Mr. Handler is an advanced planning attorney focused on structuring complex estate plans and handling related business structures and tax planning issues for affluent families, family businesses and family offices. Such planning often involves the interplay of income tax, estate tax, executive benefits, and financial matters. In this regard, Mr. Handler is particularly experienced in dealing with business owners, directors, executives, professional athletes, celebrities and family offices. He has extensive experience in the analysis, design and implementation of domestic and international business planning, financial and estate planning, and advanced tax planning strategies. Mr. Handler is a managing partner in Handler Thayer, LLP, where he chairs the firm's Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group.
His experience includes public accounting and corporate and foundation directorships. He is involved in Chicago Bar Association activities including its Taxation and Trust Law committees, and has authored numerous professional articles. He has lectured extensively both nationally and internationally at professional and family office educational conferences. Mr. Handler created the Asset Protection Profile™ and Stealth Prenup™ in addition to other proprietary strategies for affluent families and family offices.
Mr. Handler has been named to the Wealth Strategies Design Team comprised of fifteen of the top wealth planners in the U.S., to the City Wealth Global Leaders List of the Top Wealth Planning Attorneys, to Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in America. In addition, Illinois Leading Lawyers named Mr. Handler as one of the Top Lawyers in the areas of Closely and Privately Held Business Law and Trusts, Will and Estate Planning Law.
He earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Accountancy Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctorate Degree, Law Review, from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Handler is a recognized thought leader in the advanced planning and family office marketplaces who has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Worth Magazine, Financial Times, Barron's, Christian Science Monitor, Las Vegas Review Journal, Chicago Sun-Times, Structured Products Magazine, ABA Journal, National Law Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, Derivatives Weekly, Family Wealth Report and Wealth Manager Magazine in addition to other publications.