Ms. Plaine, a native of Washington, D.C., earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1975 where she was the Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania cum laude and with distinction earning a B.A. in Economics in 1969. Ms. Plaine joined the law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in 1975 as an associate and was elected to partnership in 1982. She chaired the firm's Individual Tax Planning Team where she regularly advised clients in business matters such as transfer tax minimization and estate planning. She drafted wills and trusts, handled estate and trust administrations, and represented taxpayers in income and estate tax audits. In addition, an important part of her practice was the development and implantation of lifetime gift, insurance and charitable giving programs.

Recognized as a top expert in trusts and estates, Ms. Plaine frequently lectured on estate, gift and income tax planning, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues. She also published numerous articles on estate and estate tax-related topics. The peer review publication "Best Lawyers" named Ms. Plaine Washington's top trusts and estates lawyer for 2010, and she was named to the "Best Lawyers in America" list for trusts and estates consecutively for 16 years. Furthermore, she was ranked by Chambers USA: Guide to Leading Business Lawyers in the area of wealth management (2007-2009) for the top tier in the Eastern Region of the United States.