Michael Umphrey is a shareholder, as well as an officer and a director, of the firm. He concentrates his practice in the areas of legacy (formerly estate) planning, business/tax planning and the administration of estates and trusts. He has written, and also frequently lectures, on these subjects.
Mr. Umphrey’s practice involves a wide variety of legacy and business planning/structuring situations. In over 40 years of practice, he has developed a high degree of expertise in the design and drafting of a broad range of legacy planning, business and financial planning documents for a wide variety of clients with differing needs and requirements, ranging from the straightforward and uncomplicated to the most complex situations.
Many legacy planning considerations dovetail closely with business planning matters. Since Mr. Umphrey represents a significant number of family-owned businesses, he has developed a particular expertise in the special needs of the entrepreneurial family.
Given the nature of his practice, Mr. Umphrey also has considerable experience dealing with incapacity situations and with the post-death administration of trusts and estates. His expertise in these areas aids clients in minimizing taxation, expenses, delays and post-death disputes and in providing for the proper management and prompt distribution of deceased clients’ businesses and other assets.
He maintains an “AV” peer review rating with Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest peer review rating for attorneys. He has also been designated an Accredited Estate Planner by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. In addition, Mr. Umphrey has been named a “Five Star Wealth Manager” by Five Star Professional. The Five Star Award is presented to only 7% of wealth managers with at least five years of experience in the financial services industry, and who are evaluated in the local market to score highest in client satisfaction.
Education:
J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan, 1967
B.A., Albion College, 1964
Bar and Court Admissions:
State Bar of Michigan, 1968
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. Tax Court
Memberships:
State Bar of Michigan
Member of sections on Corporation, Finance and Business Law;
Probate and Trust Law; and Taxation
Oakland County Bar Association
Wayne County Probate Bar Association
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
American Bar Association
Federal Estate Planning Council of Detroit
Oakland County Estate Planning Council
Articles:
ALERT: Impact of the 2010 Tax Act on your estate, gift and GST tax issues;
Commentator Alert, January 2011
Your legacy is about much more than money; Commentator, Spring 2006
U.S. Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act and
Michigan Medical Records Access Act; Legal Update, 2005
Michigan Designations of Patient Advocates (“Living Wills”)
and Applicable Current Law; Legal Update, 2005
The Durable Power of Attorney —
Essential Protection for Your Financial Future; Legal Update, 2005
Naming a beneficiary —
It’s more complicated than you think; Commentator, Summer 2004
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