann Plankinton Named Chair of Relocated Wilmington-Area Office

Mary Ann Plankinton, a partner at the law firm Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, has been named chair of the firm’s Wilmington-area office, which was relocated at the end of February to accommodate growth.

“We are pleased to have Mary Ann at the helm of Gawthrop Greenwood’s office in Greenville, as she has played a pivotal role in its strategic growth,” says Sandra L. Knapp, chair of Gawthrop Greenwood’s Management Committee. “It’s a clear benefit to our clients when established talent like Mary Ann chooses to bring her law practice to Gawthrop Greenwood, and rapidly grow her career here while expanding the firm’s services throughout the region.”

Licensed in Delaware and Pennsylvania and with more than 20 years’ experience, Plankinton joined the firm in 2015 and has a multijurisdictional practice focusing on family law, including divorce, support, custody and adoption; as well as estate planning and estate administration. In addition, she is a trained mediator and has successfully mediated cases in Pennsylvania and Delaware for family law disputes and estate matters. Representative cases include divorce matters involving family businesses, custody relocation, grandparent rights, will contests, guardianships and challenges to accountings.

Appointed by the Delaware Family Courts as a guardian ad litem, Plankinton volunteers through the Delaware Office of the Child Advocate to represent children in foster care, ensuring they have a voice in the court. She also chairs the Chester County Orphans’ Court Mediation Committee, working closely with the Courts to develop a mediation program, and is a certified mediator for the Orphans’ Court of Chester County.

A member of the Pennsylvania, Delaware and Chester County Bar Associations, Plankinton received her law degree from Widener University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Saint Joseph’s University. She is also a graduate of Ursuline Academy in Wilmington. Named a top lawyer in 2014, 2016, and 2017 by Main Line Today, she was selected in 2012 by Delaware Today as a top lawyer in the state for Divorce, Trusts and Estates.

Plankinton is a board member of Hope Springs Equestrian Therapy, which provides affordable therapeutic horseback riding to enhance the quality of life for individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional or behavioral disabilities. A member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, she was instrumental in supporting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Southern Chester County and continues to support this cause. Plankinton is also a former board member of the Delaware SPCA. She is a member of the Upper Captiva Island, Florida Civic Association where she is active in preserving the landscape of the island and monitoring the island’s turtle nesting.