Job description
Senior Trusts & Estates Attorney (Of Counsel) – Ultra High Net Worth Practice
Location: United States (Hybrid)
Practice Group: Private Wealth, Family Offices and Exempt Organizations
Sterlington PLLC is a full service law firm focusing on complex corporate, litigation, executive compensation and private wealth matters. We focus on the economic and legal aspects of our matters.
Among other strengths, Sterlington is the ultimate law firm for private capital, family offices, founders and senior executives, as well as their related businesses.
Learn more at: www.sterlingtonlaw.com
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly experienced and discreet Of Counsel level Trusts & Estates Attorney to join our elite Private Wealth team. This role focuses on advising ultra-high net worth individuals and families—including entrepreneurs, executives, family offices, and legacy wealth holders—on complex estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and sophisticated estate and gift tax mitigation.
The ideal candidate will possess deep technical expertise, exceptional interpersonal skills, and a strategic mindset to navigate the legal, financial, and emotional dimensions of multigenerational wealth.
Key Responsibilities
Advise on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax strategies.
Design and implement advanced estate plans using tools such as:
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs)
- Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs)
- Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs)
- Beneficiary Defective Trusts (BDITs/BDOTs)
- Nongrantor Trusts
- Charitable Lead/Charitable Remainder Trusts (CLTs/CRTs)
- Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs)
- Private Foundations
Oversee trust and estate administration, including probate, fiduciary compliance, and post-mortem tax planning.
Counsel on business succession planning, including transfer of closely held entities, buy-sell agreements, and recapitalizations.
Coordinate with family offices, investment advisors, accountants, and fiduciaries to ensure seamless execution of wealth strategies.
Experience and Qualifications
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+
Exceptional drafting, analytical, and communication skills
Client service orientation and collaborative approach
Good discretion, high emotional intelligence and ability to manage complex client relationships with diplomacy and tact
Experience advising family offices, business owners and multigenerational wealth structures
Sterlington uses E-Verify to confirm employees’ work authorization.
