Mark Olson concentrates his practice in the areas of Federal, state and local taxation, and estate planning and administration. He practices in the Court of Chancery in will contest proceedings, and estate and property disputes. He has served as a court-appointed trustee and represents clients in tax controversies.
Tax
Mr. Olson's tax practice includes the taxation of business entities such as limited liability companies, corporations and S corporations, and their owners. In addition to tax planning, he assists his clients with issues related to entity formation, reorganization and dissolution. Mr. Olson's clients include real property investors and developers, whom he advises concerning tax-efficient ownership structures and tax planning for property development and disposition. He has advised clients in connection with real property syndications, joint ventures and private placements, including tax issues and securities laws compliance. Mr. Olson also advises clients concerning like-kind exchanges of real property and personal property, and has lectured extensively on these subjects for professional groups. His practice includes state tax issues, including gross receipts taxes, realty transfer taxes, and the taxation of trusts and their beneficiaries.
Estate Planning
Mr. Olson assists estate planning clients in developing appropriate estate plans, including strategies for life time gifting and other wealth transfers during lifetime and at death, employing limited liability companies, trusts and other entities. He counsels clients on the uses of Delaware trusts as part of multi-generational transfer planning and in connection with asset protection strategies. He advises owners of closely held business entities on ownership transfer, business continuation and succession planning issues.
Mr. Olson's experience includes the administration of complex, multi-jurisdictional estates, illiquid estates and those including assets which are difficult to value. He advises personal representatives and other fiduciaries, as well as beneficiaries, concerning general matters of estate and trust administration, Federal estate tax issues, post-mortem planning and tax-saving strategies. His practice includes Court of Chancery litigation in contested will cases, elective share proceedings and other estate and property disputes.
Mr. Olson is a past chair of the Tax Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and is currently a member of both the Tax Section and the Trusts and Estates Section. Mr. Olson is also a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation and the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section. His most recent publication is an article on Delaware gross receipts taxes appearing in the September/October 2009 issue of the CCH Journal of State Taxation.
Mr. Olson is an Army veteran, currently serves on the Board of Directors of Meeting Ground, Inc. and is a trustee of the New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Honors and Awards
· The Best Lawyers in America®, Woodward/White, Inc., 2011 and 2012
Activities and Affiliations
· Estate Planning Council of Delaware, Member
· Best Lawyers®, 2011 and 2012
· Delaware State Bar Association, Tax Section, Member, Past Chair
· Delaware State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, Member
· American Bar Association, Section of Taxation and the Real Property, Member
· American Bar Association, Trust and Estate Law Section, Member
· Meeting Ground, Inc., Board of Directors
· New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Trustee
Publications
09.01. 2009
Delaware Gross Receipts Tax
CCH Journal of State Taxation, 2009