Evelyn V. Moreno

My focus

Much of my work involves counseling clients and providing solutions to minimize gift and estate taxes. Recently I designed a trust for a married couple to take advantage of their combined gift tax exemptions using closely held stock. With a valuation discount on the initial gift and a later liquidity event, the leveraged gift resulted in significant value passing to the trust beneficiaries without additional gift tax.

Serving as Trustee

With over 30 years of experience as an estate planning lawyer, my clients value my judgment and years of experience and frequently ask me to serve as trustee of their own trust accounts and trusts that they establish for family members. This aspect of my practice is particularly rewarding because clients have placed their trust in me and are confident that I will carry out their wishes, be a good steward of their wealth, and be a trusted advisor to their families.

Probate Court Practice

I counsel personal representatives and family members in connection with the probate of estates and the myriad issues that must be addressed upon the death of a family member. I work collaboratively with our team of experienced paralegals and trust administrators in all aspects of estate administration, from the initial probate proceedings in court to the filing of estate tax returns and giving advice and guidance on estate tax audits. I also counsel clients in contested matters related to estates and trusts and work closely with colleagues in the Litigation group to provide seamless advice and cohesive litigation strategy. Finally, I have extensive experience modifying and terminating charitable trusts.

Looking ahead

I’m thinking about the income, gift and estate tax planning opportunities presented by the wealth of the baby boomers as their generation embarks on retirement, and the estate and gift tax issues faced by their children and grandchildren who will inherit from them.