Private Client

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way.

Within our fully integrated areas of concentration at FRB, our team of taxation, comprehensive estate planning, and asset protection advocates work tirelessly to make your aspirations of protecting your family a reality—and with proven results. 

For over 30 years, our Private Client group of expert attorneys has been nurturing high-net-worth clients with our experience, wisdom, and concierge-style solutions.

Together, we will discover the most effective ways for you to save in taxes, and safeguard your personal and business assets from lawsuits, while also honoring your legacy and life’s hard work. It is this fusion of planning and protection that will bring your plans and dreams to life.

It can be overwhelming figuring out what the best protection is for you, your family, and what you leave behind. We are there with our clients every step of the way and stay the course to guide you to security with airtight solutions and strategies that will last for generations to come, no matter the weather.

So, where can we begin?

Comprehensive Estate Planning

The fusion of planning and protection

Our strategies go beyond traditional estate and succession planning. More than ever, affluent families need additional layers of protection to attain the security they are looking for and to gain maximum access to their assets. Our attorneys will prepare a high-quality plan that combines the seamless execution of your wishes without the need for probate delay and expense, while also taking advantage of uniquely advanced estate tax planning structures.

The H.E.L.P. Trust™

Get ahead of the lawsuit by using a domestic The dynasty trust LLC lease-back strategy  fuses legacy planning and asset protection while taking advantage of Nevada’s more protective trust laws. The H.E.L.P. Trust’s multipurpose functions allow you to remove the value of the home from your gross estate while also protecting the home’s equity  from future lawsuit creditors and predators.

The HYCET Trust™

The HYCET Trust or flexible gift trust is used to capture the extraordinary unified gift and estate tax exemption ($12.9M in 2013) for the family’s children and grandchildren and other descendants. Established in one of the qualifying jurisdictions such as Nevada, Alaska, or South Dakota, grantors may have the opportunity to reclaim all of some of the trust’s assets at the sole discretion of the independent trustee without inclusion in the gross estate. PLR 200944002. If established at a time when the grantor has no current, expected or foreseeable legal claims, lawsuit creditors of the settlor and the trust’s beneficiaries are not permitted to invade the trust to satisfy legal claims. 

The HYCET Trust’s revolutionary design makes this the trust for those who would like to take advantage of the present large gift tax exemptions but if later the donor wishes to reclaim all or part of the gifted assets it may be possible, subject to the trustee’s sole discretion.

The HUWTUW Trust

Meet the HUWTUW Trust℠, which is pronounced ‘Hootoo’ and stands for “Heads You Win, Tails You Win”, as the answer to those who want to hedge their bet. Say you want to protect part of your nest egg against future unknown creditors and predators, but you live in a state which laws do not favor asset protection planning, the HUWTUW Trust you establish the trust for the benefit of your spouse and children, retaining a testamentary power of appointment other than for you, your estate or the creditors of your estate.  This makes the transfer to the trust an incomplete a nontaxable gift.

Should the “what if” happen post trust formation and you are not able to access the trust’s assets due to a nasty judgment creditor, the trustee may make distributions “to or for” the benefit of your then spouse allowing the continuation of the family’s “lifestyle.” That last thing you want to do is come home and tell your spouse and family you have been sued and could lose everything you have own. The HUWTUW trust will prevent that from happening if established at the proper time. When the future judgement creditor realizes it will not be able to reach the assets inside the trust or negatively impact lifestyle, the creditor is more inclined to take an early and cheaper settlement than would have been the case without the trust strategy in place.  Again, the trust must be established and funded when you have no known actual, expected or foreseeable creditor claims.

Finance your life insurance like you do your business and real estate assets.

Until 1995, unless you wrote a check for the full premium, there was no other way to buy life insurance. Necessity is the mother of invention – Meet Financed Life Insurance. The option to finance life insurance like you do your business and real estate assets is finally here.

Premium Financed Life Insurance

Intelligent Leverage: Premium financing isn’t for those who can’t afford the premiums for their life insurance. Instead of deploying your personal or business capital into life insurance premiums, one may now borrow the premiums from a bank and pay the lender interest only until the loan is repaid from the policy’s cash values (or other resources) or the insured dies retiring the loan with the policy’s death proceeds. Your dynasty trust or business would own and be the beneficiary of the policy for the remaining proceeds without affecting your balance sheet.

Income Tax Planning

Designed for the affluent taxpayer.

Limited opportunities exist to defer paying U.S. federal income tax on income or gain realized through any type of entity, and fewer opportunities, if any, exist for the beneficial owners of such entities to receive tax-free distributions of the accumulated profits earned by these entities.

Concierge service is our commitment to you.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Jeff Verdon and his legal practice with several clients. It is important we have a legal team that listens to our client needs and they are treated with the highest regard. I have always felt as if our clients are the only people his team is working with. Our clients are expecting efficient and complete work and The Verdon Law Group never disappoints.”

• Scott Coles, President & CEO, WMBC Financial

“For a truly powerful and integrated plan, Jeff Verdon is the rare attorney who can properly execute advanced asset protection strategies. He works with our high-net-worth clients to maximize their protection after their Private Retirement funding is exhausted.”

• Raymond Olmo, CEO & Founding Partner, Trust CFO

Case Studies

Julie and Mark: Unforeseen Danger – Surprise Litigation

Julie and Mark had worked hard for many years, accumulating over $12M through the sale of Mark’s company. They wisely invested their money and implemented advanced estate planning techniques. This allowed them to enjoy their lives by traveling, spending time with family, supporting charitable organizations, and pursuing leisure activities they had long desired. However, a sudden letter from the buyer of Mark’s business revealed accounting irregularities, and the buyer demanded a refund along with damages and fees. Fortunately, Mark had followed the advice given to him by the Asset Protection attorneys at Falcon Rappaport & Berkman and was able to successfully protect his funds in an offshore Asset Protection Trust. When the buyer’s lawyer was informed about the challenges in accessing Mark’s assets, the buyer settled for a small amount and agreed not to pursue further legal action. Without the asset protection trust, Mark would have faced a fraud lawsuit and the risk of losing his money. Mark’s advanced planning was a smart decision.  This matter was handled by the attorneys in our Asset Protection Practice Group prior to joining FRB earlier this year.