In addition to his extensive experience with tax law and estate planning for individual clients, Kent’s private business clients value his corporate, contract and employment law experience with closely-held businesses, and tax advice for the business entities and their owners.

Overview

Kent works with individuals on estate planning, income tax planning and tax preparation for individuals, estates and trusts. He also devotes substantial time to charitable and planned giving and to foundation administration. He handles estate and trust litigation and civil tax litigation before the U.S. Tax Court and in U.S. district courts. Additionally, he represents clients in administrative appeals before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Kansas and Missouri Departments of Revenue.

For his corporate clients, Kent provides advice with regard to general corporate, contract and employment law for corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies as well as providing tax planning for entity structuring and transactions and tax preparation for various clients. In addition to work for various business, Kent works extensively with shareholders and partners for business succession planning, both for families to preserve wealth and minimize estate and gift tax and income tax in transferring the ownership of business interests to younger family members and for the orderly and tax-efficient transfer of the ownership of private entities among unrelated owners. He has experience with non-qualified deferred compensation and executive compensation and tax planning. Kent also serves as outside general counsel for privately-held companies.

News & Insights

Speaking Engagements

Kent has been a frequent speaker in the greater Kansas City area on a wide variety of topics regarding estate, business and tax topics. Kent has made continuing legal education presentations sponsored by such entities as the Missouri Bar Association, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the National Business Institute and Lohrman Educational Services. He has also spoken at numerous occasions at conferences sponsored by various banks, investment and financial institutions and accounting firms in Kansas City and throughout the states of Kansas and Missouri and has been a participant from time to time on local radio shows.

Recognitions

Recognitions

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Trusts and Estates for over 15 years

Professional & Civic Activities

Professional & Civic Activities

Missouri Bar Association

Estate Planning Society of Kansas City

Children's Mercy Hospital Planned Gift Council

Kansas City Ballet, Board Member and Treasurer

Heart of America Tax Institute, Past Chairman

Centurions Program of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Alumni (active in a number of local charitable organizations)

Blue Hills Country Club, Board of Directors, Past Officer

Admissions

  • Missouri, 1979
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
  • U.S. Tax Court

Education

University of Kansas, J.D., 1979

  • Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Graduate Fellowship

University of Kansas, B.S., Accounting and Business Administration, with highest distinction, 1976

  • Solon E. Summerfield Senior Award
  • Beta Gamma Sigma
  • Phi Kappa Phi
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