Professional Summary

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OUTCOME:

•Guide numerous family businesses in estate planning and business succession planning in order to assist in securing the family business entity’s transfer of ownership. Consult clients in various estat ... e planning, tax and business succession methods to ensure continuation of family business. •Formation of hundreds of estate plans from young individuals/couples to the affluent. The estate plans created ranged from the introductory, such as wills, trusts and durable powers of attorney, to more complex planning including irrevocable trusts (ILITS and otherwise), directed trusts, charitable trusts, asset anti-appreciation/asset protection Trusts, pre and post-nuptial agreements, and dynasty trusts. •Formation of numerous of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and other like entities. Created numerous shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, professional service agreements, employee stock purchase option plans, and other documents in accordance with the unique needs of each prospective client. Successful completion of mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, 1031 like-kind exchanges and outright sales and purchases for company clients. •Represented co-guardians and co-conservators in a contested guardianship and conservatorship against numerous remote heirs who wanted to remove the co-guardians and co-conservators in order to gain access to a $30 million dollar estate. The remote heirs contested the co-guardianship and co-conservatorship under the dubious guise of “concern” and allegations of improper conduct of the co-guardians and co-conservators. The opponents alleged approximately 19 different causes of action. The court, after a three day hearing and extensive pre- and post-trial briefing, ruled in favor of the co-guardians and co-conservators on all counts and the clients remained in their positions until the death of the protected person. •Represented numerous individuals in trust/will contests, both in prosecution and defense. •Represented a telecommunications company in securing legislative approval in several states for operation of telecommunications relay system. Engaged in lobbying in several states and assisted in the creation of numerous laws which would authorize the actions. The efforts paid off in groundbreaking ways, generated client tens of millions of dollars in revenue and provided hundreds of thousands of hearing impaired individuals access to telephonic communication. •Represented subcontractor in several complex litigation disputes regarding several contract breaches involving numerous parties where the general contractor refused to pay the subcontract amounts in excess of $2 million. •Commenced litigation due to breach of subcontract through the filing of a mechanic’s lien on a $10+ million construction project. Litigation continued, and in the meantime, filed an application for enforcement of the arbitration clause of the subcontract specifically against the general contractor. General contractor opposed and delayed and after hearings and multiple briefs, court ordered compulsory arbitration on the subcontract. •Represented family business majority owner involved in 9 separate actions against a disgruntled terminated family member. All actions were won, dismissed or settled for nuisance value. •Represented numerous businesses in intra-company disputes involving terminations, shareholder oppression; shareholder, officer and director disputes, employment issues, governmental regulations, EEOC discrimination complaints/lawsuits, and the like. •Extensive practice in federal courts.