Biography
Scott Schepps is a Partner in Jackson Walker’s Wealth Planning, Probate, & Trust section. For over 25 years, Scott has assisted clients in structuring their estates to ensure that their assets pass in a manner that meets the clients’ desires, reduces the potential for conflict and minimizes gift, estate and income taxes. Scott’s clients include closely held business owners, corporate executives, real estate developers, private equity firm principals, physicians, other attorneys, professional athletes and many others.
Scott understands the trust that his clients place in him when they request his assistance with their sensitive estate planning matters. For this reason, he ensures that he is accessible and responsive to his clients and works closely with the clients’ other advisors. Although Scott is professional and creative, clients describe him as practical and friendly. Scott strives to translate complex tax rules and strategies into plain English to enable his clients to make informed decisions.
Education
B.B.A., Accounting, University of Texas at Austin
J.D., University of Houston Law Center
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1992
Board Certifications
Estate Planning and Probate Law
Scott’s practice covers most aspects of wealth planning and probate, including but not limited to the following:
- Preparation of wills
- Preparation of incapacity documents (durable powers of attorney, living wills, medical powers of attorney, etc.)
- Preparation of revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Planning to minimize gift tax, estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax
- Planning to maximize protection from unforeseen claims
- Business succession planning
- Planning with life insurance
- International estate planning
- Preparation and review of gift tax returns and estate tax returns
- Probate, estate administration and trust administration
- Trusts and Estates Law, The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2010-2021
- State Bar of Texas – Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section
- Houston Bar Association – Probate, Trust and Estate Section
- Chair, 2015-2016
- Council, 2006-2016
- Houston Estate and Financial Forum
- American Bar Association – Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section)
- Bel Inizio, Volunteer and Supporter
- Sonnie Schepps Robinson Foundation, Director
- “Have a plan for your pets,” Tribune Online Content – Retire Ahead (February 2019)
- “The Pets Are All Right (Even Though You’re Gone),” The New York Times (May 24, 2018)
- “Q&A: Five shots with a Houston estate attorney on pets,” Houston Business Journal (April 6, 2018)