Todd James Schneider

My practice is concentrated in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable planning, and business succession planning. A significant portion of my practice is devoted to representing musicians, songwriters, entertainers and recording artists. Many of these clients have special estate planning concerns that include the valuation and disposition of intellectual property rights, royalty income, valuable memorabilia and artwork, and merchandising contracts.

Many non-profit entities, including private foundations, charitable trusts, and publicly supported charities also rely on me for legal advice. In connection with this practice, I have represented several large charitable organizations in contested estate and trust matters, recovering millions of dollars of embezzled and misappropriated funds.

In addition, I regularly advise executors, trustees and beneficiaries on all aspects of estate and trust administration. This representation includes tax planning, court filings, the collection and distribution of assets, the preparation of tax returns, and the resolution of trust and estate disputes.

I am actively involved in several professional organizations associated with the estate planning community, including ACTEC (American College of Trust & Estate Counsel), the premier national organization of trust and estate lawyers. I also serve as the Vice President of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, an organization of more than 650 estate planning professionals. In addition, I previously chaired the Estate & Gift Tax Division of the Federal Tax Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. Finally, I am a member of Professional Advisory Committee of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the largest public charities serving the greater Chicagoland area.

When not practicing law, I enjoy playing golf, reading historical fiction, biking, scuba diving, and spending quality time with my wife and three young daughters.