Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Jim's Trust and Estate practice can best be summarized as follows:

• Preparation of basic estate planning instruments including Wills, Revocable Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney for Financial Matters and Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care.  Estate tax planning for use of the Marital Deduction and Estate Tax Exemption
• Sophisticated estate planning for high net worth individuals including structure and documentation of family limited partnerships, discount planning, gifting programs, generation-skipping tax planning, private annuities, installment sales, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and grantor trusts.
• Succession planning for owners of closely-held businesses including structure and documentation for corporate reorganizations, recapitalizations, voting trusts, stock sales, asset sales, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans.
• Life insurance planning including preparation of irrevocable life insurance trusts and premium financing arrangements.
• Charitable planning, including structure and documentation of charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, supporting organizations and private foundations.
• Estate planning with retirement assets including planning for minimum required distributions, generation-skipping tax planning and conduit trusts, spousal rollovers, inherited IRAs, preparation of beneficiary designations and structuring charitable gifts.
• Trusts and Estates litigation.
• Preparation of estate tax returns and gift tax returns. Administration of trusts and estates.  Resolution of tax controversies with the Internal Revenue Service.
• Presenter of estate planning seminars.

Areas of Practice

• Wealth Strategies
• Tax
• Charitable Organizations

West Practice Categories

Litigation & Appeals, Non-profit & Tax-exempt Organizations, Taxation Law

Bar Admissions

• Kansas, 1999
• Missouri, 1983

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Professional Associations & Activities
• Eastern Kansas Estate Planning Society, President 2004-2005; Vice President 2003-2004; Treasurer 2002-2003; Secretary 2001-2002; Member 1997-present
• Kansas Bar Association, Member, 1999-present
• Johnson County Bar Association, Member, 2003-present
• American Bar Association, Member, 1983-present
• The Missouri Bar, Member, 1983-present
• The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Member, 1983-present
• Estate Planning Society of Kansas City, Missouri, Member, 1987-present
• Civic & Charitable Activities
• Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Red Cross, Member of Board of Directors, 2001-present
• Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Red Cross, Financial Development Committee, 2001-present
• Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Red Cross, Volunteer, 1998-present
• Rockhurst High School Planned Giving Committee, Member, May 2005-present
• Children's Mercy Planned Gift Council, Member, 2001-present
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Professional Advisor, 2000-present
• Diocesan School Board for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, President, 2000-2002; Vice President 1999-2000; Secretary-Treasurer 1998-1999; Board Member 1996-2002
• Leave a Legacy, Co-Chair of Speakers' Bureau Committee, 2000; Volunteer Speaker, 1998-2003
• Notre Dame Club of Kansas City, Board Member 1985-1988
• St. Peter's Youth Group, Small Group Leader 1998-2002

Honors and Awards

• Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
• Selected for Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, 2006-2009
• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2005-2010
• Selected for Best Attorneys Network Directory, 2005
• Martindale-Hubbell® "AV" Rating

Education

• University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 1986
  LL.M.
• University of Notre Dame Law School, 1983
  J.D.
• Creighton University, 1980
  B.A.
  Honors: summa cum laude

Published Works

• 56 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America, 2009
• 52 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, 2008
• National Best Lawyers Roster Includes 50 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys, 2008
• 45 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, 2007
• Recent Honors for Lathrop & Gage Attorneys - Litigation Insert No. 5 - Fall 2006, 2006
• National Best Lawyers Roster Includes 36 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys, 2006
• Liberalized Rules for Charitable Giving, 2005
• 24 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named to Best Attorneys Network, 2005
• 25 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Selected as Best Lawyers 2005, 2004

Address

2345 Grand Blvd.
Suite 2800
Kansas City, MO 64108

Phones

(816) 460-5406 (Business Phone)

Faxes

(816) 292-2001 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.lathropgage.com/