Michael Sontag serves as the chair of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Michael’s extensive experience in this area has solidified his national reputation as a leader in generational-asset protection, as well as strategic and financial planning for individuals, families and businesses.
For nearly 40 years, Michael has worked closely with individuals, fiduciaries, wealth advisors, businesses, trustees and beneficiaries to provide strategic, financial guidance while serving the confidential and sophisticated estate-planning, estate-administration and business needs of an extensive client list of celebrities, athletes, politicians, musicians, business owners, executives and high-net worth families and individuals. These wide-ranging experiences have allowed Michael to evolve a unique and often tailored service-offering specific to each client’s nuanced and complex individual needs.
Michael is often sought by a unique variety and caliber of clients due to his empathetic and honest relationship skills and the countless recommendations from former clients that attest to his ability to transform client vulnerability about the future into confidence. Michael’s steadfast dedication to his craft has successfully helped protect years of client financial achievement, ensuring fair tax treatment and helping individuals and businesses appropriately avoid the imposition of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.
American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC)
Nashville Bar Association — Board Member
Tennessee Bar Association
American Bar Association
Representation of American Paper & Twine Company, a distributor of janitorial, packaging, food service, safety and office products, in its sale to Imperial Dade, a distributor of food service packaging and janitorial supplies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Representation of The Bakery Companies, a baked goods manufacturer, in its sale to Arbor Investments
Representation of Walker Die Casting, Inc., a Tennessee-based corporation that produces high-quality aluminum die castings, in its sale to Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN), the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles
Represented SERVPRO in its recapitalization transaction, in partnership with Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms
Represented a professional sports team in the increase and extension of its syndicated secured credit facility to $101 million with Regions Bank as administrative agent
Served as primary outside counsel to the NHL’s Nashville Predators since 2010.
Represented Tennessee Steel Haulers, Inc. in its sale to Daseke, Inc.
Represented LoJac Holdings Corp. in its sale of three divisions to Vulcan Materials Co.
Chambers High Net Worth Guide — Private Wealth Law (2017-2022)
Best Lawyers® — Nashville Litigation and Controversy: Tax “Lawyer of the Year” (2019, 2012)
The Best Lawyers in America© — Administrative/Regulatory Law; Litigation: Trusts and Estates; Litigation and Controversy: Tax; Trusts and Estates (1995-2023)
Nashville Business Journal “Best of the Bar” (2013, 2020, 2022)
Mid-South Super Lawyers (2006-2022)
Top 100 Tennessee Super Lawyers (2012-2013, 2017-2018, 2020-2021)
Top 50 Nashville Super Lawyers (2012-2013, 2017-2018, 2020-2021)
Business Tennessee “Top 150 Lawyers in Tennessee”
Nashville Post “Nashville’s 101 Top Lawyers” (2011)
Nashville Post “In Charge” (2012)
Vanderbilt University Law School/Paul J. Hartman State and Local Tax Forum — Trustee and Former President
Tennessee Federal Tax Institute — Trustee and Former President
“Tennessee Taxes” CCH Guidebook — Contributing Editor