A member of the firm's Partner Board, Chris concentrates his practice exclusively on sophisticated estate planning, business succession planning and tax planning for high net worth clients and business owners. Chris has a national practice with clients in more than 20 states. Chris is frequently sought out by other professionals (CPA's, lawyers or financial service professionals) to develop creative planning solutions for complex situations. Chris' clients include multiple members of the Forbes 400 list, current and former professional athletes, current and former professional sports team owners, entertainers and owners of large closely-held businesses.
Chris has extensive experience with federal transfer taxation and various income tax and estate planning techniques. Chris provides on-going business counseling and guidance to many families and family businesses.
Chris has given more than one hundred presentations nationally to groups of lawyers, CPA's, financial service professionals and business owners. He frequently speaks on estate and business planning techniques for high net worth families.
Awards & Recognitions
· The Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 2007-2012
· Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate, 2005, 2008-2009
· St. Louis Business Journal, "40 Under 40", 2001
· St. Louis Business Journal, Most Influential Leaders, 2004, 2005
Professional Associations & Memberships
· The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
· Central Arizona Estate Planning Council
· Estate Planning Council of Saint Louis, Former Board Member
· Illinois State Bar Association
· The Missouri Bar
· State Bar of Arizona
· State Bar of Texas
News & Publications
News
9.6.11, More Than 100 Husch Blackwell Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2012
10.22.09, Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers 2009 Names 73 Husch Blackwell Sanders Attorneys
Publications
6.1.06, Estate Planning for the Corporate Executive, Tax Management Estates, Gifts and Trusts Journal
5.1.05, Premium Financing Solutions, Trusts and Estates
12.1.01, Split-Dollar and IRS Notice 2001-10: Guidance to Limbo, Tax Management Estates, Gifts and Trusts Journal
6.1.01, The Expanding Top Hat: Greater Opportunities with Nonqualified Deferred Compensation, Journal of Financial Service Professionals
12.1.96, Don't Let the State Plan Your Estate, JCCA Family-To-Family First Steps
1.1.94, To Bury Federal Transfer Taxes Without Further Adieu, Seton Hall Law Review Vol. 24
Events
12.1.11, Golden Age of Estate Planning, Wiseman & Associates, Leesburg, Virginia
Speaking Engagement
11.1.11, Golden Age of Estate Planning, Byron Financial, Charlotte, North Carolina
Speaking Engagement
10.1.11, Overcoming Clients' Objections; Motivating Clients to Action, Lion Street - Indaba, Dallas, Texas
Speaking Engagement
9.25.11, Why? Motivating Clients to Action, McGehee Group, Las Vegas, Nevada
Speaking Engagement
9.1.11, Moving You Forward in 2011, Partners Financial (NFP), Chicago, Illinois
Speaking Engagement
7.10.11, High Net Worth Clients and Evolving Trends for the Next Ten Years, PNC Financial Lunch and Learn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Speaking Engagement
7.1.11, Top 5 Estate Planning Opportunities Under New Tax Law, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Speaking Engagement
5.11.11, Golden Age of Estate Planning, Young Presidents' Organization, Phoenix, Arizona
Speaking Engagement
5.1.11, Evolving Trends for the Next Ten Years, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
Washington, D.C.
Speaking Engagement
3.1.11, Estate Planning During the Golden (2 years) Age of Estate Planning, Partners Financial (NFP)
Dallas, TX
Speaking Engagement
2.1.11, Innovative Planning Opportunities Under the New Gift and Estate Tax Law, Lion Street
Las Colinas, TX
Speaking Engagement
1.2.11, Estate Planning Update, BAAF
Scottsdale, AZ
Speaking Engagement
1.1.11, Estate Planning Strategies Used to Support Life Premiums Used to Pay Estate Tax Liabilities, The International Forum
Phoenix, AZ
Speaking Engagement
10.1.10, BAM Risk Management: Spotting Your Client Needs - Core to Complex, BAM Annual Conference
St. Louis, MO
Speaking Engagement
3.1.10, Estate Planning: Advanced Case Studies, Partners Financial
Dallas, TX
2.1.10, Advanced Estate Planning Case Studies, 2010 McGehee Group Advisors Conference
Miami, FL
Speaking Engagement
1.1.10, Estate Tax Update: Is the Death Tax Really Dead? Society of Financial Service Professionals, Phoenix, Arizona
4.1.09, Estate Planning for Business Owners, EO Round-Up, Houston, Texas
2.2.08, Premium Financing Based Solutions, Philadelphia Estate Planning Council, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2.1.08, Innovative Planning Opportunities with Life Insurance, Houston Bar Association, Houston, Texas
11.1.07, Business Succession Planning, Central Arizona Estate Planning Council, Phoenix, Arizona
7.1.07, Innovative Planning Opportunities with Life Insurance, Best Practices of America, San Diego, California
6.1.07, Secondary Market Overview-Uses of Life Insurance in Estate Planning, ALI-ABA, Chicago, Illinois