We are pleased to share that Jason Ornduff has been appointed to serve on the firm’s Board of Executives, effective September 12, 2023. A well-respected
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of a new firmwide Managing Partner and the creation of a new Board of Executives effective September 12,
We are thrilled to announce that Tiffany McKenzie has been appointed to serve on Harrison LLP’s newly created Board of Executives, effective September 20, 2023.
We are excited to announce that Matthew Madsen will serve as the firm’s Managing Partner and a member of the firm’s newly created Board of
CHICAGO, September 20, 2023 – Harrison LLP is pleased to announce that Matthew Madsen will serve as the firm’s Managing Partner and a member of the
Harrison LLP Partner Natalie Perry presented at at breakfast meeting for the Northwest Suburban Estate Planning Council on September 19, 2023. The session, “Pay Me
Chicago, August 21, 2023 — Harrison, LLP is thrilled to announce that the firm and 17 of its lawyers have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America.
Chicago, August 17, 2023 — Harrison, LLP is thrilled to announced that partner Stephen B. Daiker has been recognized as one of the 2024 Lawyer of the Year
CHICAGO, August 17, 2023 – Harrison LLP is thrilled to announce that partner Kimberly Civins has been recognized as one of the 2024 Lawyer of the
Harrison, LLP is proud to announce that it has again been ranked among the best law practices in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for 2023. In
Harrison LLP Partner Natalie Perry presented at the AICPA Engage Conference on June 5, 7 and 8, 2023. 6/5/2023: Valuation issues in Estate Planning This
We are thrilled to announce that six Harrison & Held Attorneys will be participating in the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE)’s 66th Annual
Partner Lou Harrison shares considerations for the possible liquidation of a closely held entities in a ACTEC Trust and Estate Talk on January 24, 2023. The
Trusts & Estates Partner, Kim Martin will be a presenter in FOCUS (Families of Children Under Stress) 36th Annual Education Conference. Kim will be presenting on, “Estate
Partner Lou Harrison presented Overtime: Considerations in the Possible Liquidation of a Closely held Entity and Other Alternatives. Click here to read the presentation outline.
Our very own Lou Harrison shares his recommendations for attorneys trying to accomplish work-life balance in firms working to keep young attorneys ACTEC Trust and Estate
Thomas Hamill & Sarah Barnes have recently published “Initial Steps in Advising the Family” in the 2023 edition IICLE’s Estate Administration Fundamentals.
Elizabeth Garlovsky, Sarah Barnes & Shawn McCullough authored the 2023 edition of IICLE’s Revocable Grantor Trusts.
Elizabeth Garlovsky & Sarah Barnes have recently published Chapter 2, “Opening the Probate Estate and Alternatives to Probate” in the 2023 edition IICLE’s Estate Administration
When a business owner desires to pass on an operating business to loyal and key employees, there are several available alternatives to evaluate.
The advantages, and potential drawbacks, of The Community Property Trust Act. With little fanfare, Florida is giving married couples who live in the state a
Citywealth announced the Top 15 Diversity Leadership Dream Teams, a collection of companies to work for with leadership teams who are committed to sustained career
Harrison & Held Partner Natalie Perry presents at the Estate Planning and Probate Law Section PRMCLE Program on August 25, 2022. Since the onset of
In Demuth v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo 2022-72), the Tax Court held that certain checks issued and deposited before, but paid after, a decedent’s passing weren’t includable in
Harrison & Held, LLP Partner Frances H. Krasnow has been honored by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer magazine for their 3rd Annual Salute awards
Harrison & Held, LLP is proud to announce that it has again been ranked among the best law practices in the Chambers High Net Worth
Trusts & Estates Partner, Kim Martin will be a presenter in a six-part live virtual series that focuses on planning for the future for families supporting individuals
Review by Louis Harrison, partner at Harrison & Held, LLP.
In developing an estate plan, practitioners regularly use irrevocable trusts (versus the typical revocable living trust) to assist clients in achieving tax and non-tax estate-planning goals.
Five Harrison & Held Attorneys will be presenting in IICLE’s 65th Annual Estate Planning Short Course. This annual program is the pinnacle of estate planning
On May 3, 2022, from 12 noon -1:30 pm Family Law Attorney Michael Craven will participate in The Lilac Tree – Center for Divorce Resources 39th Virtual
Harrison LLP is pleased to announce that partner Tiffany McKenzie has been accepted to join the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) as a Fellow.
Partner Kim Martin will be presenting a virtual workshop on Special Needs Planning on Thursday, May 19, 2022 (6:00pm – 7:30pm EST) More information below, or
Partner Kim Martin will be presenting a virtual workshop on Special Needs Benefits on Thursday, April 14, 2022 (6:00pm – 7:30pm EST) Details below, or register HERE.
Digital innovation has caused upheaval in industries from manufacturing to entertainment. Smaller legal firms are leveling the playing field by providing their attorneys the resources
Partner Lou Harrison was recently featured in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel’s (ACTEC) podcast “Understanding Serious Mistakes and Estate Planning Implications in the Smaldino Tax Court
In “US Wealth Trends 2022” published by Citywealth magazine, Partner Stephanie Moll Kriegel shared her insights on the use of SPACs as a wealth transfer option. “SPACs
Partner Kim Martin will be presenting a session on Guardianship at the Dekalb County Transition Fair on Saturday, March 5th (9:30 am – 12:00 pm EST)
Spousal trusts can present delicate drafting and advisory issues for estate planners, and recent IRS and Tax Court rulings have amplified those challenges. In 2022
Our very own Lou Harrison discussed the recent IRS ruling about GRATs on ACTEC Trust and Estate Talk on January 25, 2022. Listen to the podcast below.
By: Lou Harrison and Natalie Perry In the recent U.S. Tax Court Smaldino v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2021-127, November 10, 2021, Mr. Smaldino and his wife each made gifts of
Harrison & Held, LLP has received the esteemed honor of being named USA Private Client Team of the Year in the 2021 Chambers High Net Worth Guide. Harrison &
Harrison & Held, LLP is proud to announce that it has been ranked among the best law practices in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for 2021
We are pleased to announce that a 13-attorney group from one of the nation’s largest law firms has joined Harrison & Held. This talented team
Harrison & Held, LLP attorney, Beth Fox, shares her case with wealthmanagement.com. PLR deems judicial modifications of trust don’t impact generation-skipping tax exemption. Read the full article here.
Harrison & Held Partner, Michael Craven presented on “An Estate Planners‘ & Trusted Financial Advisors’ Guide to Pre & Post Nuptial Agreements” at the Chicago Financial Planning Group on February
Harrison & Held, LLP, is pleased to announce that seven new attorneys have joined our team of skilled attorneys. With the addition of these attorneys,
In 2017, the Trump Administration passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which – among other things – doubled the federal estate tax exemption. With adjustments
Fiduciary held liable for distributing assets prematurely. Read Entire Article HERE.
Emily Kuo and Lou Harrison have recently published the Chapter “Attorneys’ Fees: An Assessment of the Current Standards for Fee Awards” in the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal
9th Circuit finds that the decedent retained enjoyment of a grantor retained annuity trust. Read Entire Article here.
Even a skilled attorney can be rushed or careless in drafting. Read Entire Article here.
Workplace transparency act brings material changes to the Illinois human rights act and other statutes. Read Entire Article here.
Following the rules of the road will keep your client’s PF running smoothlyand efficiently. Read Entire Article here.
Estate’s reliance on expert was misplaced. Read Entire Article here.
Nonetheless, a cautionary tale on prioritizing creditors.Special Administrator Not Liable for Estate’s Unpaid Taxes. Read Entire Article here.
Trusts & Estates Magazine Starting this month, you’ll notice some new names on our editorial advisory board list. We’ve added a committee of practitioners we
Sometimes, a client’s personal goals can conflict with optimal tax planning and produce disastrous results. Read entire article here.
I’ve advised generations of families for three decades. They often ask for advice for the younger generations, which we call Generation Two, or G2 for
25 Elder Law Journal (forthcoming 2018)Trusts & EstatesSpecial Report: Review Of Reviews Sympathetic to the claims that so-called warehousing is generally bad. Another common concern
ESTATE & SUCCESSION PLANNING CORNERTax & Accounting US, CCH Research & Learning Wolters Kluwer Creating Creditor Protection Trusts Must Extend Beyond The Spendthrift Provision In
(Reprinted From The June 2017 Issue Of ALI CLE’s Estate Planning Course Materials Journal) Estate Planning Course Materials JournalAmerican Law Institute CLE Fiduciary and personal
(Reprinted From The June 2017 Issue Of ALI CLE’s Estate Planning Course Materials Journal) Estate Planning Course Materials JournalAmerican Law Institute CLE Fiduciary and personal
Journal Of Pass Through EntitiesWolters Kluwer Read entire article here.
Trusts and Estates Today, the estate planner needs to master two new protocols that didn’t exist three decades ago, when I started my law practice.
Estate & Succession Planning Corner Journal of Passthrough EntitiesCCH Research and Learning The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the “2012 Act”), a relatively quiet
Trusts and Estates Magazine In order to review Beyer and Dacus’ article that advises estate planners on how to advise cannabis users and growers, I
Trusts and Estates Magazine The 2013 Tax Act, subtlety emerging into our estate planning life much the same way the IPhone has subtlety reduced our
Estate Planning for Retirement Benefits Illinois Institute for Continuing Learning Education An overview of the rights of the spouse of a participant in a qualified
A working guide for T&E litigators Read entire article here.
Journal of Passthrough Entities As estate planners, we often focus on our role as strategists, planners that set up a workable estate plan. Examples include
Journal of Passthrough Entities In one of its most important valuation decisions since the 1981 valuation opinion in MF Bright Est., the Fifth Circuit in
Practical Tax Strategies There are numerous elections that fiduciaries can make on estate and trust federal income tax returns to help maximize tax efficiency for
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin “Asset protection” has remained a hot, though oftentimes mysterious, term in the legal field for some time now. Many times, it
IICLE Press With the increased use of intervivos trusts, it is now less common to have ancillary administration in Illinois in estates of nonresident decedents.
Journal of Passthrough Entities For our clients’ businesses in the partnership format, the interplay of income tax planning and estate planning will continue to present
Trusts & Estates Donor advised funds (DAFs)1 and private foundations (PFs)2 are often compared and con- trasted. Those making the comparisons often quickly conclude that
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Many of us are familiar with the English wedding rhyme that describes what a bride should wear on her wedding day
The Journal of Passthrough Entities In 2014 and going forward, income tax planning in estate planning will be parallel in importance to estate tax planning.
Trusts and Estates Magazine A married couple travels to their attorney’s office to sign their wills. The husband reads his will, signs it and leaves
Trusts and Estates Magazine When spouses seek advice from their attorney in implementing an estate plan, they likely expect that their attorney will represent each
Daily Law Bulletin Cyber criminals, based overseas and concentrated in Nigeria, send scam emails to law firms on a daily basis in an effort to
Trusts & Estates In the movie Scarface, Al Pacino inhospitably quips, “Say hello to my little friend!” He could easily have been introducing the new
Journal of Passthrough Entities Percolating out there in estate planning since 1984 has been the concern about retitling assets to allow the funding of the
Tax Article In valuing minority interests in C corporations, appraisers will typically start with a variable related to earnings on an after tax basis. C
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin The 401(k)s and IRAs are commonplace. They are simple to establish and many clients have them. And while most account-opening forms
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin During the Revolutionary War, a group of soldiers was ordered to raise a heavy timber which the enemy had used to
Estate Planning & TaxationTrusts and Estates Much has been made recently of professional athletes, like Phil Mickelson, considering fleeing less favorable state tax jurisdictions. Many
Trusts and Estates Section NewsletterIllinois State Bar Association The First District, in an opinion last year, effectively nullified – perhaps inadvertently – an element of
Journal of Passthrough Entities One of the more difficult strategies in estate planning is to maximize the lifetime transfers of discounted assets within the lifetime
SNEPC There can be no better test of an estate planner’s skill than with creative, focused drafting of estate planning documents to achieve client specific
Penton MediaTrusts & Estates When attorneys draft trust documents, it’s important to include maximum flexibility mechanisms to better respond to future tax, societal and beneficiary
Journal of Passthrough Entities The exit times from family limited partnerships are two fold, during life or at death. And the exit strategy most often
The Article Review The article, “Should Pets Inherit?” by Frances H. Foster, is an important practical piece for estate planners. His theme, that pets should
Journal of Passthrough Entities Insurance is often touted to be one of those rare assets free of estate tax. Not exactly. It is not free
Journal of Passthrough Entities This article examines an additional strategy that has become increasingly popular for gifts in the husband and wife scenario. Read entire
Trusts and Estates Ashley Rathbun’s article, “Marrying into Financial Abuse: A Solution to Protect the Elderly in California,” is an important resource in an estate
JUF News Financial planning offers different strategies to benefit both yourselves and charities in tax efficient ways. Different strategies work depending on the economic times
Estate Planning & TaxationTrusts and Estates Somewhere in a bleak house in Washington, D.C. a plot exists. The conspirators are working against a favorite planning
Trusts and Estates A family limited partnership (FLP) and a family limited liability company (FLLC) are two entity choices frequently used by estate planners to
Journal of Passthrough Entities One of the least discussed and reasoned decisions in entity planning for discount purposes is whether to use a limited liability
Trusts and Estates In what kind of Alice in Wonderland world might clients be better off destroying good things like charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) Read
Journal of Passthrough Entities This month, the column discusses the estate tax strategies for which the grantor trust planning should be considered, including lifetime use
Trusts and Estates Many clients believe that the greatest enemy to their wealth is the federal estate tax. The reality is that very few estates
NWSBA Understanding the legal and emotional aspects to billing and collecting for legal services. Read entire article here.
Journal of Passthrough Entities One of the most popular pass-through entities used by sophisticated estate planners is the irrevocable grantor trust, set up during the
ESTATE PLANNING What to do when there’s not enough bucks to take care of the financial damage. Read entire article here.
Heckerling Institute Boilerplate provisions are not created equally. Though typically disregarded by your clients as insignificant, these provisions are a key to having excellent documents.
Journal of Passthrough Entities In past articles we have discussed the continued viability of Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (“GRAT”) and partnership planning in today’s estate
Journal of Passthrough Entities The partnership cases over the last 5 years (since what has become known as Strangi II, T.C. Memo.2003-145) have provided the
IICLE’S 51ST ANNUAL ESTATE PLANNING SHORT COURSE… Understand the legal and emotional aspects to billing and collecting for legal services. Read entire article here.
Journal of Passthrough Entities One of the more complicated decisions is how to pay estate taxes, post mortem, when a family limited partnership has been
Journal of Passthrough Entities One of the more complicated decisions is how to pay estate taxes, post mortem, when illiquidity exists because of family held
Journal of Passthrough Entities An individual that incurs these fees will deduct these as a miscellaneous itemized deduction (MIDs) — deductible only to the extent
Trusts and Estates Beyond goldfish crackers, it’s also going to be a Supreme Court ruling deciding if trusts can fully deduct investment fees. Rich folks
Journal of Passthrough Entities Much discussion has been had since Estate of Strangi (“Strangi II”), on that mysterious section, 2036 (a) (2) of the Code,
Journal of Passthrough Entities Much discussion has been had since Estate of Strangi (“Strangi II”), on that mysterious section, 2036 (a) (2) of the Code,
Journal of Passthrough Entities Last month, this column examined the McCord’s analysis on the definitional gift issue, in which the 5th Circuit reversed the Tax
Journal of Passthrough Entities This is part one of a two part article on the important 5th Circuit ruling, and focuses on the 5th Circuit’s
Journal of Passthrough Entities Many of our recent estate planning columns have focused on developments in the partnership area. The reason: the law in this
Trusts and Estates The grantor retained annuity trust (“GRAT”) has been statutorily allowed by Congress since 1990. Used properly, the GRAT can transfer part or
Journal of Passthrough Entities Prior to the enactment of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, in the majority of states the
Taxation of Exempts Picture the smiling face of a child staring at a cookie jar. What joy to see the cookies loaded in, knowing that,
Journal of Passthrough Entities From prior articles, we know that the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (or “GRAT”) is one of the leading estate tax strategies
Journal of Passthrough Entities Joint trusts-avant garde and often confused with that horrible species of instruments known as a “joint Will”-have been shunned as an
Journal of Passthrough Entities Scattered throughout the Code are archaic estate and trust tax sections crying out for change because of their inappropriate applications in
Trusts and Estates For decades, estate planners have used variations of the family limited partnership (FLP), family limited liability company, and family corporation to achieve
IICLE.COM The purpose of this chapter is to provide a clear, understandable evaluation of the current standards for awarding attorneys’ fees in Illinois in estate
Financial And Estate Planning This article will describe and set forth examples of various fiduciary income tax planning strategies that are available after the Tax
TAXES The Tax Magazine In gift and estate tax planning, sophisticated planning strategies are used to achieve different goals. Read entire article here.
Massachusetts Law Review The phase in of the Massachusetts estate tax to a “pickup” tax system was completed in 1997. Under this system, each estate
Michigan Bar Journal The Michigan estate tax imposes a tax on the transfer of the estate of both residents and nonresidents. On its face, the
Journal of Asset Protection Here is a full discussion of strategies for reallocating assets that can minimize estate and income taxes while providing protection to
ESTATE PLANNING Although a donor often wishes to be trustee of a trust to which he or she has contributed property, this can cause tax
South Carolina Lawyer The South Carolina estate tax, S.C. Code Ann.§ 12-16-10 et seq, imposes a tax on the transfer of the estate of both
TAXES The Tax Magazine An individual’s death does not terminate federal tax return filing requirements. In fact, subsequent to a decedent’s death (“postmortem”) income tax
The Florida Bar Journal The Florida estate tax imposes a tax upon the transfer of estates of both resident and nonresident decedents. On its face,
TAX MANAGEMENT ESTATES, GIFTS AND TRUSTS JOURNAL Congress has a tendency to amend the Internal Revenue Code to achieve short-term goals without concern about the
Probate & Property As client pressure to minimize legal fees continues to mount, estate planning lawyers must reexamine their billing practices. Increased computer capability has
PEPPERDINE LAW REVIEW The Internal Revenue Code imposes taxes in addition to the income tax. One type, referred to as the federal estate tax, taxes
The Journal of Taxation The possibility of appreciation, the value of a reversionary interest, and the opportunity cost of alternative gifts all must be considered.
Anderson Publishing Co. Valuing retained rights in the corporate or partnership setting under chapter 14. Read entire article here.
Taxation For Lawyers This article explains when estate planning fees are deductible and what practitioners can do to help taxpayers support such a deduction. Read
Illinois Bar Journal This article offers suggestions for drafting estate planning documents based on the Illinois estate tax and provides guidance for determining when and
Syracuse Law Review Prior to Chapter 14, a commonly-recommended estate tax reduction strategy was what practitioners and others referred to as “corporate estate freezes.” This
ESTATE PLANNING The credit for state death taxes plays an important role in minimizing the overall burden of death taxes. This article examines drafting to
ESTATE PLANNING The second set of Proposed Regulations on Chapter 14 focuses on adjustments relating to retained interests and on lapsing rights and restrictions. Although
DePaul Law Review Since 1983, estate planning advisors have been confronted with substantial congressional activity limiting many traditional and worthwhile estate planning strategies. Read entire
Illinois Bar Journal This article analyzes provisions of and amendments to the Illinois General Not-For-Profit Corporation Act of 1986 that increase the level of fault
ESTATE PLANNING Recent limitations on estate freezes have caused greater reliance upon alternative lifetime giving strategies. Now, however, the IRS, in its rulings, has created
Community Economic Development Law Project An Attorney’s Guide to Obtaining 501c3 Status for Economic Development Organizations. Read entire article here.
TAXES The Tax Magazine A grantor retained income trust (GRIT) is an irrevocable trust established by the grantor (the “contributor” of funds to the trust)
SUCCESSFUL ESTATE PLANNING IDEAS AND METHODS An individual who is already in a taxable estate situation and who owns property which may appreciate in value
TRUSTS AND ESTATES A hanging power, whereby the “taxable” part of a beneficiary’s power to invade corpus is carried over until it becomes nontaxable, can
ESTATE PLANNING A buy-out agreement that provides for the installment purchase of a decedent’s stock can protect the availability of the Section 6166 election to
