Practice & Industry Areas
Private Wealth Services
The preservation of wealth and its passing from generation to generation has become an increasingly intricate and multi-layered process. Successful implementation of estate and business succession plans often requires attorneys who are experts in a variety of disciplines. Gunster’s Private Wealth Services Practice provides a single point of service with a broad range of supporting counsel. Our clients require and receive the customized, personal service of a boutique firm coupled with the comprehensive knowledge base of a full-service law firm.
This knowledge base extends to gift, generation-skipping and estate tax planning, probate and trust litigation, fiduciary representation, asset protection and business succession planning. Our considerable resources include a full complement of tax, real estate, corporate, immigration and international attorneys experienced in advising high-net-worth clients on their sophisticated business transactions. The result is a multidisciplinary approach that raises the bar in client service.
For more than three-quarters of a century, Gunster has exceeded expectations in representing wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs, corporate fiduciaries, and large and complex estates. We have years of experience counseling both individuals and families on the most advantageous transitions of family businesses and wealth. We also advise clients with respect to maximizing the impact of charitable giving in the most tax-efficient manner possible.
Our probate, trust and guardianship litigation attorneys are recognized as leaders in their field. They represent beneficiaries and fiduciaries on a wide range of matters touching all aspects of estate, trust, and fiduciary litigation and complex and disputed administration. Our depth of experience and knowledge make Gunster uniquely qualified to formulate creative solutions both in and out of the courtroom, assisting clients with a proactive and protective approach to passing wealth to the next generation.
Throughout its history, Gunster has shared the philanthropic passions of our clients and has advised tax-exempt organizations in all aspects of their operations. Our clients include prominent public charities, private family foundations, private schools, cultural institutions, research organizations, trade and professional associations, religious organizations, social clubs and advocacy groups.
We assist our tax-exempt organization clients in maximizing their charitable impact and effectiveness while ensuring compliance with local, state and federal laws. Our comprehensive approach ensures that all facets of a tax-exempt organization’s legal needs are met, including matters relating to tax compliance, tax audits, litigation, real estate, planned giving and employment law. We also counsel these clients on maintaining best practices with respect to internal policies and corporate governance.
Service areas
- Business succession planning
- Competency proceedings
- Defense of individual and corporate fiduciaries
- Estate planning
- Fiduciary and beneficiary representation and counsel
- Foundations and charitable giving
- Generational planning
- Guardianship appointments and terminations
- Immigration
- Individual advanced wealth
- Litigation involving the Principal and Income Act
- Probate litigation
- Real estate
- Spousal rights litigation, including elective share and homestead
- Surcharge and removal of personal representatives, trustees and guardians
- Tax and international tax
- Trusts: modification, revocation and termination
- Will and trust construction
- Will and trust contests