Richard Thomas Olson

R. Thomas Olson advises clients with respect to formation of business entities and the appropriate form in which to conduct business. He also handles legal matters that businesses encounter in their operations. His practice includes ownership transition and estate planning for the principals of closely held businesses. Tom’s clients include design professionals, as well as a variety of clients engaged in water-related activities, such as fish-processing companies, fishermen, and towboat operators.

Assisted an investment management firm in a successful proxy solicitation to gain control of an energy limited partnership. The transaction was reported in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Oil and Gas Investor. 

Assisted clients who require a business entity to examine the available options and select the appropriate entity, formed the entity selected, and advised the clients regarding governance issues

Created both estate plans for mid to high net worth clients with assets in California, Oregon and Washington. Planning included preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, including insurance trusts, gift trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, and various charitable split interest trusts

Assisted individual clients who want to make lifetime gifts, either to charity or individuals, to examine and evaluation the various methods of making those gifts so that their tax and personal goals are met

Worked with clients to determine their life insurance needs, how the policies should be held and who should be the named beneficiaries; also formed irrevocable life insurance trusts and oversaw the transfer of policies to the trusts.

Counseled executors through the probate process for both simple and complicated estates; assisted clients with the transfer and distribution of assets; and prepared and presented to the court all documents necessary for the probate procedure.

Represented both trustees and beneficiaries in connection with on-going administration of trusts holding a variety of assets including closely-held businesses; instructed individual trustees regarding their fiduciary responsibilities and assisted them in the performance of their duties.