Areas of Focus
Charities & Tax-Exempt Organizations
We represent tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations, private operating foundations and charities with respect to technical organizational and tax planning surrounding:
- Formation of and representation of charitable entities, including private foundations and donor advised funds.
- Assisting clients with charitable giving strategies.
- Preparation of charitable lead trusts.
- Preparation of charitable remainder unitrusts.
Estate Administration
We provide estate and trust administration services including:
- Preparation of state and federal estate and inheritance tax returns.
- Representation of estates with respect to tax audits or other controversies.
- Planning with respect to post-mortem tax matters, including the use of qualified disclaimers.
- Providing estate planning strategies for deferral of estate taxes for family-owned businesses.
- Advising on the proper treatment of distribution from retirement plans.
Estate Planning
With regard to estate planning, we provide the following services:
- Preparation of wills and revocable trusts.
- Preparation of financial and healthcare powers of attorney, living wills and health care directives.
- Assisting with the designation of beneficiaries for retirement plans and life insurance policies.
- Implementation of sophisticated transfer planning, including Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts and Qualified Personal Residence Trusts.
- Preparation of dynasty trusts.
- Formation of family limited partnerships and limited liability corporations.
- Asset protection planning, including the creation of Tennessee Investment Services Trusts.
- Charitable planning, including the creation of charitable lead and annuity trusts.
- Life insurance planning, including the creation of irrevocable life insurance trusts.
- Representing clients in connection with the preparation and negotiation of premarital agreements.
- Creation of special needs trusts.
- Representation of family-owned and closely held businesses and business succession planning.
- Representation of corporate executives.
- Special needs planning.
Probate Litigation
When necessary we represent beneficiaries and fiduciaries in:
- Probate and trust litigation.
- Will contests.
- Will and trust reformations and constructions.
- Defense of trustees, executors and other beneficiaries against breach of duty claims.
- Conservatorship and guardian issues.
