Trusts and Estates
Our Trusts and Estates practice group is one of the largest estate planning practices in Massachusetts and one of Rubin and Rudman’s signature practice groups. Our team combines the best elements of analytical insight, practical sense and compassion. We create and manage trusts and other structures to help families and businesses retain, grow, protect and distribute their assets and property.
In addition to strategic and comprehensive estate planning and trusteeship, we provide a wide range of services to serve our clients’ interests, working with a variety of our colleagues and outside professionals and institutions to help our clients realize their goals.
In order to minimize taxes, remove obstacles, resolve issues and assure that our clients wishes will be carried out, we offer:
- Formation of limited partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs) for asset protection, investment and wealth preservation purposes
- Creation of Dynasty Trusts that avoid the rule against perpetuities and exempt trust assets from the generation-skipping transfer tax and estate tax in future generations of beneficiaries
- Advice on the sale of closely-held business interests in consideration for self-canceling installment notes (SCINs) or private annuities.
- Life insurance planning, including employer and private split-dollar arrangements, irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), and funding techniques that avoid gift tax
- Creation and administration of Special Needs Trusts
- Private Client Services for those with substantial real property and financial assets in the United States and abroad
- Advocacy and representation before the IRS and other financial regulatory bodies, including FATCA compliance with respect to offshore holdings, as well as domestic income, gift and estate tax controversies
- Charitable planning using retained interest trusts (charitable remainder unitrust and annuity trusts), charitable lead annuity trusts (CLATs), and private foundations
- Vigorous advocacy in the areas of Will challenges, charges of undue influence, and adherence to appropriate fiduciary accounting principles
With the resources of our colleagues in our Corporate, Business and Tax, Life Sciences and Emerging Growth Companies, Family Law and Real Estate practices, we help clients as they seek to preserve or distribute assets from the sale of businesses and the launching of new technologies. We also assist clients when significant adjustments in income result from the dissolution of marriage.
Our knowledge of our clients’ needs, our fiduciary experience and legal acumen, and our ability to integrate and collaborate with all critical resources encourages families and organizations to rely on us as the financial and legal advisors they can trust now and for generations to come.