Estate Planning Attorney – Biography

Matthew V. Piwowar is a metro Grand Rapids based Estate Planning Attorney. He is also the principal and founder of Legacy Architects PLLC. His practice focuses on Estate Planning, Trusts and Wills, Planning for Special Needs Children, Business Succession Planning, Long-Term Care Planning, and Probate. He has over 27 years of experience advising on estate planning, business law, mergers & acquisitions, finance, and international law.  While practicing international law he traveled to and advised clients in over 25 countries. Mr. Piwowar was born in Marquette, Michigan, and grew up in West Michigan.  He provides services to his clients statewide, from Grandville and Grand Rapids, south to Three Rivers and Kalamazoo, north to Boyne City and St. Ignace, and east to Ann Arbor.

Experience 

Piwowar’s career started in Grand Rapids where he practiced business and tax law. After assisting in the establishment of a Polish Sister City with Grand Rapids, he stayed in Poland for seven years. While there, he assisted with the privatization of government companies and the development of new financial products in Central Europe.

His diverse background includes such transactions as: the sale of a Polish beer brewery, the purchase of a Minnesota software company, the acquisition of staffing companies in Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, India and Indonesia, and the financing of a 40-story office building in Central Europe. He co-developed the first commercial paper program in Poland after the fall of Communism, for an American auto makers’ $40 million offering. While living in Europe, he acted on behalf of two American mutual funds in Central Europe.

He assisted numerous companies open offices and start new businesses in the US and in a variety of countries. As in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 company, Piwowar served as Vice President and Assistant Secretary.  While in that capacity he was responsible for managing all legal services for its 26 country $1 billion international business. In addition, his responsibilities included all foreign and domestic acquisitions. He has been a speaker on such topics as business startups, estate planning, living trusts, and special needs trusts.

Piwowar has extensive experience providing a wide array of legal services including: (i) estate planning, and business succession planning, (ii) living trusts, special needs trusts, and cottage trusts (iii) corporate legal service (iv) mergers and acquisitions, and (v) business plans and startup services.  Especially relevant, Mr. Piwowar has prepared living trusts for hundreds of clients and counseled them through the estate plan design process.  Additionally, he has spoken at numerous workshops teaching the public about estate planning.

Education, Memberships & Publications

Piwowar received his double major Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Social Science, magna cum laude from St. Mary’s College, Orchard Lake, Michigan.  His Juris Doctor degree was earned from the University of Michigan Law School. Subsequently, he received training as an estate planning attorney through the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys Advanced Practice Program.

Mr. Piwowar has authored articles in the Legal Advisor’s Automotive Report.  In addition, he was a co-author of  articles for the International Financial Law Review, and the Banking Yearbook.  After returning to America, he was an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University for Business Law, and University of Phoenix for History of the U.S. Constitution. Piwowar is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Forum of Estate Planners, and a full member of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys.