VP, Trust & Estates Solutions

Focus Financial Partners is seeking a Trust & Estates attorney to join our distinguished T&E advisory team.  In this role you will apply the skills and expertise acquired from previous law-firm experience to provide education and guidance in a non-legal capacity to financial advisors and their clients. You will have the opportunity to partner with over 3,000 financial advisors across Focus Partner Firms, helping deliver comprehensive trust and estate planning and trust administration solutions to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. This role does not include drafting estate planning documents or tracking billable hours.
This position can be based in St. Louis, MO / Chicago, IL.   Primary Responsibilities·       Review and analyze existing estate plans and collaborate with financial advisors to develop tailored trust and estate planning strategies for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.·       Build and strengthen relationships with independent corporate trustees to enhance and streamline trust administration processes.·       Create and manage knowledge-sharing programs to educate and mentor financial advisors on trust and estate content, including updates on new legal developments and best practices. ·       Assist in the creation and implementation of a technology platform incorporating cutting-edge estate planning software.·       Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key professionals, such as attorneys and CPAs, to facilitate seamless estate planning and trust asset transfers for clients. Qualifications ·       Juris Doctor (JD) with expertise in high-net-worth estate planning (Illinois bar admission preferred).·       At least 8+ years’ experience as a practicing attorney working with high-net-worth clients, including drafting, reviewing and analyzing estate planning documents and sophisticated estate planning strategies.·       Ability to work independently and within the team structure, with strong interpersonal skills to represent Focus Financial Partners positively when working with advisors, their clients and their professional team.  ·       Strong knowledge of trust administration, including the directed trust model and the laws of various trust situses, such as South Dakota, Delaware, Nevada, and New Hampshire.  About Focus Financial PartnersFocus is a leading partnership of fiduciary wealth management and related financial services firms. Focus provides access to best practices, greater resources, and continuity planning for its affiliated advisory firms, which serve individuals, families, employers, and institutions with comprehensive financial services. Focus firms and their clients benefit from the solutions, synergies, scale, economics, and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com. The annualized base pay range for this role is expected to be between $175,000-$225,000.  Actual base pay could vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, subject matter expertise, geographic location where work will be performed and the applicant's skill set.  The base pay is just one component of the total compensation package for employees.  Other rewards may include an annual cash bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.