Trusts & Estates

At Jackson Walker, we pride ourselves on the sophisticated and effective advice we provide to individuals and families in the preservation and dissemination of wealth. As personal estates increase in size and complexity, the design and implementation of tailored wealth transfer and preservation plans becomes particularly important to achieving our client’s goals. Our Trusts and Estates attorneys provide knowledgeable counsel that helps families and individual protect their wealth for themselves and their future generations. Our attorneys offer experienced direction on business matters, succession planning, to developing tailored estate, asset protection, and tax deferral plans, investment strategies and philanthropic structures.

Whether negotiating and drafting premarital agreements, probating an estate, litigating problems that arise, or creating consensus regarding the process, we combine our experience navigating family dynamics with our dedication to understanding the special needs of our clients and their family members. We develop strategic, successful plans that address both economic and non-economic concerns. We have developed steadfast relationships with modest and substantial net worth clients alike, some of which now extend through multiple generations. Our integrated approach ensures a comprehensive analysis of each client’s family, financial, and business desires and issues, as we strive to provide our clients and their families sage counsel, compassionate guidance, and ever-present support throughout the wealth planning process.

Family Office Services

In today’s technology-driven, complex world, high net worth individuals and families face an unprecedented need for a framework that will provide the requisite administrative and managerial services while ensuring responsible management and effective organization of the myriad of financial, compliance, and legal activities necessitated by wealth accumulation and preservation. In particular, family office construction and staffing requires not only a profound grasp of tax and governance considerations, but also a deep dedication to understanding and effectuating the family’s short and long range personal and professional goals. Many attorneys can provide business advice or estate and tax planning services. Our Family Office practice group is a unique combination of all of these services in one team. Our team understands the dynamics involved in combining an organizational chart with a family tree and the desire to preserve a legacy for generations to come.

Family-Owned Businesses

Business is the backbone of many high net worth families. When it comes to representing family-owned business clients, we believe good legal representation begins with good listening skills. Only by understanding a client’s hopes and dreams, as well as their goals and fears, can we structure their business enterprises in a way that will serve their economic and their non-economic needs. We provide a wide range of services to privately-held and family–owned businesses, advising clients at every stage of the business life cycle as businesses are acquired, managed, or liquidated according to a highly personalized succession plan. We collaborate with family-owned business clients and their advisors to develop the best strategies possible to achieve their business objectives, taking into consideration not only business structure and best practices, but also tax planning, litigation deterrence, and wealth preservation, so they are able to accomplish both their financial and personal goals for tomorrow, next year, and the next generation.

Jackson Walker Best Lawyers in Dallas 2023

April 25, 2023
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates 24 Attorneys Named Among 2023 “Best Lawyers in Dallas” List

Jackson Walker congratulates the 24 attorneys recognized among D Magazine’s list of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for 2023. For recognition in the list, Dallas attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer unmatched counsel in one of 40 categories.

March 23, 2023
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 2023 Texas Rising Stars

Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of 63 attorneys to Thomson Reuters’ 2023 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list, which recognizes only 5% of Texas attorneys who either are 40 years of age or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less.

2023 Texas Rising Stars Up-and-Coming - Chris Bankler, Amanda Crouch, Joshua Flores, Noah Galton, Joel Glover, Reagan Marble, Veronica Polnick, and Zach Zurek

March 23, 2023
Attorney News

Eight Jackson Walker Attorneys Named Up-and-Coming Texas Rising Stars

Jackson Walker congratulates Chris Bankler, Amanda Crouch, Joshua Flores, Noah Galton, Joel Glover, Reagan Marble, and Zach Zurek on their selection to the “Up-and-Coming 100: 2023 Texas Rising Stars” list. In addition, Amanda and Veronica Polnick were named to the “Up-and-Coming 50: 2023 Women Texas Rising Stars” list.

February 13, 2023
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Announces Election of 16 Attorneys to Partnership

Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the election of 16 attorneys to the firm’s partnership, marking our largest number of partnership promotions to date.

City of Austin, Texas with Jackson Walker logo

February 9, 2023
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Expands Trusts & Estates Group With Addition of Tara Potts

Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Tara A. Potts as a partner in the Trusts & Estates practice. Joining from a small transactional law firm in Austin, Tara concentrates her practice in the area of tax-exempt organizations.

Sabina Bramlett

December 27, 2022
Attorney News

Sabina Bramlett Joins Jackson Walker’s Trusts & Estates Practice in Dallas

Jackson Walker proudly announces the addition of Sabina Bramlett as a partner in the Dallas Trusts & Estates practice. Board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, Sabina focuses on estate planning, probate, and transactional business planning.

Josh Flores with Jackson Walker logo

December 6, 2022
Attorney News

Texas Bar Foundation Elects Joshua Flores to Fellowship

Jackson Walker is pleased to congratulate Joshua Flores on his election as a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows are chosen for their outstanding professional achievements and demonstrated commitment to improving the Texas justice system.

November 1, 2022
Speaking Engagements

Sarah Patel Pacheco and Scott Schepps to Discuss Estate Planning Considerations for Non-US Citizens

Sarah Patel Pacheco and Scott Schepps will discuss estate issues that non-U.S. citizens face when residing in the United States either temporarily or long-term. Presented by the Texas British-American Business Council (BABC), the webinar will also cover how to create an estate plan that will reduce future taxes and costs and minimize potential disputes between beneficiaries.

City of Austin, Texas with Jackson Walker logo

October 25, 2022
Attorney News

‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 14 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2022

Jackson Walker congratulates the 14 attorneys recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2022. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 38 categories.

More Trusts & Estates News