Practice Chair(s)
Knowing the law is not enough. Our estate planning attorneys work to understand your objectives in order to frame their recommendations accordingly.
Overview
Chamberlain Hrdlicka possesses one of the largest and most accomplished estate planning and administration groups in the South and Southwest. There is no substitute for experience, and many of our lawyers in the group have been practicing in this field of law for many years. Clients know they can depend on our depth of experience to help them achieve their objectives today and for generations to come.
Our expertise in tax and business issues is the perfect foundation for the estate plans we develop for individuals, families and business owners. We understand how the system works, and we know how to structure plans that take full advantage of every key provision of the tax code. Since the potential tax consequence at death can often surpass 50 percent, it is worth investigating all avenues to assist a family in retaining as much wealth as the law will allow.
Honor The Past, Prepare For The Future
Knowing the law is not enough. Our estate planners work to understand your objectives in order to frame their recommendations accordingly. Every individual has a different perspective, different needs and different goals. We believe that imposing any type of “formula solution” is unfair to you and your family members. We prefer to listen first, then act on what you tell us. When we develop a plan, it fully reflects the input and directions we have received in our in-depth interviews with you. With our help, it becomes your plan.
Goals of This Generation
We bring a long-term perspective to our assignments. As we address the needs of the surviving spouse and children, we also keep an eye toward generations to come. Elements put in place today can have a profound effect on how wealth is retained and administered in the future. Our collective expertise addresses the challenges and stands the test of time. If you own a business, we take the necessary steps to ensure continuity and value for family members, shareholders, employees and customers. We work with you to establish goals and then to implement them efficiently and effectively. The final decisions are always yours — but we provide you with the information and counsel you need to confidently make good decisions.
Estate Administration Assistance To Help Families Move Ahead
The estate administration duties that accompany the loss of a loved one can prove burdensome, even overwhelming, to the survivors. We approach estate administration with care. We assist when and where needed, applying appropriate elements of post-mortem planning and ensuring that key deadlines and documents are handled in a timely and proper manner. We appreciate that there are hundreds of things you would rather do than focus on these responsibilities. With our assistance and follow-through, all of the elements of administering an estate can fall properly into place. To us, estate administration also has two parts: honor the past and prepare for the future.
A Complete Range Of Tools Wielded By Experienced Professionals
Chamberlain Hrdlicka helps you build a plan and then assists you in its implementation, using proven techniques and tools to produce the desired results. We adjust our approach to meet your needs. The degree of sophistication and complexity involved depends solely on your needs and best interests.
When Even the Best Estate Planning Documents Can’t Avoid a Family Drama
We work with our clients to fashion estate plans and trust provisions that minimize the possibility of family conflict. Things like drafting crystal clear language in your estate planning documents and selecting the right people to serve as your fiduciaries (e.g. the executor of your Will or trustee of your trusts) go a long way to reduce the likelihood of litigation among family members. Unfortunately, family disputes and disagreements related to estates and trusts happen more frequently than we would hope. In the event family discord arises and leads to family members taking overtly adversarial positions, we have the knowledge and experience to help address those unfortunate situations. For example, we can work with the client to pursue methods of settling differences short of outright litigation such as mediation and arbitration. Our litigation team has a wealth of experience in the probate and trust area and we work closely with them when necessary to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients.
Areas of Expertise
- Wills and revocable trusts
- Planning for incapacity, including powers of attorney and health care declarations
- Gifting techniques and strategies
- International estate planning, including offshore trusts
- Life insurance planning
- Trust planning
- Generation-skipping planning
- Charitable giving and charitable entities
- Succession planning for business owners, including buy-sell agreements
- Family limited partnerships, limited liability companies and closely held businesses
- Marital property agreements
- Estate administration and probate
- Preparation and filing of estate, inheritance and gift and generation-skipping tax returns
- Representation in estate and gift tax audits
- Litigation consulting
- Mediation, arbitration and litigation relating to all aspects of trust and estate disputes
News
News
- Georgia Trend names Chamberlain Shareholders as 2020 "Legal Elite"Georgia Trend, December 1, 2020
- Houstonia Magazine names Chamberlain Attorneys as 2021 Top LawyersHoustonia Magazine, November 30, 2020
- Katherine Noll, Joshua Sutin, and Jaime Vasquez named to 2020 Top Attorneys by San Antonio MagazineSan Antonio Magazine, November 20, 2020
- Virtual This Year! Chamberlain Hrdlicka Virtual Annual Tax and Business Planning Seminar is November 10-12, 2020November 10, 2020
- Quote by Brett Berly in article on "Election Results ease Estate Tax Fears"Bloomberg Tax, November 9, 2020
- November 5, 2020
- Super Lawyers names Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys as 2020 Texas Super LawyersOctober 19, 2020
- Christopher Steele is a presenter at the 2020 LiveXchange Virtual EventBusiness Facilities, September 30, 2020
- August 10, 2020
- Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys Recognized by San Antonio Scene MagazineSan Antonio Scene Magazine, August 3, 2020
- July 17, 2020
- Brett Berly quoted in "Virus Chaos Creates Opening for Millionaires to Slash Tax Bills"Bloomberg Tax, April 20, 2020
- Chamberlain Trust & Estates Update - April 17, 2020April 17, 2020
- Scot Kirkpatrick quoted in "More Georgians rushing to write wills during coronavirus pandemic"Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 17, 2020
- Chamberlain Trust and Estates UpdateApril 6, 2020
- 2020 Georgia Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Named at Chamberlain HrdlickaMarch 4, 2020
- February 13, 2020
- The Mid-Market Report, January 9, 2020
- Georgia Trend, December 2019
- December 2019
- November 12, 2019
- November 6, 2019
- US News, November 2019
- October 30, 2019
- Houston Business Journal, September 23, 2019
- Attorneys with national law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka have been selected to the 2019 Texas Super Lawyers listSeptember 3, 2019
- August 15, 2019
- August 12, 2019
- Atlanta Business Chronicle, May 21, 2019
- May 15, 2019
- May 10, 2019
- Fiduciary News, April 23, 2019
- March 26, 2019
- March 7, 2019
- February 7, 2019
- Trusts & Estates, December 17, 2018
- Chamberlain Hrdlicka again named a "Best Law Firm" by US NewsNovember 1, 2018
- October 12, 2018
- October 12, 2018
- MarketWatch, April 19, 2018
- Stewart M. Weintraub Named 2017 AV Top-Rated Lawyer in Real Estate Law by Martindale-Hubbell and ALMChamberlain Hrdlicka state and local tax (SALT) practice chair recognized in special section in American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel and National Law Journal
- National law firm achieves top rankings in tax law, tax litigation and trust and estates law
- Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys Ranked in Construction, Litigation – Construction, Eminent Domain & Condemnation, Employee Benefits (ERISA), Government Relations, Immigration, Tax, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, and Trust & Estates CategoriesAugust 2017
- Stewart M. Weintraub and Kenneth I. Trujillo recognized among top lawyers in Pennsylvania
- Attorneys Ranked in Tax, Construction, Trust and Estates, Employee Benefits and Immigration CategoriesJune 22, 2017
- The Street, June 14, 2017
- Stewart M. Weintraub and Kenneth I. Trujillo recognized among top lawyers in Pennsylvania
- Chamberlain Hrdlicka state and local tax (SALT) practice chair was the overall chair of the annual ABA/IPT Advanced Tax Seminars
- U.S. News & World Report recognizes Chamberlain Hrdlicka attorneys in practice areas of construction law, employee benefits, immigration law, tax litigation and controversy, and trusts and estates.
- Lawyers from the Philadelphia office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka presented at a seminar discussing strategies for attorneys and accountants who advise business ownersJanuary 2014
- J. Scot Kirkpatrick of Chamberlain Hrdlicka law firm weighs in on taxes and estate planning.November 2013
- August 2011
- October 2008
Presentations
Seminars & Presentations
- Chamberlain Hrdlicka's Annual Tax and Business Planning Seminar is Virtual for 2020!November 10, 2020
- Free Webinar on New Legal Considerations for Opening Up Your Business During a PandemicOnline Webinar, June 11, 2020
- Free Webinar on Top Legal Traps for Opening Up Your Business in a PandemicOnline Webinar, June 3, 2020
- Free Webinar on Top Legal Traps for Opening Up Your Business in a PandemicOnline Webinar, May 28, 2020
- November 12, 2019
- November 6, 2019
- October 30, 2019
- Opportunities v. Exchanges - Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe ...Cobb Galleria, 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, July 10, 2019
- Navigating the Maze – Understanding the Most Recent Changes to the Tax Cut and Jobs ActCobb Galleria, 2 Galleria Parkway, April 23, 2019
- The Four Seasons Philadelphia, May 30, 2012
Publications
Publications
- Article by Christopher Steele and Jasmin Severino Hernandez on “There’s Still Time To Invest In Qualified Opportunity Zones”Business Facilities, August 2020
- Article by Phil Karter, Scot Kirkpatrick and Pat McCann on “IRS Letter 6336: To Respond or Not to Respond, That Is the Question”Tax Notes Federal, June 1, 2020
- Article by Thomas Jones and Jasmin Severino Hernandez on "Pandemic Provides Challenges and Opportunities for Estate Planning"The Daily Report, May 14, 2020
- Article by Scot Kirkpatrick and Steven Wyatt on "Estate Planning Tips and Updates"ThinkAdvisor, March 25, 2020
- Article by Christopher Steele and Steve Wyatt on “Predicting and Preparing for The Estate and Gift Tax”Current Accounts, March 10, 2020
- The Daily Report, November 30, 2018