Trusts & Estates Counsel
About The Position
Sterlington PLLC is a full-service law firm focusing on complex corporate, litigation, executive compensation, and private wealth matters. The firm emphasizes both the economic and legal aspects of its cases. Sterlington is positioned as the premier law firm for founders, senior executives, UHNWIs, and their related businesses. The Private Wealth group, led by Daniel Cooper, provides expert counsel for significant financial life events, serving founders at liquidity, executives with complex compensation, multigenerational families managing legacy assets, and UHNW individuals requiring sophisticated planning across tax, trust law, and family governance. The practice operates at the intersection of law and wealth strategy, focusing on preserving client wealth.
Requirements
- J.D. from a top-tier law school
- LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning strongly preferred
- Active membership in a U.S. state bar (FL, NY, CA, TX, IL, or DC preferred)
- Minimum eight years of experience in trusts and estates law, with a focus on UHNW clients
- Mastery of federal estate, gift, and GST tax laws; familiarity with state-level nuances and fiduciary income taxation
- Proven track record of handling planning and administration matters for clients with net worths exceeding $75M+
- Experience advising family offices, business owners and multigenerational wealth structures
Responsibilities
- Design and implement advanced estate plans for clients with taxable estates exceeding $75M — including GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, BDITs/BDOTs, QPRTs, nongrantor trusts, CLTs, CRTs, and private foundations
- Advise on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax strategy, including multi-generational wealth transfer and dynasty trust structures
- Oversee trust and estate administration — probate, fiduciary compliance, post-mortem tax planning, and decanting
- Counsel on business succession planning: transfer of closely held entities, buy-sell agreements, recapitalizations, and GRAT/installment sale strategies
- Coordinate with family offices, investment advisors, accountants, and fiduciaries to deliver integrated, seamless counsel
- Manage sensitive, multi-party family dynamics with the discretion and emotional intelligence these relationships require
Benefits
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- 401(k)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
