Don offers a unique combination of legal, business, financial and tax services to individuals, successful entrepreneurs and small business and their owners.
He is an advisor and planner who concentrates his practice in estate, gift and trust planning, including wealth preservation, asset protection, probate, and estate and trust administration; general business law, including business entity selection and formation, ownership and business succession planning, business contracts and commercial transactions; and tax planning, tax problems and controversies.
Throughout his career, Don has handled many aspects of the law as it pertains to estate planning. With more than 25 years of experience in private practice, Don has guided many individuals through planning complexities and has crafted plans that reflect their individuality, built around their unique situation. Don was drawn to estate planning because of a passion for helping clients do the planning that will save them money, protect themselves, their assets and those they care about most during their lifetime and after their passing, and make sure that their wealth and property will be distributed as they want. He regularly assists clients who wish to protect their wealth and accumulations from the dangers of claims, creditors and other risks in a proactive manner.
In addition, Don has over the years has helped successful entrepreneurs, start-up, small and growing businesses, business owners and their managers make key decisions about the structure and organization of their business and decisions crucial to growth and success. Don has advised principal shareholders in small and family owned business on the disposition of their interests in the event of shareholder disputes, incapacity, retirement or death. He routinely drafts and negotiates restrictive covenant agreements that protect confidential information and competitive practices.
Among the business clients Don advises on many issues they face daily include companies in the following fields: computer information and information technology, e-commerce, health practitioners, professional and organizations in services, construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and rental leasing. Don believes that knowing his client is critical to effective estate and business planning and the attainment of their goals, and utilizes a holistic approach. For many clients, Don handles all of their life planning needs in an integrated manner.
Prior to starting his own practice over 20 years ago, Don’s experience included working as an associate at a major Chicago law firm where he helped individuals primarily in the areas of estate planning, business and real estate. Don also worked for a nationally recognized publisher of taxation materials where he frequently wrote about federal court decisions, IRS rulings and pending legislation in the federal estate and gift tax area, to tax, legal and accounting professionals.
In addition to his law degree (J.D.), Don holds a Master of Laws degree in taxation (LL.M. in Tax Law) and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) majoring in finance. During his law school years, Don interned in the Third Judicial District Office of the Illinois Appellate Defender, and at a prominent matrimonial law firm in Chicago.