“I am a seasoned and experienced attorney with over 40 years of hands-on experience working with clients and their other professionals to achieve their business and estate planning objectives on a multi-generational basis.”

-Attorney Jeffrey Robbins

I have over 40 years of experience assisting my clients and their other professionals in guiding their business and personal matters.  I have dedicated my career to working with my clients to understand their goals and ambitions and employ my knowledge of their individual situation to achieve the best possible outcome for them. My knowledge of their company, their industry and the multitude of legal and tax matters impacting their business and their personal planning has enabled my clients to maximize the outcome of any situation they confront. My experience and education as a CPA and my LL.M. (in Taxation) uniquely qualifies me in this regard.

My accumulated knowledge of business, tax, and estate planning matters brings a multi-disciplinary solutions-based approach to my clients, enabling them to achieve results that are enhanced by the understanding of how income, gift and estate tax benefits maximize these outcomes.

My background and approach to problem solving has resulted in numerous successes in all phases of my clients’ business and personal affairs in achieving tax-advantaged outcomes in their business and personal investments.

I am the Managing Director of Valcour Partners LLC, the family office of a legacy client that had several significant liquidity event leading up to my formation of the FO. In that capacity, I am managing the deployment of alternative investments and the design and implementing income, gift and estate planning for the FO.  This position involves selection, coordination and management of multiple financial, accounting, legal and valuation firms.  My experience with legacy clients and my understanding of their needs based upon my institutional knowledge, gives me a unique perspective on addressing and solving their myriad personal and business needs.

Practice Areas

  • Business organization formation, operation and sales
  • Real estate formation, financing and dispositions
  • Income, Gift and Estate Tax planning for entities, individuals, trusts and estates
  • Estate and trust administration
  • Business owner disputes (shareholders, members and partners)

Education

  • LL.M (in Taxation), New York University
  • Juris Doctor, Wayne State University
  • BA (in economics) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Professional Admissions

  • Michigan Bar
  • Michigan Association of CPA’s

Honors & Awards

  • Martindale-Hubbell Rated AV Preeminent for 35 years
  • M&A Advisor Mergers & Acquisitions “Deal of the Year” Award (2013) ($75-100 Million)

Practice Areas

  • Business organization formation, operation and sales
  • Real estate formation, financing and dispositions
  • Income, Gift and Estate Tax planning for entities, individuals, trusts and estates
  • Estate and trust administration
  • Business owner disputes (shareholders, members and partners)

Education

  • LL.M (in Taxation), New York University
  • Juris Doctor, Wayne State University
  • BA (in economics) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Professional Admissions

  • Michigan Bar
  • Michigan Association of CPA’s

Honors & Awards

  • Martindale-Hubbell Rated AV Preeminent for 35 years
  • M&A Advisor Mergers & Acquisitions “Deal of the Year” Award (2013) ($75-100 Million)

Examples of Excellence

  • Sale of client’s multi-generational industrial manufacturing business to private equity that was recognized by the M&A Advisor Mergers & Acquisitions “deal of the year” (2013) for deals between $75-100 million.
  • Business and tax counsel for sellers of various businesses to private equity and follow-up on planning for selling shareholder group that were in excess of $100 million.
  • Tax and estate planning counsel for owners as well as sellers of business to achieve leveraged gifting utilizing pre-sale valuation discounts for estate tax purposes resulting in multi-generation estate tax benefits.
  • Representation of clients before IRS National Office resulting in receipt of favorable Private Letter Rulings most recently PLR 201647001 which was cited by the IRS in its controversial CCA 202352018.

Professional Affiliations & Credentials

  • Member, State Bar of Michigan
  • Member, Michigan Association of CPA (inactive CPA)
  • Member, Association or Corporate Growth
  • Member, Financial and estate Planning Council of Metro Detroit, Inc.
  • Member, Committee on Special Projects, the Council of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan
  • Presenter, Institute of Continuing Legal Education
  • Presenter, Oakland County Bar Association

Testimonials

We have used Hertz Schram for over a decade. They know our corporation inside and out, understand the automotive market and support our HR Dept in legal support with employee/401K/Insurance/Payroll concerns. I find them an invaluable resource especially in this country where you need the best legal support. Any of our people can contact them for concerns relating to contract, HR, tax or other items of concern. They are also experienced in dealing with public companies.

Our family has relied on Jeffrey to guide us through multi-generational matters for over three decades. In that time, we have sought his counsel if all facets of our business and personal tax and estate planning issues, culminating in the sale of our company and continuing to represent us in all personal and business matters. He has been with us even as we moved our entire family and operations to the East Coast over 20 years ago.

Awards and Accolades