Private Wealth Services
Change – in tax laws, market conditions and family business situations – represents one of the most significant wealth management challenges. And while the specifics may differ, change impacts individuals, families, family businesses, non-profit organizations and fiduciaries. The Holland & Knight Private Wealth Services Group is committed to staying abreast of the legal and tax changes surrounding how you can plan and protect your finances, and will guide you through the many complex legal and business issues that may impact your financial position.
Trusted Advisors for Your Estate and Trust Needs
To help meet your personal and family goals, our lawyers will serve as your trusted counsel – applying insight and know-how developed through careful representation of numerous multimillion-dollar estates and trusts, both domiciliary and ancillary.
As a client, you benefit from the collective experience of the largest group of trusts and estates lawyers in the United States. Our group has more Fellows in the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel (ACTEC) than any other law firm in the country, and a number of our lawyers have been recognized as among the best in their fields in national and industry publications, including Best Lawyers in America. Further, our multidisciplinary firm includes a national perspective critical for effective asset protection and management.
Applying Techniques for Sophisticated Estates
Our highly experienced estate planning attorneys have prepared and implemented countless estate plans using a broad range of sophisticated strategies and techniques, from traditional to esoteric:
- simple to complex wills
- trusts, including charitable split interest trusts, asset protection trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, and qualified personal residence trusts
- family limited partnerships
- business succession planning
- lifetime gifting programs
- charitable and private foundations
- estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning
- probate and IRS litigation
- liquidity planning
- value shifting
- insurance premium financing
- durable power of attorney, living wills and health care designations
- international taxation
Tax Preparation and Compliance
In addition to the administration process, our lawyers can provide counsel on tax-related activities for estates, including the preparation of estate tax and income returns, planning to minimize transfer taxes, representation in estate tax controversies and a full range of post-mortem planning (including qualified disclaimers and the use of the credit for tax on prior transfers).
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Having trial experience in probate and trust litigation throughout the United States, our team is equipped to handle complex probate litigation, including trust and will contests, the defense and prosecution of fiduciary surcharge proceedings, contested conservatorship and guardianship matters, will and trust construction, interpretation and reformation proceedings, and estate and gift tax litigation matters in many different state courts and the U.S. Tax Court.
Our trust and estate attorneys have represented individuals, family businesses, charitable organizations, educational institutions, banks and trust companies, working closely with dispute resolution specialists to achieve optimum results through negotiation, litigation, trial, appeal and alternative dispute resolution methods.
Closely Held and Family Businesses
With innovative solutions, we facilitate both the operation and ultimate transfer of your closely held or family business. Our nationwide practice integration ensures we have the legal resources available to handle routine business transactions – such as commercial transactions, real estate purchases and sales, and lending transactions – as well as counsel you on asset protection and business succession planning techniques, including liquidity to preserve family ownership through creative life insurance techniques and other devices, appraisal and valuation of your business, and value-shifting techniques to minimize transfer taxes.
Tax-Exempt Organizations
Whether you are a U.S. or international charity, family or corporate foundation, educational institution or organization, professional association, religious organization or other tax-exempt organization, our team is well-versed in the specialized and complex laws relating to these entities. Our Private Wealth Services Group includes nationally recognized authorities on corporate governance, successful litigators of high-profile cases and authors of current tax regulations.
We regularly advise clients on tax laws, corporate governance, management of nonprofit assets, charitable and planned giving, charitable solicitation, employment law, intellectual property, real estate, litigation, corporate and transactional work, and estate administration and business coordination issues.