Suzanne L. Shier

Suzanne Shier is Of Counsel in the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. She is experienced in advising high net worth individuals and families in wealth, tax, business, and philanthropic planning. Her focus is on positioning clients to use their assets to achieve the desired impact, and she advises her clients to use their resources to fulfill the aspirations they have for their families, businesses, and communities. Suzanne’s clients include executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, family wealth owners, corporate fiduciaries, family offices, and charities with both domestic and international residence and assets. She has decades of experience both in private practice and with a leading global wealth management firm.

Suzanne is a frequent speaker and is regularly quoted in the media, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Penta, and Barron’s. She is the recipient of the Chicago Estate Planning Council Austin Fleming Distinguished Service Award, a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel where she was the past chair of the International Estate Planning Committee, past Co-chair of the International Membership Committee, incoming chair of the FATF Task Force, and an Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. Suzanne is an adjunct professor in the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law LLM in Taxation Program, where she teaches international estate planning and is a lecturer at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and University of San Diego International Tax Program.

Suzanne is active in the civic community, serving on philanthropic boards, concentrating on access to educational excellence at all levels. Sher serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Kids Hope USA and Chicago Scholars Foundation and is a Trustee emeritus and member of the catalyst of investors of Hope College.

Suzanne’s greatest joy is her family – her husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandson, and golden retriever. She enjoys spending time outdoors, including hiking, swimming, skiing, and snowshoeing.