Thomas H. Bergh

Tom has over 30 years of experience in helping clients efficiently and effectively define their estate planning goals and to arrange their affairs accordingly. His experience includes facilitating the direction of a client-centered and directed strategy and then drafting clear and understandable legal documents to implement it, thereby protecting client wealth, closely-held businesses, and families from taxes, postmortem chaos and expense, and unnecessary complexity. He also has experience in dealing with the IRS in administrative hearings and litigation, developing creative tailored solutions for business succession planning, charitable trusts and private foundations, and IRA distribution planning.

Tom is a frequent speaker and author on estate planning, employee benefits, charitable planning, and is the past chair of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metropolitan Detroit.

Represented a leading carbon steel service center in its sale to a private equity fund. Negotiated the purchase agreement and provided counsel regarding the transaction structure, employee benefits, tax matters and antitrust filings under the Hart Scott Rodino Act.

Best Lawyers^®, Lawyer of the Year since 2012

DBusiness^© magazine’s Top Lawyer, 2017

Five Star Wealth Manager, 2010 - 2012

Leading Lawyers: Tax Law - Individual; Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law

Martindale-Hubbell^® AV Preeminent^™ Peer Review Rated

Michigan Super Lawyers^® since 2008

Top Rated Lawyers™ in Tax Law, 2013

Oakland County Bar Association: Taxation Committee, past chair

State Bar of Michigan: Probate and Estate Planning Law Section; Taxation Section; Business Law Section

The Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metropolitan Detroit, past president

Thomas Cooley Law School at the Oakland University Campus, adjunct professor of law

Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Board of Directors

Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, Planned Giving Committee

Detroit Institute of Arts, Tannahill Society

Michigan Council on Economic Education, Board of Directors

Salvation Army - Eastern Michigan Division, Planned Giving Committee

Wayne State University, Planned Giving Committee, chair