Senior Trusts & Estates Attorney

Williams Parker•Sarasota, FL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Williams Parker, a prominent law firm established in 1925, is seeking an experienced Trusts & Estates Attorney with approximately 8-10 years of private practice experience. The firm boasts one of Florida's largest and most respected Trusts & Estates practices. This role is ideal for an attorney skilled in advising high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and fiduciaries on complex estate planning, taxable estates, transfer taxes, and trust administration. The successful candidate will contribute to the firm's sophisticated private client services, taking on significant responsibility for advanced planning and administration. While a portable book of business is not required, strong technical expertise and the ability to work with limited supervision at a near partner-level are essential. Prior experience as the primary attorney on complex taxable estate matters and advanced wealth transfer planning techniques is highly desired.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
Member of The Florida Bar in good standing or eligible for admission.
Approximately 8–10 years of private practice experience with a substantial focus on trusts, estates, transfer tax planning, and private client services.
Significant experience advising high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and fiduciaries on sophisticated estate planning, wealth transfer, succession planning, and trust and estate administration matters.
Experience serving as the primary drafting or handling attorney on complex taxable estate matters, including Forms 706 and 709, related audits, and estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer tax, and fiduciary income tax issues.
Significant experience drafting sophisticated estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, health care advance directives, and related planning instruments.
Demonstrated experience designing and implementing advanced wealth transfer strategies, including irrevocable trusts, SLATs, GRATs, QPRTs, family limited partnerships, private foundations, and related planning structures.
Experience advising fiduciaries in trust and estate administration matters and working with high-net-worth individuals, families, and closely held business owners on succession and transition planning.
Exceptional client relationship skills and an unwavering commitment to thoughtful, responsive, and practical counsel.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, family offices, and professional staff.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple sophisticated matters simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Willingness to sit for the Florida Bar Exam in the near future if not already licensed in Florida.
Florida Bar Board Certification in Wills, Trusts & Estates or a related specialty is preferred.
LL.M. in Taxation is strongly preferred, although comparable experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

Advise high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, business owners, and fiduciaries on sophisticated estate planning, wealth preservation, and succession strategies.
Design and implement complex estate plans utilizing wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable planning vehicles, family business succession structures, and advanced wealth transfer techniques.
Prepare and review sophisticated estate planning documents, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care advance directives, and related instruments.
Counsel clients regarding estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning strategies, including federal estate and gift tax return matters, Forms 706 and 709.
Advise trustees, personal representatives, beneficiaries, family offices, and other fiduciaries on trust and estate administration matters.
Structure and implement advanced planning techniques involving SLATs, GRATs, QPRTs, irrevocable trusts, family limited partnerships, private foundations, and other sophisticated wealth transfer strategies.
Collaborate with clients' accountants, financial advisors, family offices, and other professional advisors to develop integrated planning solutions.
Collaborate with attorneys across corporate, real estate, labor & employment, and litigation practices to provide comprehensive counsel to clients and their families.
Build and maintain trusted advisor relationships with clients, their families, and their professional advisors.