Michael J Baldwin

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Wealth Planning

Jackson Walker estate planners work primarily with individuals and families to help them formulate and achieve their goals in three broad areas: Wealth Transfer Planning; Estate and Trust Administration; and Asset Protection.

Wealth Transfer Planning
Work in this area may include helping clients preserve and manage property as it passes through generations, providing organized methods of family business succession, protecting the interests of family members who may be incapacitated, and structuring assets to accomplish the client's charitable objectives.

The firm's estate planners have considerable experience in structuring estate and wealth transfer plans that consider each client's individual situation. In addition, these attorneys are dedicated to a superior level of personal service and attention to detail, crafting each client's plan to account for and implement that particular client's specific needs, desires and objectives. JW estate planning attorneys have the knowledge, experience and ability to draw on a number of techniques and vehicles, from simple to sophisticated, to accomplish each client's wealth transfer planning goals.

Estate and Trust Administration
JW estate planners have extensive experience in the area of estate and trust administration, and possess the specialized knowledge necessary to assist individual and corporate executors and trustees fulfill the fiduciary obligations of their offices. JW legal services in this area also include assisting fiduciaries with administration of estates and trusts, planning for asset distributions, and determining and planning for income and transfer tax consequences of transactions involving estates, trusts and their beneficiaries. JW attorneys also handle all matters involving litigation associated with administration of estates or trusts, including contests and breaches of fiduciary duty.

Asset Protection
An integral part of wealth transfer planning is the legitimate, coordinated, and deliberate shielding of assets from claims that may arise from judgment or malpractice creditors, or in marital dissolution. JW estate planners have developed significant knowledge and expertise to help clients, through the use of asset protection trusts, limited liability entities and other vehicles, keep their assets in the hands of those for whom they are intended.

Basic Estate Planning
* Wills
* Revocable Living Trusts
* Powers of Attorney for Asset Management
* Powers of Attorney for Health Care Management
* Advanced Directives (Living Wills)
* Other Ancillary Documents, as needed

Business Succession Planning
* Buy-sell and Stock Restriction Agreements
* Family Business Planning Arrangements
* Voting Trusts and Other Key Shareholder Arrangements

Asset Protection
* Investment Limited Partnerships
* State Exemption Planning
* Asset Protection Trusts
* Pre and Post Marital Agreements
* Partition and Community Property Agreements

Charitable Planning
* Formation and Operation of Private Foundations, Support Organizations, and Public Charities
* Charitable Remainder Trusts
* Charitable Lead Trusts
* Charitable Bargain Sales and Other Techniques

Estate and Gift Planning Vehicles
* Generation Skipping Tax Exempt Trusts
* Dynasty Trusts
* Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
* Family Limited Partnerships And Family Limited Liability Companies
* Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
* Defective Grantor Trusts
* Sales to Defective Trusts
* Qualified Personal Residence Trusts

Fellow - American College of Trust & Estate Counsel

Michael J Baldwin
Jackson Walker LLP
100 Congress Ave #1100
Austin TX 78701
Tel: 512 236-2355; 214 953-6006
E-mail: mbaldwin@jw.com

Practice Areas:
Wealth Planning, Tax

For more than 15 years, Michael J. Baldwin's wealth transfer and private client practice has been focused on representation of and counsel to high net worth individuals, affluent families, family offices, family and non family business entities, estates, trusts, and charitable entities.

The primary focus of Mr. Baldwin's representation of individuals and families is preservation of wealth and the efficient transfer of wealth among generations. To achieve these goals, he spends extensive time educating his clients about various transfer techniques available, from the simple to the more advanced, and implementing the appropriate plan for each client.

Mr. Baldwin has extensive experience drafting individualized estate planning documents including wills, revocable management (living) trusts, irrevocable trusts, dynastic (exempt) trusts, and ancillary estate planning documents (powers of attorney/living wills). Additionally, he has vast experience in complex estate and transfer planning techniques, including proper use of irrevocable life insurance trusts, family partnerships and family limited liability companies, grantor retained annuity trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts (including the sale of assets to such trusts), and foreign and domestic self-settled trusts.

Mr. Baldwin has considerable experience representing fiduciaries of estates and trusts. This representation includes counseling and assisting fiduciaries on all matters pertaining to the subject estate or trust, including all probate proceedings, estate and trust administrative matters, income and transfer tax planning, and asset distribution issues. He also represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and individuals in a variety of litigation matters, including trust modification and reformation suits, contested wills and trusts, and breaches of fiduciary duty.

Mr. Baldwin's practice also includes creating and representing various charitable trusts and charitable organizations. This practice area includes the planning and formation of charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts, private foundations, supporting organizations, and the representation of exempt organizations for tax and non-tax matters.