Trusts & Estates Counsel

Sterlington; United States; Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k)

Job summary

Sterlington seeks a seasoned trusts & estates counsel for its Ultra High Net Worth Private Wealth practice in a hybrid Philadelphia-based role. The candidate will lead complex planning for multi-generational wealth, coordinate with family offices and advisors, and advise on sophisticated tax strategies. Strong J.D.

and 8+ years in UHNW trusts/estates are required, with preference for LL.M. taxation or estate planning and active state bar membership.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree from a recognized law school and bar admission in good standing.
• Eight+ years in trusts and estates with UHNW experience.
• Proven ability to design complex estate plans and tax structures.
• Strong ethical standards and client confidentiality.
• Experience coordinating with family offices and advisors.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement advanced estate plans for taxable estates over $75M.
• Advise on estate, gift, and GST tax strategies for multi-generational wealth.
• Oversee trust and estate administration, probate and fiduciary compliance.
• Counsel on business succession planning and related structures.
• Coordinate with family offices, advisors, and fiduciaries to deliver integrated counsel.

Skills

Estate planning

UHNW client service

Tax strategy

Team leadership

Regulatory compliance

Education

J.D. degree

LL.M. Taxation or Estate Planning preferred

Job description

Trusts & Estates Counsel – Ultra High Net Worth Practice

Location: We are primarily seeking candidates based in Philadelphia in a hybrid capacity, however we will consider exceptional candidates on a fully remote basis.

Practice Group: Private Wealth, Family Offices and Exempt Organizations

ABOUT US

Sterlington PLLC is a full-service law firm focusing on complex corporate, litigation, executive compensation, and private wealth matters. As a firm, we focus on the economic as well as the legal aspects of our matters.

Among other strengths, Sterlington is the ultimate law firm for founders, senior executives, and UHNWIs as well as their related businesses.

Learn more at: www.sterlingtonlaw.com/

PRACTICE

Sterlington’s Private Wealth group is led by Daniel Cooper, a seasoned private wealth practitioner who built this practice around a straightforward conviction: the most consequential moments in a family’s financial life deserve the most capable counsel.

The practice serves founders at liquidity, executives navigating complex compensation structures, multigenerational families managing legacy assets, and UHNW individuals whose estates demand sophisticated planning across tax, trust law, and family governance. We operate at the intersection of law and wealth strategy; organized around what our clients keep, not just what we document.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Your work will span the full arc of complex private wealth practice:

• Design and implement advanced estate plans for clients with taxable estates exceeding $75M — including GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, BDITs/BDOTs, QPRTs, nongrantor trusts, CLTs, CRTs, and private foundations
• Advise on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax strategy, including multi-generational wealth transfer and dynasty trust structures
• Oversee trust and estate administration — probate, fiduciary compliance, post-mortem tax planning, and decanting
• Counsel on business succession planning: transfer of closely held entities, buy-sell agreements, recapitalizations, and GRAT/installment sale strategies
• Coordinate with family offices, investment advisors, accountants, and fiduciaries to deliver integrated, seamless counsel
• Manage sensitive, multi-party family dynamics with the discretion and emotional intelligence these relationships require

EXPERIENCE

• J.D. from a top-tier law school; LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning strongly preferred
• Active membership in a U.S. state bar (FL, NY, CA, TX, IL, or DC preferred)
• Minimum eight years of experience in trusts and estates law, with a focus on UHNW clients
• Mastery of federal estate, gift, and GST tax laws; familiarity with state-level nuances and fiduciary income taxation
• Proven track record of handling planning and administration matters for clients with net worths exceeding $75M+
• Experience advising family offices, business owners and multigenerational wealth structures

COMPENSATION

Compensation at Sterlington is competitive and structured around the quality of the person and the context they bring. We take both seriously.

• Full-time employees are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k).

Sterlington uses E-Verify to confirm employees' work authorization.