Estate and Succession Planning
Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning Department is one of the largest and most respected groups of estate planning attorneys in Florida. We are frequently…
Lauren Detzel and David Akins Receive Top Rankings in Chambers HNW Guide 2017
Orlando, Fla. – Dean Mead announced today that Lauren Y. Detzel and David J. Akins have been ranked among the leading attorneys in Private Wealth by Chambers HNW 2017, which was just released this week. Detzel ranks in the top tier Band 1 in Florida, distinguished among only eight attorneys in the top category for the entire state. Additionally, Detzel advanced to Band 2 positioning her among the top 25 lawyers in the Eastern Region of the United States for Private Wealth Management. Akins was selected among his peers in Band 3 for Private Wealth Management in Florida. The firm also received high rankings for its Private Wealth legal expertise throughout Florida.
From the HNW guide
Dean Mead is praised by sources as being “a highly respected tax boutique,” and “a really excellent firm with very formidable tax and sophisticated estate planning capabilities.”
The team at Dean Mead advises a range of HNW clients, including entrepreneurs, industry leaders and wealthy families. One market insider notes that “they have very strong lawyers on their books,” while another source adds that “they have real, solid expertise in tax, and can provide pragmatic and well-thought-out advice.”
Notable practitioners
Lauren Detzel “is one of the best trust lawyers in Florida,” enthuses one source, who adds that: “She is as good as anyone in this field and has one of the foremost reputations in the State.” Detzel leads the firm’s estate and succession planning department, and specialises in tax mitigation techniques, with a particular focus on contested tax matters with the IRS. She is further praised by her peers for having “a great academic knowledge of the law,” and her “very impressive technical prowess and ability.”
David Akins primarily advises on personal wealth planning, especially for family-owned businesses. He has particular expertise in charitable giving, estate administration and gift planning. “He is a great lawyer with very strong legal knowledge,” notes one Florida lawyer, while another peer adds: “He is a well-respected guy and he always does a good job.”
Detzel is the Chair of Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning department. She specializes in techniques to reduce or avoid paying estate tax such as family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), sales to intentionally defective trusts, charitable trusts, lifetime gifts and generation skipping trusts. Her particular emphasis includes planning for the succession of closely-held or family businesses. She also handles many contested tax matters in the transfer tax area, ranging from audits of returns and administrative appeals within the IRS to Tax Court and Federal District Court litigation. Detzel handles the entire gamut of administration of estates and trusts, including contested matters of will and trust interpretation and reformation.
Akins practices in Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning department in the Orlando office. He provides representation in the area of personal wealth planning, with an emphasis on gift planning, charitable planning, estate planning, probate, and the administration of estates and trusts. A significant portion of his practice is related to planning for family-owned and closely held businesses. He represents taxpayers in gift, estate and GST tax controversies with the IRS. Akins also represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in disputes involving estates and trusts.
About Chambers and Partners:
Chambers and Partners has dedicated the last 25 years to researching and ranking the world’s best lawyers. Chambers produces expert guides for the USA, UK, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Canada and Global market and are now featuring the Chambers High Net Worth guide – the first publication specifically aimed at the international private wealth market. The guide covers private wealth management work and related specialisms in key jurisdictions around the world, featuring in-depth editorial about the leading lawyers and law firms for wealthy individuals and families. To learn more, please visit: https://www.chambersandpartners.com/.
About Dean Mead:
Dean Mead is a business law firm that provides full-service legal representation to companies and individuals throughout Florida. The firm has 59 attorneys in multiple practice areas including: federal tax, state and local tax, estate and succession planning, business litigation, corporate law, general commercial litigation, labor and employment, immigration, government relations and lobbying, regulatory compliance, employee benefits, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, commercial real estate, leasing, construction law, finance and lending, environmental, land use, water law and eminent domain.
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