Wills, Trusts, & Estate Planning

Read Business Organization updates, alerts, news, and legal analysis from leading lawyers and law firms:

News & Analysis as of May 19, 2013

Why the Classic Legal Terminology of the Anglo-American Trust is in French, Not English: The “Law French” Phenomenon

by Charles E. Rounds, Jr. on 4/1/2013

The institution of the trust, a creature of the English Court of Equity, evolved deep in the bosom of the Anglo-American legal tradition. France, a civil jurisdiction, lacks a legal institution that is truly comparable. Her...more

Preparing for the 3.8% Medicare Surtax on Net Investment Income

by Neal A. Hudders, Mel Wheaton | Perkins Coie on 11/14/2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act) institutes a new 3.8 percent Medicare surtax on net investment income effective January 1, 2013. In addition, absent congressional action to extend...more

Contributions to Section 501(c)(4) Organizations and the Gift Tax

by Proskauer - Not for Profit/Exempt... on 8/29/2012

Tax-exempt section 501(c)(4) organizations are defined by the Internal Revenue Code as “social welfare organizations.” Treas. Reg. section 1.501(c)(4)-1(a)(2) provides that the organization must be “primarily engaged in...more

Mesa Bankruptcy Attorney: DuPont Living Trust

by Clint W. Smith, P.C. on 7/18/2012

I am Clint Smith. I do wills and estate planning and mainly trusts for people here in Maricopa County Arizona. But there is an issue in the news lately that I thought might be of interest to us here in Arizona and that is, as...more

Might the Trust, a Creature of English Equity, Actually be a Variant of the Waqf, an Ancient Islamic Legal Construct?

by Charles E. Rounds, Jr. on 6/1/2012

The English trust is a unique legal device whose origin has been the source of much debate among legal scholars. There are three theories concerning the origin of the English trust: the Roman, Germanic, and Islamic. Until the...more

Nonprofit Board Standard of Care, Risk Management, and Audit Committee Responsibilities Updated 05/19/2011

by David Tate on 5/19/2011

A detailed paper updated May 19, 2011 discussing nonprofit board standard of care, risk management, and audit committee responsbilities, including the California Nonprofit Integrity Act....more