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Cummings & Lockwood’s Palm Beach Gardens Office Named “Trust & Estates Law Firm of the Year in Florida” by Global Law Experts

Cummings & Lockwood’s Palm Beach Gardens, Florida office has been selected as the 2018 “Trust & Estates Law Firm of the Year in Florida” by Global Law Experts. 

Charitable Deduction for Gifts by Individuals, Partnerships and Corporations

A primer on a plethora of philanthropic provisions

Trusts & Estates Magazine
By Conrad Teitell, Stefania L. Bartlett, and Cara Howe Santoro

Increased Charitable Giving Through the Legacy IRA Act

September 10, 2018

Charitable-minded Americans age 70½ or older are allowed tax-free transfers from their IRAs to make direct gifts to charitable organizations.


Steve Leimberg's Charitable Planning Newsletter
By Conrad Teitell, Brianna L. Marquis, and Andrew Brett Seiken

Internal Revenue Manual Updates Provide Welcome Guidance for Federal Estate Tax Lien Release Process

September 4, 2018

Real property owned at the time of an individual’s death is subject to a federal estate tax lien, which, in accordance with IRC section 6324, attaches to the property automatically and provides security for any estate taxes that may be owed. 

Cummings & Lockwood Assists Estate in Preserving Significant Estate Tax Deduction Challenged by IRS

August 29, 2018

Cummings & Lockwood LLC successfully defeated an argument by the Internal Revenue Service where the IRS required the payment of additional federal estate tax based on the IRS’s partial disallowance of the deduction for state death taxes under § 2058 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”). 

Bargain Sales to Charities: Charitable Deductions and Capital Gains Savings

The donor allocates the property's cost basis between the gift element and the sale element, based on the fair market value of each part.
August 23, 2018

The donor allocates the property's cost basis between the gift element and the sale element, based on the fair market value of each part.


The New York Law Journal

Client Alert - IRS Proposes Regulations on How the Qualified Business Income Deduction (199A) Will Apply to Estates and Trusts

August 16, 2018

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Act") created a new deduction under section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code for Qualified Business Income.  The new deduction allows the owner of an interest in a pass through entity to take a deduction of up to 20% of the Qualified Business Income of the entity each year.

Laura Weintraub Beck Appointed New Chair of Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group

August 1, 2018

Cummings & Lockwood is pleased to announce that Laura Weintraub Beck has been appointed Chair of the Firm’s Private Clients Group, effective immediately.

Cummings & Lockwood Recognized As One of the Leading Trusts and Estates Practices in Connecticut by Chambers & Partners

July 25, 2018

Cummings & Lockwood is pleased to announce that for the third year in a row the Firm’s Private Clients Group has been ranked in Tier 1 by Chambers & Partners in the 2018 edition of Chambers High Net Worth Guide.  

Seven Cummings & Lockwood’s Trusts & Estates Attorneys Named 2018 Florida Super Lawyers

June 17, 2018

Cummings & Lockwood is pleased to announce that the following seven trusts and estates attorneys in the Firm’s Naples and Bonita Springs offices have been selected Florida Super Lawyers in 2018.

Protecting and Transitioning Your Wealth: A Comprehensive View of Trust and Estate Planning for Family Offices

A Private Clients Group White Paper

Cummings & Lockwood’s private client attorneys recently published a white paper in conjunction with the Family Office Association entitled “Protecting and Transitioning Your Wealth:  A Comprehensive View of Trust and Estate Planning for Family Offices.”  This white paper addresses essential elements of planning – from life planning and administration to trust selection and asset protection. 

GST Tax Exemptions in Jeopardy

A recent PLR showcases risks associated with modifying grandfathered generation-skipping transfer trusts
May 17, 2018

The provisions of Chapter 13 of the Internal Revenue Code aren't for the faint of heart. That chapter specifically deals with the tax on generation-skipping transfers, that is transfers to individuals more than one generation below the donor.


Trusts & Estates Magazine Website
By Brianna L. Marquis and Andrew M. Nerney