Jim Steffel practices in the areas of estate planning and administration, closely held business entities and related taxation, transactions and litigation. He is the Chair of the Professional Entities Subgroup, a member of several committees of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group and the Executive Partner of the Firm's Muskegon, Michigan, office.

Representative Experience

• Prepared numerous estate plans including:  multigenerational plans maximizing generation skipping tax (GST) exemption with generation protection and generation skipping trusts; charitable plans using custom beneficiary designations, various charitable remainder trusts (CRTs), charitable lead trusts (CLTs), community foundations and private foundations; various gifting plans; sophisticated insurance plans involving irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs) and private split dollar arrangements; multinational plans involving qualified domestic trusts (QDOTs); plans involving family business organizations with entity based valuation discounts; and value freezing plans using outright gifting, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), fractional interests, sales, intentionally defective irrevocable trusts (IDITs), split interests and qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs)
• Litigated several probate matters involving: claims for and against estates; will disputes and claims of undue influence, incapacity and fraud; fiduciary misconduct matters; and fee disputes
• Administered numerous Trusts and Estates from simple small estates (4 digits) to large trusts (9 digits) with significant issues and disputes regarding liquidity, taxation, single share concentrations, the rights of beneficiaries, the duties of fiduciaries and IRS practices and procedures
• Established numerous entities including C corporations, S corporations, professional corporations, limited liability companies, professional limited liability companies, general partnerships, limited partnerships, nonprofit associations and joint ventures
• Negotiated, documented and closed numerous real estate and closely held business transactions including transactions involving shopping malls, strip malls, professional practices, bowling and recreational centers, grocery store chains and other commercial businesses
• Negotiated, planned and documented several acquisitive business reorganizations (including mergers or acquisitions regarding ophthalmology practices, orthopedic practices, otolaryngology practices and surveying/engineering practices) and divisive business reorganizations
• Developed and implemented various business succession plans involving a wide range of business enterprises and transfers to third parties, related parties and key employees, including the use of Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs)
• Organized, negotiated and documented multi-tiered developments including a medical office campus anchored by an ambulatory surgery center formed, licensed and operated by numerous surgeons from different practice disciplines and organizations

Honors And Awards

• Member, The University of Toledo Law Review
• Peer review rated – Martindale Hubbell
• Named a Super Lawyer in the 2006 through 2008 editions of Michigan Super Lawyers
• Graduate – Leadership West Michigan, 2006
  

Bar Associations

Teaching and Lecturing

• Lecturer and seminar presenter on estate planning and administration and business planning and succession related topics for several organizations including: The Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); The Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA); The Lake Michigan Estate Planning Council; and Davenport University’s MBA Program

Publications

• Estate Planning Focus
• Estate Planning Focus

Professional Affiliations

• Lake Michigan Estate Planning Council
  Board Member 2003–2007; President 2005 and 2006
  

Community Affiliations

• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Central Michigan
  Member, Honorary Board; Former Executive Board Member
  
• Mercy Health Partners Community Development Council
  Member, Executive Committee; Chair, Planned Giving Committee
  
• Leadership West Michigan
  At Large Board Member
  

News

• 47 Warner Norcross Attorneys Recognized as Super Lawyers
• James J. Steffel Named Executive Partner of Warner Norcross Muskegon Office