Jeff’s practice is focused exclusively in the areas of tax, estate planning and administration. This includes the use of trusts and other entities to avoid probate and eliminate or reduce the impact of the generation skipping transfer tax, gift tax and estate tax. Jeff’s passion is helping families structure charitable planning initiatives through the use of charitable leads trust, charitable remainder trusts and gifts to public charities. In addition, Jeff helps families manage incapacity planning through the use of revocable trusts and financial and health care power of attorneys.
Jeff earned an Estate Planning Certificate and LL.M in tax from the Georgetown University Law Center. He completed his law degree at Elon University School of Law where he was President of the International Law Society, Editor in Chief of the International Law Digest, and an Executive Editor for the Elon Law Business Journal. Jeff received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University.
Before law school Jeff served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova where he worked as a small business adviser, helped establish a legal clinic, coached baseball and organized a youth mountain bike team. Jeff currently serves on the North Carolina Peace Corps Association Steering Committee as the membership coordinator.
He is a member of the Winston-Salem Estate Planning Counsel, the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, and Wealth Counsel, a nationwide network of estate planning professionals.
Jeff has seen how a well-crafted estate plan can bring families together. People want to see their loved one’s final wishes adhered to. Anyone who has lost someone close can attest that this pain is one of life’s most difficult emotions to bare. However, they will often tell you there is a sense of purpose and honor that comes with helping to carry out their loved one’s final wishes. This feeling of honor and purpose helps with the grieving process and reduces the stress seen in families who are not working from a plan. Helping you create that plan is what Jeff’s law practice is all about.
Outside of the office Jeff enjoys riding bikes with his wife Kate, son Linden and daughter Freya on the greenway near their house in Winston-Salem. When Jeff and Kate can find a babysitter, you’ll find them in the back country hiking the Art Loeb trail or the Linville Gorge Wilderness loop with way too many books in their packs.