Tax, Trusts & Estates Attorney

Percy Towers; United States; Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Percy Towers seeks a Senior Counsel to lead the Private Wealth and Fiduciary tax practice across Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The role focuses on advising generational families, family offices, fiduciaries, and closely held entities on complex estate planning, tax, and trust administration.

Ideal candidates bring 10+ years in trust and estate work, a strong academic record, and a proven ability to manage multi-state engagements while mentoring junior attorneys.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in high-level private client representation across multi-state matters.
• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school; active bar in CT/NY/NJ.
• 10+ years of dedicated trust, estate planning, and fiduciary tax advisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead estate planning and wealth preservation architectures for high-net-worth clients.
• Counsel on multi-jurisdictional tax implications (estate, gift, fiduciary tax).
• Oversee probate proceedings and complex trust administration.
• Structure tax-advantaged business succession and wealth transition plans.
• Collaborate with firm partners across disciplines to serve clients.
• Mentor junior trusts and estates associates.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Drafting

Negotiation

Communication

Education

J.D. (ABA-accredited law school)

LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning

Bar admission in CT/NY/NJ

Job description

Practice Area

Private Wealth, Fiduciary Tax & Estate Planning, High-Net-Worth Wealth Preservation, Fiduciary Tax Advisory, Trust Administration & Business Succession

Location

Multi-Office Flexibility across Greenwich, CT; New York, NY; or Roseland, NJ (Hybrid Schedule)

Salary

$175,000 to $250,000 Base Salary (Commensurate with experience; eligible for discretionary year-end performance bonus, structured origination credit, merit-based compensation reviews, and comprehensive medical, retirement, and paid leave benefits)

Schedule

Full-time, Direct-Hire, Professional billable standard

The Firm

Our client is a premier, nearly century-established mid-market regional powerhouse with a distinguished footprint spanning key economic corridors in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Consistently recognized in leading legal directories and peer-review compendiums—including prestigious Chambers and Best Law Firm rankings across private wealth, transactional tax, healthcare, and corporate disciplines, the practice has cultivated a sterling reputation for delivering sophisticated, bespoke counsel to high-net-worth families, institutional fiduciaries, and privately held enterprises.

The organization is widely celebrated for its collaborative, forward-thinking, and relationship-driven culture, offering the intellectual depth and multi-jurisdictional resources of a large institutional platform alongside the agility, transparency, and entrepreneurial autonomy of a regional firm. Senior attorneys within the practice group enjoy substantive client stewardship, direct cross-disciplinary collaboration, and transparent pathways to partnership and origination rewards. This provides an exceptional forum for an accomplished private wealth practitioner seeking elevated leadership, collegial partnership, and long-term professional stability across the Tri-State area.

Duties

The incoming Senior Counsel will serve as a lead technical and relationship advisor within an expanding Private Wealth and Fiduciary practice group, advising generational families, family offices, fiduciaries, and closely held corporate entities throughout Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Core responsibilities

• Designing and executing sophisticated estate planning instruments and wealth preservation architectures, including complex dynastic trusts, generation-skipping transfer structures, grantor retained annuity trusts, and family limited partnerships.
• Providing comprehensive counsel on federal, state, and multi-jurisdictional tax implications, encompassing estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, fiduciary income, and personal income tax exposures.
• Overseeing multi-faceted probate proceedings and complex trust administration, including fiduciary accountings, asset valuation, post-mortem tax elections, and estate tax return preparations (Form 706 and Form 1041).
• Structuring tax-advantaged business succession plans, executive wealth transition strategies, and asset protection frameworks for owners of privately held operating companies and real estate portfolios.
• Collaborating with corporate, healthcare, real estate, and dispute resolution partners across the firm to address auxiliary fiduciary, tax, and governance issues impacting shared business clients.
• Fostering and maintaining enduring, consultative relationships with high-net-worth individuals, wealth managers, accountants, and institutional trustees.
• Providing hands-on mentorship, work-product review, and professional guidance to junior and mid-level trusts and estates associates to support the continuous growth of the practice group.

Qualifications

Candidates must bring an established pedigree in high-level private client representation and the technical sophistication required to handle complex multi-state matters independently.

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) earned from an ABA-accredited school of law with strong academic credentials.
• Active license to practice law in good standing in at least one of the following jurisdictions: Connecticut, New York, or New Jersey, with an ability and willingness to obtain reciprocal admission or waive into the remaining regional bars as business needs dictate.
• Ten (10) or more years of dedicated, substantive legal experience in trust and estate planning, estate administration, and fiduciary tax advisory within a respected law firm or specialized boutique setting.
• In-depth mastery of federal and state transfer taxation, fiduciary income tax, and statutory probate procedures across Tri-State jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage significant wealth planning engagements from initial intake through final document execution and fiduciary administration.
• Impeccable analytical, drafting, negotiation, and interpersonal communication capabilities.

Skills

The following credentials and attributes will significantly enhance an applicant’s candidacy:

• A Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation or Estate Planning from an accredited institution.
• Established track record of advising ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices, and complex multi-tiered business entities.
• Demonstrated aptitude for business development and an established network of regional referral sources, such as private bankers, CPAs, and wealth advisors.
• Experience advising fiduciaries and beneficiaries on contested trust matters, dispute prevention, or mediation preparation.
• Strong leadership presence and a demonstrated commitment to team development, practice group cohesion, and junior attorney mentorship.