Chris Nason
Chris Nason is Head of Private Wealth at Wealth.com, where he leads the firm’s private wealth strategy and integrates advanced legal and tax expertise directly into the platform’s estate and tax planning architecture. He works closely with product and engineering teams to ensure the platform reflects the technical precision required for sophisticated, multigenerational and cross border planning. Chris joined Wealth.com from McDermott Will & Schulte, where he was a Partner in the firm’s San Francisco office, advising ultra high net worth families and international clients on complex estate and tax matters. He is widely regarded for his depth in international estate planning and serves as managing editor of International Estate Planning, published annually by LexisNexis Matthew Bender Elite. He also teaches Trusts and Estates Planning at Stanford Law School. A graduate of Yale Law School, Chris has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Chambers High Net Worth and Private Client Global Elite. He is admitted to practice in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
The world is getting smaller and smaller. As estate planners, we need to be aware of cross-border issues when it comes to estate planning and taxation. In this episode, our guest Chris Nason will be discussing a basic and practical overview of international estate planning and tax planning issues.
A discussion on the intricacies of how trusts operate, focusing on SLATs and Marital Trusts. Chris dives deep into SLATs, how they work, the benefits of having one and when having one may make sense. They also debunk a conversation that has been taking social media by storm about a certain trust structure that can help you avoid all taxes, and discuss why it's unlikely to work despite it going viral.
Signature Speaking Topics
State-level estate taxes can significantly impact planning outcomes, yet they are often overlooked. This session explores how domicile, trust situs, and state-specific rules influence estate planning strategies, and how advisors can help clients navigate multi-state complexity.
Low interest rate environments have made intra-family loans and sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts a powerful planning tool. This session explores how these strategies work, key structuring considerations, and the risks advisors should be aware of when coordinating with estate planning counsel.
Grantor trusts sit at the center of many advanced estate strategies, from intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs) to grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs). This session explores how grantor trust status creates planning opportunities, how interest rate environments impact strategy, and how potential legislative changes could reshape their use.