Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning

On this episode, hosts Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear welcome corporate Partner R.J. Kornhaas to discuss the intricacies of investing in privately held businesses and business succession planning. They delve into essential considerations, such as the types of investments—including convertible notes and preferred stock—and emphasize the importance of having legal counsel review documents to safegu...

On the fifth episode of our speaker series, Partner Carolyn Reers explores the growing trend of high-net-worth individuals seeking residency or citizenship abroad for tax benefits and safety. She highlights popular destinations like Malta, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia for citizenship through investment, as well as Italy, Malta, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, and Spain for golden visa program...

On the fourth episode of our speaker series, Partners Erin Nicholls, R.J. Kornhaas and Dimitri Tournas dive into the key compliance requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its impact on small to medium-sized companies. They break down the new federal beneficial ownership registry, the filing requirements, and the challenges of identifying beneficial owners. Tune in to gain insight...

In this powerhouse episode, hosts Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear step up to the plate with Thomas Archer, a certified financial planner and owner of the Thomas J. Archer Companies, to discuss the nuances of estate planning and business succession for high net-worth individuals, including professional athletes and business owners.  Archer, not one to sit on the sidelines, shares his personal...

In a typical M&A transaction, the interests of the executives and management team can significantly diverge from the other parties to the transaction making it essential to retain independent counsel, separate from the buyer and the seller. In this episode, Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear are joined by Partners Christian Chandler and James Greifzu, co-chairs of the Wiggin and Dana Management T...

Navigating estate planning amidst divorce can be complex. On the third episode of our speaker series, Partner Matt Smith emphasizes the need for adaptable and forward-thinking strategies to protect assets across varying state laws. Highlighting cases where outdated estate plans clash with the modern realities of marriage, divorce, and inheritance, Matt delves into crafting lifetime trusts, navigat...

Timing is crucial for clients looking to gift before the potential sunset of the estate and gift tax exemption at the end of 2025.In today’s episode, Partner Erin Nicholls sits down with Evan Levine, Founder of Complete Advisors as well as his colleague, Nainesh Shah, lead analyst, who specializes in business valuations for trust and estate planning, gift tax planning, and complex entities. They d...

With our second episode in our speaker series, Partner Helen Heintz dives into the increasingly common practice of drafting prenuptial agreements. Highlighting the evolution of her clientele over nearly two decades, Helen outlines the shift towards safeguarding inherited wealth in first and second marriages—primarily driven by concerned parents wanting to protect assets for their children. Helen f...

On this episode, Partner Vanessa Maczko details where we are now with taxes and gifting, and where we are going. She discusses what is not a taxable gift and how to use your estate and gift tax exemptions. Vanessa also delves into what it means when the high exemption rates are expected to sunset in 2026, and what can be done with little to no exemption left. Tune in to learn more about this impor...

Jacob Koenig, Managing Director and Partner of Woodbridge International, sits down with Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear to discuss his firm’s unique approach to selling companies, including their focus on marketing and their ability to reach an extensive network of well-vetted potential buyers. The conversation touches on current market conditions and the importance of sticking to a timel...

On this episode, Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear continue their conversation with Wiggin and Dana Partner Jack Sousa, on entrepreneurship, equity, and entity structuring. They dive deep into the entrepreneur's guide to equity, employee stock options, and the strategic importance of early legal advice, with particularly valuable insights on estate planning synergy and innovative legal stru...

In the latest podcast episode, host Michael Clear introduces the “Future Focused: Private Wealth Insights” blog, a platform designed to help optimize and protect your financial future. Explore domestic and international estate planning strategies, tax optimization, and more, with regularly updated content to keep you informed about the latest trends and developments. Visit www.privatewealthinsight...

Discover the intersection between founding ventures and estate planning on today’s episode of Future Focused. Wiggin and Dana Partner Jack Sousa, a founder of wiggin(x) and co-chair of our Emerging Company and Venture Capital Group sits down with Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear and offers invaluable insights into the client experience on Wiggin(x), a unique venture aimed at revolutionizin...

Business owners have their own set of challenges to address when considering estate planning strategies, including family concerns, personal concerns and operation of the business itself. On this episode, Partner Michael Clear supplies a roadmap of estate planning options for business owners that seek to address these challenges. He reviews the three phases of estate planning, which are foundation...

On this episode, Partners Michael Clear and Erin Nicholls review the requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) now in effect. They discuss what exemptions available to entities, who the beneficial owners are, when to file reports, and other insights into what is needed to comply with the CTA. Be sure to tune into this episode and review our other related content to learn more. Feel...

Do your children think money grows on trees? Do they understand the value of a dollar? On this week’s episode, Partner Michael Clear sits down with Tom Henske, author of It Makes Total Cents, which gives parents tools to have an honest conversation with their kids about the value of money and the importance of starting the conversation at a young age. With a background in structuring life insuranc...

On this episode, Partner Michael Clear sits down with Larry Lipoff, CPA, TEP, CEBS, who is a Director in CohnReznick’s Trusts and Estates Practice, to discuss the key takeaways from the 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning Conference. They dive into topics such as the “Rockefeller Waterfall,” planning with fluctuating interest rates, a possible upheaval in residential and commercial...

Life insurance can be a valuable estate planning tool for generational wealth planning, creating liquidity and time diversification. On this week’s episode, Michael Clear and special guest Sarah Moore, Director of Advisor Relations at the Coyle Company, a firm that handles estate planning and business planning matters, discuss the importance of reviewing existing life insurance policies and portfo...

The role of a conservator is often misunderstood and recent headlines about celebrity conservatorships tend to paint conservatorships in a negative light. However, in this episode , Hosts Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear, provide context to understanding the differences between conservatorship of the person and of the estate, voluntary and involuntary conservatorships, and how planning documents li...

With so many people fleeing their northern home states and heading south for a sunnier lifestyle, it’s more important than ever to understand the process of changing domicile and residence. On this week’s episode, Partner Michael Clear travels to sunny Florida and chats with Florida-based Partner Veronica Bauer on the necessary “checklist” to declare domicile and residence in the state of Florida....

Ready to kick off the New Year and make good on all those estate planning resolutions? On this first episode of 2024, Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear highlight the estate planning opportunities resulting from changes in estate, gift and generation-skipping tax exemptions and discuss why 2024 is a good year to consider making big gifts before the exemptions are halved in 2026. They also di...

As we wrap up 2023, let us take a look back at some of the important estate planning topics that were discussed throughout the year. Our Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear and their distinguished guests shared their expertise on a wide range of subjects, including Using Trusts for Your Beneficiaries , SLATs , Estate Planning and Digital Assets , Key Considerations with Generation-Skipping Tr...

As 2023 draws to a close, we gear up for a busy holiday season and start planning for 2024 (#FutureFocused). On this week’s episode, Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear highlight a few things that clients and advisors should focus on as we near the end of the year, including putting the finishing touches on estate plans, making annual exclusion gifts, charitable donations, and required minimu...

On this episode of “Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning,” Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear sit down with Partner Helen Heintz to discuss the intricacies of prenuptial agreements. From the nuances of defining separate and marital property to navigating potential pitfalls, they review the complexities and importance of prenups in protecting wealth. Helen also sheds light on the sig...

For many, pets are part of their family like any other family member, sometimes more so. That said, who cares for your pets after your death, and what money can be set aside for their support? Questions like these are addressed on this episode of “ Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning,” where Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear discuss various estate planning approaches, including ma...