Basis, gifts, and the trust that looked clever
The firm’s public writing has pushed back on the reflexive irrevocable trust. Moving an appreciated asset out of the estate can save a transfer tax and surrender the step-up that would have wiped out a larger income tax.
High-wealth work starts with what is actually owned, what already passes by beneficiary designation, and who would sue if the plan were read aloud.
The people the plan forgets
Non-marital children, late-life caregivers, and prior spouses are not edge cases in this practice. They are why a document gets written the way it does. With Matthew Hunter, Mr. Stern litigated a paternity estate the office has called one of the largest in the country.