Neil E. Cass

Of Counsel

  • Neil E. Cass
  • Phone: +1 312 499 0113

    Neil E. Cass - LinkedIn Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700
    Chicago, IL 60603-3433
    USA
  • Duane Morris LLP
    30 South 17th Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19103-4196
    USA

Neil E. Cass advises clients on a broad variety of estate planning and estate and trust administration matters, including family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, personal residence trusts, private foundations, supporting organizations and developing ownership succession plans.

He has also advised a variety of charitable organizations and individual and corporate trustees on a broad range of trust administration issues. Mr. Cass is a member of the American, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, Maryland and District of Columbia bar associations and the Chicago Estate Planning Council.

A certified public accountant, he is a 1980 graduate of the University of Miami School of Law (LL.M., estate planning), a 1977 graduate of The University of Iowa College of Law, a 1977 graduate of The University of Iowa, where he received an MBA degree, and a 1974 graduate of the University of Puget Sound.

Areas of Practice

  • Wealth Planning
  • Estate Planning and Administration
  • Trust Administration
  • Closely Held Businesses

Representative Matters

  • Reorganized a professional sports franchise to freeze the value for multiple generations.

  • Assisted clients in organizing, funding and operating numerous grantor-retained annuity trusts and personal residence trusts.

  • Assisted clients in organizing, funding and operating numerous family limited partnerships.

  • Assisted clients in making sales to "defective" grantor trusts.

  • Defended valuation discounts before the IRS.

  • Advised clients in connection with estate and trust litigation, including a trust holding more than one billion dollars in assets.

  • Advised clients regarding all aspects of estate and trust administration.

  • Advised clients in connection with obtaining private letter rulings from the IRS.

  • Developed business-succession plans and drafted complicated buy-sell agreements.

  • Assisted hundreds of clients to develop their estate plans and drafted the documents to implement them.

  • Counseled clients regarding estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, contested estate and trust matters, charitable giving, the creation and administration of charitable entities, ownership succession and closely-held business matters.

Admissions

  • Wisconsin
  • Pennsylvania
  • Illinois
  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
  • Supreme Court of Illinois
  • Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Education

  • University of Miami School of Law, LL.M., Estate Planning, 1980
  • The University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., 1977

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Of Counsel, 2023-present
    - Partner, 2000-2022
  • Jenner & Block, Chicago, Illinois
    - Partner, 1989-2000
  • Licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Iowa State Bar Association
  • State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Pennsylvania State Bar Association
  • Maryland State Bar Association
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Chicago Estate Planning Council

Honors and Awards

  • Legal Leaders: Chicago's Top Rated Lawyers 2013
  • Since 2006, named to"Leading Lawyers" list for Illinois, a statewide list of attorneys recommended by their peers
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®

Board Memberships

  • Board of Trustees of Flossmoor, Illinois, 1985-1989
  • Baccalaureate Trust Authority of the State of Illinois, 1988-1989

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker at numerous estate planning seminars and tax seminars