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Jeff D. Figge
Partner
Tax, Trusts, & Estates Practice Group Leader
Overview
Jeff Figge practices in the estate planning and business transactions groups. In his business practice, Jeff represents privately held and startup entities on formation, sales and acquisitions, complex contract negotiations and implementation, and various organizational, tax, and corporate succession issues.
In his estate planning practice, Jeff regularly advises families on the design and implementation of estate plans. These range from simple plans for clients just beginning to plan for the future of their young families, to complex estate plans incorporating both tax and personal objectives. Jeff also regularly helps family owned businesses implement succession strategies as part of the estate planning process. In addition, Jeff provides counsel to trustees and beneficiaries in trust and probate administration, and represents their interests in trust and probate disputes and litigation.
In his representation of nonprofit organizations, Jeff provides legal counsel on issues including the organizations’ formation, governance, and tax matters.
As a former certified public accountant of an international accounting firm, he uses his experience in individual, trust, and business tax matters to help his clients achieve their financial and legal goals.
Credentials
Education
- University of Missouri School of Law, 1993
- University of Notre Dame
Business and Succession Planning
- Preparation and implementation of a variety of estate planning techniques including Revocable Living Trusts, Irrevocable Gift Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Foundations, Retirement Trusts, and Installment Sales involving Defective Grantor Trusts.
- Planning and drafting agreements regarding matters ancillary to estate and business succession planning, such as marital agreements, buy-sell agreements, voting trusts, split dollar agreements, and deferred compensation agreements.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Structure and implementation of mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, liquidations, and other corporate reorganizations.
- Work with middle-sized and closely held businesses regarding formation issues, choice of entity concerns, planning for transfer of control, partnership, S corporation and C corporation tax planning problems, debt restructuring issues, and federal tax laws.
Estate and Trust Administration
- Counseling of fiduciaries in relation to independent and supervised probate estate, small estate, conservationship estates, and trust administration including involvement with estates and trusts with significant creditor issues and disputes among beneficiaries / shareholders.
- Successful representation in state circuit court to modify and terminate revocable living trusts, defend against breach of fiduciary claims and defend against will contents brought by estate and trust beneficiaries.
Tax Matters
- Successful representation of taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service at the audit and appellate level with regard to estate, gift, and income tax matters.
- Preparation and advice related to complicated fiduciary, estate, and gift tax returns.
- Humanitri, Nonprofit Board
- Mary Queen of Peace, School Committee
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2024
- American Bar Association
- Metropolitan St Louis Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Estate Planning Council of St. Louis
- “Tax Panel: Tax Reform Act,” 2018
- “Estate Planning for Charitable Fundraisers,” 2015
- “Understanding the Basics of Revocable Living Trusts,” 2012-2014
- “Trustee Workshop,” 2008-2009
- “Helping Your Client Select the Best Entity Option,” 2007
- “Navigating the Laws Highest Duty: Serving as a Trustee Without Becoming a Defendant,” 2004