Trust and Estate Attorney - HYBRID

Law firm; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle law firm in Seattle seeks an experienced estate planning attorney with an LL.M. in Taxation or equivalent tax experience to provide advanced counsel in estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and complex tax matters.

The role focuses on designing sophisticated estate plans, advising high-net-worth individuals and families, their businesses and private foundations, addressing tax issues, and supporting fiduciaries in administering estates and trusts. Washington bar license required.

Qualifications

• LL.M. in Taxation strongly preferred.
• Five years of experience in sophisticated estate and tax-oriented planning.
• Active membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is required.
• Advanced knowledge of estate planning techniques, trust and estate administration, and federal/state tax law.

Responsibilities

• Draft and implement advanced estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, ILITs, GRATs, IDGTs, SLATs, family limited partnerships/LLCs, and other complex planning instruments.
• Advise clients, families, closely-held businesses, private foundations, and fiduciaries and collaborate with professional advisors and other advanced estate planning attorneys from other jurisdictions on sophisticated estate planning strategies, including wealth transfer planning, tax-efficient gifting, charitable planning, business succession planning, and multigenerational planning.
• Provide guidance on federal and state income and estate/gift tax issues, including generation-skipping transfer (GST).
• Advise clients on estate and trust controversies, working collaboratively with litigators where appropriate.
• Interpret and apply federal and Washington State tax laws, including preparation or review of Forms 706, 709, 1041, and related filings, or coordination with outside CPAs as needed.

Skills

Estate planning expertise

Taxation knowledge

Client advisory

Education

LL.M. in Taxation

Washington State Bar Association membership

Job description

My client is a well respected Seattle based law firm and they are seeking an experienced estate planning attorney with an LL.M. in tax or comparable tax experience (i.e., CPA) to provide advanced legal counsel in the areas of estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and complex tax matters. This position focuses on designing and implementing sophisticated estate plans, advising high-net-worth individuals and families, their respective businesses and private foundations, addressing complex tax issues, and supporting fiduciaries in administering estates and trusts.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Draft and implement advanced estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, ILITs, GRATs, IDGTs, SLATs, family limited partnerships/LLCs, and other complex planning instruments.

Advise clients, families, closely-held businesses, private foundations, and fiduciaries and collaborate with professional advisors and other advanced estate planning attorneys from other jurisdictions (e.g., DE, SD, TX, FL, WY, NV, etc.) on sophisticated estate planning strategies, including wealth transfer planning, tax-efficient gifting, charitable planning, business succession planning, and multigenerational planning.

Provide guidance on federal and state income and estate/gift tax issues, including generation-skipping transfer (GST).

Advise clients on estate and trust controversies, working collaboratively with litigators where appropriate.

Interpret and apply federal and Washington State tax laws, including preparation or review of Forms 706, 709, 1041, and related filings, or coordination with outside CPAs as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• LL.M. in Taxation strongly preferred.
• Five years of experience in sophisticated estate and tax-oriented planning. (Having an LLM counts as a year of experience.)
• Advanced knowledge of estate planning techniques, trust and estate administration, and federal/state tax law.
• Experience with business succession planning and advising closely-held business owners is preferred.
• Active membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced knowledge of estate planning techniques, trust and estate administration, and federal/state tax law.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, especially in applying tax law to complex fact patterns.
• Excellent drafting skills and strong attention to detail in preparing sophisticated planning documents.
• Ability to effectively manage a substantial and varied caseload with competing deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with legal and tax-related technology platforms, including document management, timekeeping, and estate administration software.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is $150k-190k Factors which may affect pay within this range include geography/market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.