Estate Planner/Fiduciary Counsel

Responsibilities:

Estate Planning & Client Service

• Review clients' estate planning and trust documents and advise Client Advisors and clients' lawyers and other outside advisors on content and technical matters, suggesting changes if appropriate.
• Identify potential trust and estate and related tax issues for clients and Client Advisors and serve as a resource for clients and clients' attorneys and other advisors.
• Prepare memos or letters for clients with recommendations to accompany estate plan overviews, incorporating (where appropriate) flow charts, projections and other summaries.
• Serve as technical resource for estate planning and transfer tax issues and ideas.
• Answer questions on an ad hoc basis regarding clients' trust and estate planning.

Fiduciary Counsel

• Review estate planning documents and consider their application to assets proposed to be held in a fiduciary capacity to determine whether Bessemer can and should accept appointment as fiduciary.
• Provide legal expertise as in-house counsel to resolve fiduciary issues.
• Advise Client Advisors and other colleagues on internal fiduciary procedures.
• Serve on SIDD (Special Investment and Discretionary Distribution) and other committees of the trust companies, communicate with colleagues and advise on the handling of specific client situations.
• Supervise outside counsel on fiduciary matters (including litigation) involving a Bessemer entity.
• Deliver presentations at training sessions and offsite meetings to contribute to the education of other Bessemer personnel.

Business Development

• Work with Wealth Advisors and Client Advisors, as appropriate, in prospective client meetings and other contacts.
• Develop intermediary contacts for business development (particularly in region covered).
• Participate in Bar Association and other professional organization activities to enhance professional knowledge, make contact with potential referral sources and demonstrate Bessemer's technical competence.
• Participate in Bessemer-sponsored and external speaking activities to support and raise Bessemer's profile as a high quality service provider.
• Develop appropriate promotional activities and materials.
• Write articles for professional journals.

Continuing Education and Professional Development

• In addition to fulfilling professional continuing education requirements, the Estate Planner is expected to stay up to date on legal and estate planning trends by attending seminars and conferences, by conducting research and by reviewing relevant legal, tax, financial planning, and trust and estate publications.

Other duties may include:

• Work with philanthropic advisory group and tax department on private foundations, split interest trusts and other charitable planning.
• Serve as a resource for state laws specific to region.
• Travel to client and prospect meetings and annual department retreats.

Qualifications:

• Ideally, 10 years of relevant law practice or more
• J.D. and active registration with a State Bar Association.
• L.L.M. in taxation preferred.

The base salary range for this position is $220,000-$280,000. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as skills, experience, and qualification for the role. It is not typical for offers to be made at or near the top of the range.

In addition, this position may be eligible for a discretionary incentive based bonus based on individual and company performance. Eligible employees may participate in a 401 (K) program with a company profit sharing contribution, medical, dental, vision, life insurance and disability covering and paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.

About Bessemer Trust:

Bessemer Trust is a leading multifamily office, overseeing more than $200 billion in assets for over 3,000 individuals and families of substantial wealth. Its 1,200 employees are singularly focused on private wealth management — disciplined investment management, sophisticated wealth planning, comprehensive family office services, and highly personalized client service.

Established in 1907 as the family office for Annie and Henry Phipps, Bessemer Trust is in its seventh generation of ownership by the Phipps family. As a self-made entrepreneur, Henry Phipps was a founding partner and chief financial officer of Carnegie Steel.

Bessemer Trust retains its original focus as a privately owned and independent wealth manager deeply committed to its mission of providing peace of mind to its clients. Bessemer's adherence to putting clients' interests first, fiduciary mindset, and highly collaborative culture are at the heart of everything the firm does.

Key Facts:

• For more than 118 years, Bessemer Trust has operated continuously in a single line of business, independently owned by one family.
• Headquartered in New York's Rockefeller Center, Bessemer Trust has 22 offices in total. Woodbridge, NJ, is one of the firm's largest offices, which hosts a wide range of technology and operations professionals. In addition to its sizable presence in New York and Woodbridge, the firm provides client service through offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Delaware, Denver, Garden City, Grand Cayman, Greenwich, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Naples, Nevada, Palm Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Stuart, and Washington, D.C.
• To watch a video about Bessemer Trust's history, click here.
• To learn more about Bessemer Trust, click here.

About Our Employee Rewards and Benefits:

We provide exceptional rewards and benefits that are among the best in the industry, giving our people access to a wide range of options, including:

• Competitive base salary plus discretionary annual bonus for select positions
• A 401(k) plan with a generous annual profit-sharing contribution
• Personalized development and career opportunities, including tuition reimbursement support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with zero contributions for employee coverage
• Employee assistance (EAP) and wellness programs
• Hybrid work environment: 60% in office, 40% remote for most positions
• Paid time off and paid parental leave
• Employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
• Legal services and financial wellness plans at no cost to employees

Bessemer Trust is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates of diverse backgrounds to apply.