Jennifer is a trusted adviser who brings sound judgment and practical guidance to the most complex and important decisions facing families and fiduciaries.
Overview
Families with substantial wealth turn to Jennifer when making their most important planning decisions. She counsels individuals, business owners and multigenerational families on the legal, financial and personal considerations involved in protecting, managing and transferring wealth. She develops sophisticated estate plans that minimize tax exposure, preserve family wealth, advance philanthropic goals and facilitate the successful transition of family businesses and assets to the next generation.
Jennifer’s practice encompasses estate and gift tax planning, charitable giving, family business succession, asset protection and privacy planning, and probate and trust administration. She also represents clients in trust, estate and tax controversies and advises on prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Recognizing that effective planning involves far more than tax considerations, Jennifer takes time to understand each family’s dynamics, financial circumstances and long-term objectives, and then builds strategies tailored to those needs.
Jennifer brings the same practical judgment to her work with financial institutions and other fiduciaries. She advises banks, trust companies, investment advisers and individual fiduciaries on their responsibilities, the scope and exercise of fiduciary authority, and the complex legal issues that arise in administering trusts and estates. In addition, she counsels nonprofit organizations on planned giving programs, governance issues and related matters.
A hallmark of Jennifer’s practice is the longstanding relationships she develops with clients and fiduciaries, who value her thoughtful, measured approach and rely on her guidance as their circumstances evolve. She is also a frequent writer and speaker on estate planning topics, including charitable giving, closely held business succession, planning for younger generations, vacation homes and digital assets.
Experience
- Designs and implements advanced wealth transfer strategies, including installment sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, split-interest purchases, and intrafamily loans.
- Advises individual and corporate fiduciaries on administering substantial portfolios of trusts and family entities, including decanting, mergers, modifications and trustee transitions.
- Counsels closely held business owners throughout the life cycle of their businesses, including complex succession planning, pre-sale planning and post-sale tax considerations.
- Helps individuals and families achieve their philanthropic goals through private foundations, private operating foundations, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and complex restricted gifts.
- Serves as family counsel, tailoring plans to each family’s needs, including blended families, younger generations and members with cross-border ties, and advises family offices on governance, leadership transitions and income tax planning.
- Represents financial institutions nationwide in contested and uncontested trust and probate administration matters, including judicial and nonjudicial trust modifications, fiduciary risk, accounting and beneficiary disputes, IRS appeals and institutional policies.
Recognitions
Recognitions
Ranked as one of Missouri’s “Leaders in Their Field” in Private Wealth Law by Chambers High Net Worth Guide, 2021-2026
Named to the Best Lawyers in America® list for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Missouri 2024-2027, and Trusts and Estates, Missouri, 2016-2027
Selected as a Top Business Attorney by St. Louis Small Business Monthly, 2022
Selected as a Top Business Advisory by St. Louis Small Business Monthly, 2021
Recognized as a Five Star Wealth Manager Award, 2012
Named to the St. Louis Small Business Monthly, “100 St. Louisans You Should Know to Succeed in Business” list, 2016
Named to the St. Louis Business Journal, “40 Under 40” list, 2008
AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
Estate Planning Council
American Bar Association
The Missouri Bar
Illinois State Bar Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri Bar Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute, Planning Committee Member, 2016-2018
Missouri Bar Probate & Trust Law Committee, Digital Assets Subcommittee Member
Nine PBS, Board of Directors
St. Louis Ballet, Board of Directors, Vice President
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Missouri
- Illinois
Education
St. Louis University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1996
Denison University, B.A., cum laude, 1993
