Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, On July 21, 2017, I lost a dear friend and the legal profession lost a great mind. Barry S. Engel, at only 63, was considered the father of the “offshore asset protection” industry. In 1988, the Economist published an article featuring his offshore trust/limited partnership structure which launched the offshore asset protection planning industry we have today. Barry’s genius was not just his keen intellect […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends,Divorce Attorney Smith has a job to do, and it’s not an easy one… breaking bad news never is.Over lunch, Smith takes a deep breath, readying himself for the next half-hour of rage that is sure to come from his client Bill. The rage will be justified because the outcome certainly isn’t.Bill caught his soon-to-be ex-wife Laura having an affair with his best friend. Instead of […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, It is with great pride that we share our maiden article as an ongoing contributor to Kiplinger’s Wealth Creation column. This piece, “Delaware Trust? You May Want to Consider Nevada Instead”, deals with a court decision which shocked the trust & estates professional community because until now Delaware Trusts were considered virtually “bullet-proof.” No one saw this coming. Congratulations to my good friend, Steve Oshins, […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, Sam built a fortune from furniture manufacturing. When he sold his successful business for a huge sum ten years ago, his one goal was to ensure his son would never have to struggle the same way he did – through a disastrous lawsuit and a financially ruinous divorce. Sam established a Delaware Dynasty Trust (DDT) to protect his son against future creditors and potentially vengeful […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends,If you are like most of us, the end of the year means a time for reflection on happenings from 2016 and looking forward to what we can do to make 2017 a great New Year.2016 has been an interesting year at the Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group, LLP. The historic Presidential election promises major tax reform, including a 15% business tax rate and lower personal […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, On August 4, 2016, the IRS issued proposed regulations under IRC Sec. 2704 designed to eliminate a commonly used and effective wealth transfer strategy to produce “discounts” in value for lack of marketability and lack of control when making transfers of closely held entity interests via gift or by one’s will or living trust. These discounts can range from 25% to 50% or more depending […]

Dear Clients, Colleagues, and Friends, We are pleased to announce that Jeffrey M. Verdon, Esq., Managing Partner of the Jeffrey M. Verdon Law Group, LLP, with over 30 years of experience in the area of comprehensive estate planning with asset protection planning, will be the luncheon speaker at the Estate Planning Section of the Santa Clara County Bar Association on August 29, 2016, 12-2pm, on the topic “What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Their Own […]