Eric’s practice is focused on representing small and middle market business owners and high net worth families in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, wealth transfer planning and asset protection planning.

Eric has substantial expertise in counseling both corporate and individual fiduciaries in a wide range of issues relating to the administration of estates and trusts whether it is representing an executor or guardian in court proceedings, preparing estate and inheritance tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns, allocating assets to marital QTIP trusts, credit-shelter or family trusts, descendants spendthrift trusts and other successor trusts while preserving generation-skipping tax elections for each trust, resolving disputes among family members and other beneficiaries concerning undue influence and fiduciary actions, or advising on accountings and planning for the final settlement with the beneficiaries.  Eric has represented both beneficiaries and fiduciaries in contested estate and trust matters and will use his experience to assist clients with the mediation of estate and trust disputes.

Eric is an expert on trusts, whether its drafting a specialized defective grantor trust, a charitable remainder trust, irrevocable insurance trusts with dynasty trust provisions or fixing a trust which can no longer carry on its intended purpose.  Eric approaches trust problems like a “trust mechanic” using tools like non-judicial settlement agreements, decanting a trust into another trust and trust protectors to effectuate the necessary changes to the trust instrument.  Eric is a strong proponent of the “directed” trust approach where the role of the trustee can be bifurcated among investment advisors, distribution advisors and trust protectors.

Eric regularly advises couples and young families in preparing wills which designate appropriate guardians for young children while preserving assets for them until they reach the age of maturity.  Eric will work with seniors by designing revocable “living” trusts to hold their assets, prepare powers of attorney to protect their property and preserve their desires concerning health care and assisting with guardianship proceedings for disabled adults.

Eric is a tax lawyer with substantial expertise in many areas of the tax law ranging from advising start-ups on choice of entity issues, addressing income tax issues for family controlled and closely-held entities, assisting individuals with income tax and gift tax compliance matters and representing taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities.

Eric often acts as a general business counsel for start-up entrepreneurs and established small and mid-sized businesses with leases, contracts, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and employment matters.  Eric’s extensive tax background provides clients with an opportunity to develop and implement a customized business succession plan to preserve the founder’s business legacy for future generations.

Eric obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business.  After undergraduate college, Eric attended the Detroit College of Law (which is now known as Michigan State University College of Law) having received his J.D., cum laude.  Eric pursued graduate legal studies at the New York University School of Law receiving an LL.M. in Taxation.  Eric is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and the State of Michigan.  Eric has also been admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  Eric is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, the DuPage County Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Section, the Fox Valley Chapter of the Illinois CPA Society, and a member of the DuPage County Estate Planning Council serving on the board of directors since 2017.

Eric is a long-time resident of Naperville along with his wife and children.  Eric is very active in the community by serving as the Board President of Senior Home Sharing, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing seniors in DuPage County with an opportunity to live independently in affordable family-style homes.  Eric has been a leader for his son’s Cub Scout Pack, a swim official in the Naperville Swim Conference and has coached numerous youth sports teams with the Wheatland Athletic Association, Naperville Youth Football League, Supreme Courts and i9 Sports.

Education, Background & Experience