Part of something special

Today, Dan Peare ’82/85 is known within, and well beyond, the Wichita community for his extensive experience in estate planning as owner and member at Hinkle Law, and chair to the firm’s trusts and estates practice group.

But, once, he was a student at Wichita State, finding himself and his way. “I came to WSU and I was lost,” says the alum. “I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do or what direction I wanted my life to go.” 

The sentiment may come as a surprise now, given Peare’s undeniably impressive—and ever-growing—professional resume, a mere glimpse at his footprint in the world of law. By 2008, he had been recognized as a Top Attorney in the U.S. by Worth magazine, the first attorney in Kansas to receive the distinction. He has also been recognized by “Best Lawyers in America” and “Kansas/Missouri Super Lawyers” for his leadership of the estates practice at Hinkle Law. Throughout his career, he has continued furthering the legal discipline through numerous presentations and publications regarding trusts, estate planning and business succession.

The attorney’s contributions to the community don’t stop at his legal practice, either. He serves on the board of directors and finance committee for the Wichita Metropolitan YMCA, as well as the Barton School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board. He sat on the WSU Foundation’s Board of Directors, Planned Giving Advisory Committee and National Advisory Council, and in 2021 chaired the presidential search committee which appointed Dr. Richard Muma as the 15th president of Wichita State University.

From student to seasoned professional, Peare notes a throughline in his personal ethos. “Some kids know early on exactly what they want to do and who they want to be,” he says. “I just knew I wanted to continue improving myself and the value that I have to offer others.”

His time at Wichita State enabled him to do just that. His freshman advisor, Lavona Spencer ’71, helped him pick a direction in his studies and get enrolled in courses through the Barton School of Business. He quickly discovered an interest in business law, taught by professor Dwight Murphey, an interest he continued to hone by pursuing his master’s degree at Wichita State and Juris Doctorate at the University of Kansas School of Law. “I knew that if I continued pursuing my education, I’d figure out where I wanted to end up,” he says. “And I did.”

The growth of the estates practice at Hinkle, Peare attributes, in part, to his business training at Wichita State. “I hired paralegals as well as CPAs, business valuation professionals, auditors and trust officers, which is a little bit outside the norm for estate practices,” he says. “I was able to lean on my education which had taught me to run and build a business, not just practice law.”

For all his professional successes, of which there are many, Peare counts among his greatest rewards the countless relationships he has fostered throughout his career, clients and colleagues alike. “I can’t go anywhere now without running into a friend,” he smiles. “Those connections are what make it all worthwhile.”

Peare was chosen as this year’s Alumni Achievement Award recipient, honoring his exceptional professional accomplishments and contributions. “I am honored, humbled and—pardon the pun—shocked to join the ranks of the alumni who have previously been recognized with this honor,” Peare says. “To be a Shocker alum is to be a part of something special, part of what makes Wichita what it is. I wear that badge proudly.”

Join us in celebrating Peare and his fellow 2025 Alumni Award honorees at the Heritage Gala on Thursday, Oct. 9. Tickets on sale now through Sept. 26.