Trusts & Estates

Probate & trust administration

We provide guidance and assist the fiduciary during each phase of the probate and trust administration process, which often includes tax planning, funding of trusts, contested estates, and collecting and distributing assets. We guide fiduciaries and beneficiaries through contested matters and litigation, providing solutions when issues arise. We also come up with creative options for refreshing outdated trusts.

Estate planning

We want to ensure wealth is passed down in the most streamlined and tax-efficient manner possible, consistent with our clients’ values, ethics, and personal goals. Our attorneys will assist in preparing wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, and other related estate-planning documents.

We design and implement legitimate tax-reduction strategies for individuals and families using leveraging techniques—such as dynasty trusts, intra-family sale agreements, family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, self-cancelling installment notes, private annuities, and college savings plans—and by maximizing estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax exemptions.

Business succession planning

We develop and implement business succession strategies for closely held business owners and their families, including multigenerational estate plans with LLC operating agreements, partnership agreements, and shareholder buy-sell agreements.

Multigenerational wealth planning

We design, consolidate, and implement tax and estate planning strategies to help generations of families plan for their future. When there are multiple parties involved, estate planning can be overwhelming. We aim to make this process easy and fair for your family and to provide peace of mind that your wealth will be protected for years to come.

Charitable foundation formation & advisory

We have significant experience in forming, structuring, and advising tax-exempt and other not-for-profit organizations. Our representation includes forming public charities, private foundations, charitable lead trusts, and pooled income funds, obtaining tax exemptions from the Internal Revenue Service and state agencies, advising on day-to-day transactions, and addressing UBTI issues.

Fiduciary advisory services

With experience that spans trusts and estates, financial services, tax, real estate, and litigation, LP has the knowledge and resources to provide integrated fiduciary advisory services. Rather than taking a piecemeal approach to the issues that fiduciaries face, we provide cohesive, client-focused representation to address your needs and goals. We frequently advise wealth management firms on issues related to business risk and management, trust and estate administration, special asset administration, and fiduciary succession and trust termination.

Trusts & estates litigation

Our trust and estate litigators bring a wealth of experience to the table, representing mid- to high-net-worth individuals, estate executors and administrators, guardians, and individual and corporate trustees, among others. Our practice includes litigating will contests, estate claims, corporate fiduciary disputes, contested guardianships, heirship disputes, and trust-administration controversies, as well as family business conflicts of all types.