Adding an experienced tax and private wealth counsel to its Personal Client Services Group, Stroock announced the arrival of Kevin Matz as a partner in the firm’s New York office.

Mr. Matz is one of the New York area’s leading tax and estate lawyers for high net-worth individuals and families and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), for which he is a member of both its International Estate Planning Committee and its Business Planning Committee.  He comes to Stroock after maintaining his own independent practice for eight years and is joined by associate Kadeen Wong.

Mr. Matz concentrates on domestic and international estate and tax planning, estate administration and related litigation.  He advises wealthy clients on matters related to asset transfer planning; preparation of wills and trusts; gift, estate, income and generation-skipping transfer tax planning and tax return preparation; charitable gift planning; probate proceedings and estate administration; and litigation as well as corporate counseling.

Mr. Matz is also a prolific writer and public speaker and has written and spoken extensively about the use of family limited partnerships and various other leveraged transfer techniques, as well as estate planning strategies for groups ranging from private equity fund managers to professional athletes.  He has also been frequently cited in professional literature (including at the Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning) for his innovative solutions and analysis.

A certified public accountant in addition to a lawyer, Mr. Matz is currently co-chair of the Tax Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the New York State Bar Association, and is the immediate past chairman of the Estate Planning Committee of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of both the New York State CPA Society’s Board of Directors and its Foundation for Accounting Education’s Board of Trustees.  He also serves as a vice chair of the UJA-Federation of New York Lawyers Division Trusts & Estates Group.  Mr. Matz is co-author of two widely used estate planning treatises: “Manning on Estate Planning” and “Estate Planning for Professionals – Understanding What is Needed for Estates of Any Size.”

“Our clients look to us for guidance on what to expect in the future and how to best navigate any potential changes ahead, challenges that are especially complex with regard to America’s tax code,” said Jeff Keitelman, Stroock’s co-managing partner.  “We are pleased to welcome Kevin to Stroock.  As one of the most highly-regarded professionals in tax and estate counsel for high net-worth families, Kevin provides specialized trusts and estates services that will benefit our clients as their needs evolve.”

Stroock’s personal client services clients include families and individuals seeking assistance in development and implementation of thoughtful plans for estate planning and to help protect their wealth from changing economic conditions.  Through a combination of technical skill, trust, sensitivity and loyalty, Stroock attorneys help clients create solutions that provide for their heirs, minimize taxes and continue to provide support for charitable organizations.  Members of the Personal Client Services Group have a keen understanding of the estate, gift and generation-skipping tax regimes, allowing them to proactively identify opportunities for clients and assist in implementing sophisticated solutions.

“The addition of Kevin and Kadeen reaffirms our commitment to build a practice that is unparalleled in the industry,” noted Anita Rosenbloom, head of Stroock’s Personal Client Services Group.  “Their diverse knowledge and wealth management experience will be an asset as we continue to provide our clients with exceptional service.”

“Stroock has an outstanding platform for private wealth services, with deep expertise in tax, estate planning, executive compensation, real estate, private investment funds and litigation,” Mr. Matz said. “My longstanding clients will gain significant advantage having the added resources available at Stroock and Kadeen and I are looking forward to adding our experience to the firm’s private client team.”

Mr. Matz received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he was a Notes and Articles Editor on the Fordham Law Review, and his B.S. from City University of New York – Herbert Lehman College.

Stroock is a law firm providing transactional, regulatory and litigation guidance to leading financial institutions, multinational corporations, investment funds and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and abroad.  With a rich history dating back 140 years, the firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Miami. For more, visit www.stroock.com.