Our broad expertise allows us to provide integrated and comprehensive business succession, estate planning and estate administration, combined with even broader areas of business, corporate and tax law.

For further information, please explore the areas listed below. Questions? Please contact one of our Family Wealth and Succession Planning Team attorneys.

Estate Planning: We assist families in developing estate plans that protect assets and ensure their orderly distribution in accordance with our client’s wishes, while minimizing estate tax consequences. We advise individuals and families concerning estate and gift tax planning, the disposition of assets and transfer of wealth at death, and the management and preservation of assets in the event of incapacity. We custom structure estate plans to take into account each client’s individual needs and objectives. We emphasize working cooperatively with the client’s existing team of other professionals including accountants, life insurance representatives, financial planners, and investment advisers to achieve the client’s objectives.

We assist clients having taxable estates with annual gift planning through the use of life insurance trusts, family limited partnerships, and other tax-favored means. We also assist clients in implementation of their philanthropic objectives through the use of charitable trusts, private foundations, and conservation easements. Estate planning tools such as durable powers of attorney and revocable trusts are used to assist our clients in avoiding the need for a court appointed guardian or conservator.

Estate and Trust Administration and Litigation: Our Team advises and counsels personal representatives and trustees in the administration of estates after a death, including probate proceedings, preparation of accountings, and estate and fiduciary tax returns. We also represent clients in disputes and litigation among heirs and beneficiaries of trusts. We are experienced with estate tax audits and appeals. We strive to provide all of these services in a timely, efficient, caring, and cost-effective manner.

Philanthropy, Private Foundations and Charitable Organizations: We assist our clients in defining and achieving thier philanthropic objectives and creating charitable entities and obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.

We represent individual clients and families in establishing private charitable foundations as a means to carry out their specific philanthropic desires. We advise charitable entities regarding their general legal needs, including corporate, trust, real estate, and contract matters. Our clients include charitable organizations involved in the arts, humanitarian aid, homeless shelters, social and sports clubs, civic organizations, religious groups, churches, private schools, and educational organizations. Several of our attorneys serve on boards of charitable entities in the Denver metropolitan area.

In addition to representing tax-exempt entities, we serve individuals in planning for gifts to charitable and religious entities through tax-favored forms, such as charitable remainder trusts, lead trusts, charitable annuities, and pooled income funds. This planning is often carried out in connection with maximizing income and estate tax deductions.

Our tax and real estate attorneys assist clients in their land and water conservation efforts, including donation and sale of conservation easements to charitable land trusts and preservation groups to preserve scenic areas, open space, and Colorado’s agricultural heritage. Conservation easements are often used to enable the family farm or ranch to be passed to heirs with reduced estate tax consequences.

Family Business Succession Planning: We assist with succession planning for family-owned and other closely-held businesses, farms, ranches, and similar investments, seeking creative solutions to accomplish an efficient succession. Our broad expertise allows us to provide integrated and comprehensive planning in the areas of business, corporate and taxation law.