Trust Counsel

Fiduciary Trust Company; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Fiduciary Trust Company seeks an experienced Trust Counsel to advise on fiduciary law, trust administration, and estate and tax planning for ultra-high-net-worth clients. The role requires coordinating court actions, supervising estates, and guiding staff in fiduciary matters.

The successful candidate will train colleagues, contribute to business development, and maintain leadership within the trusts and estates legal community. Boston or Manchester NH offices are possible.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of combined experience as a trusts and estates attorney and/or in-house fiduciary counsel.
• Experience working with UHNW clients and their advisors.
• Strong judgment and fiduciary risk management skills.
• Excellent written and spoken communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice on fiduciary law and trust administration to FTNE and FTC staff.
• Manage court actions involving trust and estate matters, coordinating with outside counsel.
• Oversee estate administration, including tax return preparation and filing.
• Train FTC/FTNE colleagues on fiduciary and tax issues and current developments.
• Support new business and client development through thought leadership and meetings.
• Develop and maintain relationships with UHNW clients and their advisors.

Skills

Trusts & estates law

Client relations

Tax planning

Legal research

Risk management

Communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Fiduciary Trust Company ("FTC") is a leading and long-standing wealth management firm, supervising more than $34 billion of client assets for individuals, families, charities, family offices, and RIAs. The company was founded in 1885 as a family office and incorporated as a trust bank in 1928. Throughout its over 140-year history, FTC has maintained a proud tradition of providing clients with objective, holistic advice to meet their comprehensive financial needs. This steadfast commitment to providing clients with exceptional service and investment performance has resulted in a sustained 98% client retention rate over decades.

FTC currently has over 150 dedicated employees, bringing years of industry experience and expertise. The close-knit culture and team approach facilitate a firm-wide dedication to client satisfaction, high ethical standards, and sophisticated solutions for its clients. The firm manages client investments using a "rational architecture" approach that accesses top-tier managers and alternative investments, while allowing for direct management of individual stocks and bonds. FTC offers industry-leading expertise in trust and estate administration and access to New Hampshire's favorable trust laws through its affiliate, Fiduciary Trust Company of New England. FTC's range of services also includes access to experienced estate planning professionals, financial planning, philanthropic advice and foundation management, tax planning and tax return preparation, asset custody, reporting, and a broad array of family office support.

Through client focus, prudent management and a strong foundation, Fiduciary Trust is in an exciting stage of continued growth.

Fiduciary Trust Company of New England ("FTNE") is a New Hampshire chartered trust company based in Manchester, NH and is recognized nationally as the premier provider of New Hampshire trust services. FTNE provides flexible trust administration services, including serving as a corporate trustee under directed and delegated trust arrangements, and also offers wealth planning, investment management, and private trust company hosting and family office support services.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Chief Fiduciary Officer, this role serves as a legal resource for FTNE, advising Trust Officers on fiduciary law, trust administration, and estate and tax planning matters. The role pairs deep technical expertise with client engagement, providing guidance to ultra-high net worth families and their advisors, overseeing estate administration and trust-related actions. The Trust Counsel also serves as a visible ambassador of the firm through participation in new business and prospect meetings, thought leadership contributions through writing and speaking engagements, and delivers training to FTC and FTNE colleagues. The individual in this role will also serve on FTNE's Trust Committee. This position may be in either our Boston, MA or Manchester, NH office.

Primary Responsibilities

Fiduciary Laws and Trust Administration

Provide advice to FTNE's employees on all matters related to fiduciary laws and trust administration (e.g., review and interpretation of trust instruments, including distribution standards, tax and other provisions; consideration of and advice regarding trustee duties and rights, including using non-judicial settlement agreements and decanting to ensure proper compliance with and exercise of such duties and rights; and application of relevant fiduciary common and statutory law).

Marketing

Participate in new business and prospect meetings to represent and demonstrate the firm’s trust administration and estate and tax planning depth and expertise. Actively engage in new business development activities and partner actively in a wide-range of new business development initiatives.

Thought Leadership

Actively maintain a presence in the trusts and estates legal community at a national level. Contribute to marketing and thought leadership initiatives through written articles, white papers, and other content, and speak on fiduciary, estate planning and tax matters.

Client Service and Wealth Planning

Develop strong relationships with the firm’s UHNW clients and their agents and advisors, while gaining a comprehensive understanding of their evolving financial goals and individual and family dynamics. Provide wealth planning advice for clients in collaboration with their outside estate planning counsel and FTNE’s trust officers. Review and summarize existing client estate plans and identify issues requiring revisions and updates, prepare tax and other illustrative calculations as appropriate, coordinate document preparation with outside counsel, review drafts, and assist at the signing stage. Assist clients in communicating aspects of their estate planning to next generation family members.

Court Actions

Manage court actions involving trust and estate matters in which FTNE is a named or interested party, including engaging and overseeing outside counsel for each matter. Court actions include estate settlement filings, petitions for instructions, trust reformations, trustee appointments, allowance of accounts, etc.

Estate Administration

Supervise and assume primary responsibility for all duties of the personal representative in connection with estates where FTNE serves as personal representative or agent for personal representative, including state and federal estate tax return preparation and filing. Supervise and work closely with estate administrators and in-house tax return preparers in carrying out these duties.

Training and Education

Provide training and education for FTNE and FTC employees on various fiduciary, planning and tax matters, as well as changes in the law and current events affecting trusts and estates, particularly as they relate to New Hampshire.

Qualifications/Experience

• 10+ years of combined experience as a trusts and estates attorney and/or in-house fiduciary counsel and a minimum of three years of working with high and ultra-high net worth clients
• Familiarity with delegated and directed trusteeship structures; deep knowledge of estate and trust planning and administration, including complex tax planning and structures (e.g., LP, LLC, S-Corp); ability to work seamlessly with clients who have a family office or other sophisticated advisors on their team
• Excellent judgment grounded in sound legal and fiduciary risk management experience
• Effective communication style including the ability to be confident, articulate, and persuasive while speaking
• Energetic, collaborative, and enthusiastic working style combined with genuine empathy for external and internal clients
• Capacity to solve problems by applying a combination of rigorous thinking and pragmatism
• Ability to work both independently and within a highly collaborative legal team
• Career track record demonstrating thought leadership, business development skills, achievement and continual professional growth