John F Bergner

/Home/Probate & Estate Attorneys: Metroplex TX/Probate & Estate Attorneys: Dallas TX

Wealth Preservation

Where Clients' Wishes and Estate Planning Work. Together.

In our counsel to high net worth individuals, fiduciaries, financial institutions and charities, Winstead attorneys develop and implement innovate approaches that meet clients' objectives in a tax efficient manner.

With a particular focus representing the super affluent, Winstead's Wealth Preservation Practice Group counsels business owners and executives, families and closely held businesses in all aspects of wealth preservation, protection and transfer. Our practice experience and background includes:
* Business Succession Planning
* Charitable Planning
* Creditor Planning
* Emerging Business Planning
* Estate Planning
* Executive Planning
* International Planning
* IRS Controversy
* Marital Property Planning
* Probate, Estate and Trust Administration
* Tax Options and Stock Planning
* Trust and Estate Litigation

Among our practice group attorneys are a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Chairman of the ABA's Estate and Gift Taxes Committee and former Chairs of the Houston and Dallas Bar Associations' Probate, Trusts and Estates Sections. We remain in the forefront of emerging issues and planning in wealth preservation and are frequent speakers before professional associations around the country.

The Wealth Preservation Practice Group's services are enhanced by Winstead's entire firmwide knowledge resources in areas such as corporate, tax, litigation, securities and real estate law.

We recognize that super affluent clients have numerous advisors (investment management, insurance, accounting), and that clients are best served when all of their advisors work together. We focus on a "team approach" – working with clients' other advisors to ensure each client receives the best and most coordinated estate and business planning possible.

Fellow - American College of Trust & Estate Counsel

John F Bergner
Winstead Sechrest & Minick PC
1201 Elm St #5400
Dallas TX 75270
Tel: 214 745-5289
Fax: 214 745-5390
E-mail: jbergner@winstead.com

Practices
* Wealth Preservation

John F. Bergner is a shareholder in the Dallas, Texas office of Winstead PC. Mr. Bergner has been with Winstead for more than 24 years and serves as chairman of the wealth preservation practice group. Mr. Bergner is a specialist in estate planning and probate law certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His practice involves complex tax, estate and business succession planning as well as administration of estates. He earned a B.B.A. and J.D. from Washburn University, and an M.L.T. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr. Bergner is active in the American Bar Association and is past chair of the Estate and Gift Tax Committee of the ABA’s Tax Section. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He has lectured at numerous tax and estate planning seminars and is a visiting adjunct professor at the University of Miami Law School. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Practical Tax Lawyer, published by the ALI-ABA.

Representative Experience
* Provides estate planning and administration of estates and trusts, including charitable and post-mortem tax planning and rendering advice regarding fiduciary responsibilities
* Represents and counsels individuals and entities regarding asset preservation and creditors in connection with claims against estates and trusts
* Organizes and qualifies private foundations and other nonprofit organizations
* Implements sophisticated estate planning techniques, including business succession plans, grantor retained annuity trusts and installment sale of limited partnership interests to grantor trusts
* Provides counsel to corporate trustees and trust departments