Joel Heriford

Joel is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and the Estate Planning and Probate Practice Group. He practiced with the Firm from 1985 until 1991, at which time he moved with his family to the Midwest to practice in Illinois and Iowa. He rejoined the Firm in February 2006 to lead the Firm’s Corporate and Estate Planning practices. Before practicing law, Joel was a Certified Public Accountant and practiced with international accounting firm, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company.

Joel has a broad corporate practice including income tax planning and business law aspects of business transactions, including business formation, operation, sale and merger of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures and strategic alliances, as well as Section 1031 tax-deferred exchanges.  In addition, Joel represents company founders and other entrepreneurs on a broad range of personal planning matters, with an emphasis on wealth transfer and succession strategies.

Estate planning clients find Joel highly experienced in a broad range of estate planning matters, including estate taxation, retirement planning for qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, wealth preservation and wealth transfer strategies, asset protection planning, and planning for non-traditional families. Joel is also experienced in the creation and administration of a wide variety of trusts including revocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, asset protection trusts and charitable remainder trusts. Joel uses a team approach in the estate planning process, working with the client's accountants, insurance professionals, financial planners and other advisors.