Estate Planning and Administration
Our attorneys assist individual and institutional clients, both domestic and international, in the areas of estate planning, and trusts and estates administration. Our attorneys provide sound advice on the management and transfer of wealth to and among family members and charities by implementing sophisticated transfer strategies. In some cases, this requires "freeze" and discounting techniques, including the formation and utilization of closely held businesses, grantor retained annuity trusts, and "defective" trust planning. We also form dynasty, family, and charitable trusts, both onshore and offshore. Our attorneys establish and counsel private foundations on issues of family participation and governance in addition to technical issues such as minimum distribution requirements, "self-dealing," and other prohibited transactions. Further, we utilize life insurance and other liquidity techniques to assist in wealth transfer within the family.
We emphasize a problem-solving approach that balances innovative solutions to challenging technical problems with a deep understanding of family dynamics and a commitment to flexibility that allows for changing circumstances. Our attorneys draw on their experience with counseling multiple generations of families and family offices in connection with both traditional estate planning and administration matters including wills, revocable trusts (and other testamentary substitutes), estate and trust administration, and the establishment of charitable foundations and other charitable entities, and more complex planning that addresses a broad range of tax and non-tax related issues including personal tax matters, employment issues, business investments, and wealth preservation. We utilize an array of techniques including trusts and closely held entities, private trust companies, and other governance structures to address individual, corporate, international, and wealth transfer taxation issues. We also handle all aspects of estate and trust administration, including the preparation of court filings, inventories, accountings, and estate and inheritance tax returns, and the distribution of assets to the beneficiaries of the estate or trust.
In the international realm, our attorneys represent many wealthy individuals and families from around the world with respect to their estate and tax planning, the structure of their US and global holdings, and the transfer of those holdings to family members, trusts, other entities, and charitable organizations.
Finally, we represent family members and fiduciaries with respect to trusts and estates litigation matters, including, but not limited to, trustee succession matters, Will contests, trust terminations, and gift and estate tax audits.
