Overview

Kent’s commercial law practice involves providing advice to entrepreneurs and family businesses with respect to various legal and tax issues that arise during the life-cycle of a business. Kent assists with immediate transactional needs and also helps implement solutions to meet long term business objectives.

Experience

Kent’s practice and case history in commercial/business law have involved:

• Business management and continuation planning
• Shareholder and owner dispute resolution
• Consummation of asset purchases, sales, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures
• Business-entity selection, formation and planning
• Planning with disregarded entities
• Buy-Sell Agreements and other exit strategies
• Development of Equity and Non-Equity Incentive Plans
• Many aspects of business operations such as asset protection, taxation, and contract preparation and negotiation

Kent also has considerable experience in developing comprehensive wealth transfer plans for individuals and families that are designed to meet client’s primary objectives of providing for their children and grandchildren, while minimizing taxes and protecting assets to the greatest extend possible. Kent counsels individuals and business owners on the various alternatives for transferring wealth to the next generation while addressing liquidity issues that can often be created by estate and other transfer taxes.

Kent’s experience in wealth transfer planning includes:

• Preparation of estate planning documents (e.g. wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives)
• Federal gift and estate tax analysis and planning
• Premarital/Post marital agreements
• Counseling with respect to life insurance, charitable giving and bequest matters
• Counsel with respect to probate and estate administration matters, including preparation of federal and Indiana death tax returns

Professional Activities

Kent received a mayoral appointment to the Carmel, IN Board of Zoning Appeals in early 2018. His term expires in December, 2021.

Awards & Honors

Since 2007, Kent has been certified as an Indiana specialist in estate and trust planning administration.

Indiana Super Lawyer, 2009-2019

The Best Lawyers in America, 2019, recognized in the areas of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Trust and Estates