Lawrence E Lawhead

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Personal Business - Estate Planning

At Barnes & Thornburg LLP, we recognize that our clients' priorities may change during every life phase, and work closely with them to provide innovative legal solutions that support their current financial, business, and personal goals. We understand that people just starting a family have different aspirations and concerns than those who have a second residence or are changing careers. We understand the needs of non-traditional families and individuals who would like to participate in philanthropic pursuits. Bottom line? We appreciate the individual lifestyles of our clients and customize estate plans that both support their goals and are legally sound—that’s what we do differently at Barnes & Thornburg.

Whether your life situation requires advice about the perpetuation of personal wealth and investments for later generations, or business succession planning, you will be working with a forward-thinking team of family advisors who approach matters holistically and whose competencies extend across a variety of areas, including:
* Estate planning
* Will and trust preparation
* Estate and gift tax minimization
* Life insurance planning
* Charitable foundations and trusts
* Will, estate, and trust litigation
* Marital and cohabitation agreements
* Business succession and owner exit planning
* Generation-skipping and dynasty trust tax planning
* Multi-generational planning
* Retirement benefit planning
* Guardianships / conservatorships
* Multi-state residential and business planning with attorneys licensed in multiple states, including the sunbelt states
* Asset protection planning

Our role is not only to help clients with wealth transmission issues, but to help them manage their estate throughout their lifetime. We assist clients in navigating the complex interactions between their goals and gift taxes, assist in retirement account distribution choices, work on dividing assets between spouses to mini¬mize death taxes, and develop charitable vehicles which accomplish desired results. We also assist clients in litigated matters and in tax controversies. On occasion, special needs trusts and Medicaid planning can also be important areas of an estate plan where we can assist our clients.

We also enjoy working with our clients’ other advisers, such as accountants, financial planners, and invest¬ment advisers, and find that this “team” approach often serves the client well. We pride ourselves on person¬al service and an approach that helps each client to define his or her goals and to obtain the information and the necessary documents to achieve those goals.

Personal Business - Probate

Barnes & Thornburg's tax & estate lawyers have substantial experience in probate matters, whether the estate is modestly sized or involves a high-net-worth executive or business owner. Our estate planners involve lawyers from other departments and practice groups, as required, to meet the client's needs. The firm's large complement of estate planners across our offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., gives us the resources to handle probate matters efficiently and economically. The firm also represents executors, trustees and individuals in probate litigation matters, including will and trust contests, claims in estates, objections to accountings and contested guardianships.

Personal Business - Wills and Trusts

To preserve and transfer an individual's assets, the use of wills and trusts is often necessary. Our estate-planning attorneys have substantial experience in drafting and administering wills and trusts. Our depth and breadth of experience allows us to provide efficient, responsive, and cost-effective legal advice in this important, personal area.

Certified Estate Planning & Administration Specialist - Indiana State Bar Association

Lawrence E Lawhead
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
11 S Meridian St
Indianapolis IN 46204
Tel: 317 231-7262
Fax: 317 231-7433
E-mail: lawrence.lawhead@BTLaw.com

Lawrence E. Lawhead is a partner in the Indianapolis, Indiana office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP serving in the Business Department. He represents clients in matters dealing with tax planning, business succession planning, estate planning, administration of decedents’ estates, wills, trusts, charitable giving, guardianships, corporations, taxation, real estate, zoning, and related areas.

He graduated with high distinction from Indiana University School of Business in 1976, a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Beta Alpha Psi, and Phi Eta Sigma honorary fraternities. He received his J.D. cum laude from Indiana University School of Law–Indianapolis in 1981. Mr. Lawhead is admitted to practice before all Indiana courts, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Lawhead served as an associate editor of the Indiana Law Review. He has served as chairman and as a speaker at numerous seminars for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, and lectures on advanced CLU topics and estate planning.

Prior to Mr. Lawhead’s admission to the bar, he was a CPA with the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse & Co.

Mr. Lawhead is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He previously served on the Business Planning and Professional Responsibility Committees, as well as the Fiduciary Litigation and Fiduciary Tax Committees. Mr. Lawhead is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, is listed as an Indiana Super Lawyer and is recognized by the Estate Planning and Administration Specialty Certification Board, Indiana State Bar Association, as a Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist. He is past president of the Indianapolis Estate Planning Council and has chaired the Taxation and Estate Planning Sections of the Indianapolis Bar Association. Mr. Lawhead serves on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Senior Center, Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Indianapolis Brass Choir, the Crossroads of America Council–Boy Scouts of America, and other deferred giving committees for nonprofit corporations. Mr. Lawhead is an elder and past clerk of Session and moderator of the board of deacons for the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.