Margaret M. Reaume

Reaumemargaret Photo Web

Practice Areas

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 2023
Journal of Business Law, Associate Editor

University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.B.A., high distinction, Business Administration, 2017

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Associate

Margaret supports the corporate, litigation and real estate practice teams. She is a skilled researcher and experienced at drafting a wide variety of legal documents. While in law school, she served as a judicial intern for the Hon. Stephen Murphy in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

Lindsay P. Randolph

Randolphlindsay Photo Bw

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 2023

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.A., with distinction, Political Science and minor in History, 2018

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Associate

Lindsay supports the data privacy, immigration and health care practice teams. She is a skilled researcher and experienced in drafting a wide variety of legal documents. Her background includes work as an associate in a public affairs agency, serving as the special assistant to the Ohio Secretary of State and as an assistant in the Office of Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

 

Chanel T. Taylor

Taylorchanel Photo Web

Practice Areas

Education

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 2023

Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
B.A., magna cum laude, Public Relations, 2019

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Associate

Chanel supports the labor and employment, estate planning and family law practice teams. She is a skilled researcher and experienced at providing a wide variety of legal documents. While in law school, she served as a judicial extern to the Hon. Arthur Tarnow in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

 

Rana S. Eid

Eidrana Web

Practice Areas

Industries

Education

University of Michigan Law School
Ann Arbor, Michigan
J.D., 2021

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.A., Political Science and International Studies 2016

Bar Admissions

California

Court Admissions

All California state courts

Corporate Attorney

Rana is a member of Varnum’s Business and Corporate Practice Team. She focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, representing private equity firms and strategic acquirers across industries including health care, technology, automotive, metals, manufacturing, real estate and energy. She has worked on a wide range of matters, including transactions exceeding half a billion dollars in value.

Rana provides due diligence and conducts disclosure processes for private equity and M&A transactions. She drafts principal and ancillary transaction documents such as purchase agreements, bylaws, consents, opinions and certificates.

Rana also helps new businesses with entity formation and a variety of standard contracts, including employment and client services contracts and non-disclosure agreements.

Rana is admitted to practice in California. Her admission to the State Bar of Michigan is pending.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of California

 

Rebecca L. Grove

Grove Rebecca Web

Practice Areas

Education

Georgetown University Law Center
Washington, D.C.
LL.M.

Duke University School of Law
Durham, North Carolina
J.D., with honors

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.A., with highest distinction

Bar Admissions

Michigan
California
New York

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Estate Planning Attorney

Rebecca is a partner with the Estate Planning Team. She counsels high-net-worth individuals and families in all personal legal matters, including sophisticated tax and estate planning, philanthropy, real estate and business succession.

With a wealth of experience in tax controversy, she guides clients through various challenges pertaining to income tax, estate tax, and gift tax audits. She has also provided invaluable support in navigating complex valuation matters, securing private letter rulings, and overseeing tax appeals.

Rebecca has unique expertise in the field of art law, specializing in a diverse range of areas such as art transactions, including purchase, sale, consignment, and collection management. Her expertise also extends to crucial aspects like insurance, appraisal, charitable donations, attribution, cultural heritage property, and customs compliance.

In addition, Rebecca has comprehensive knowledge in the establishment and ongoing legal counsel for foundations and public charities, including a deep understanding of intricate charitable structures.

Rebecca is licensed to practice in New York and California, in addition to Michigan. She has significant experience with multi-jurisdictional estate planning and strategies to minimize state estate and gift tax.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America®, Tax Law, 2013 – 2023

DBusiness Top Lawyers, 2014 – 2015

Leading Lawyers Magazine Michigan, 2017

Michigan Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2008 – 2010

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

California Bar Association

New York Bar Association

Financial & Estate Planning Council of Detroit

Duke University Alumni Association

Community Involvement

Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Junior Council, Board of Directors, Robert H. Tannahill Society

HAVEN, Board of Directors

Michael Z. Zavier

Zavier Michael Web

Practice Areas

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., 2012

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
B.A., Business Administration, 2009

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Litigation Attorney

Michael is a member of Varnum’s litigation and trial team. He represents clients in a wide range of complex disputes, including first and third party auto claims, premises and general liability matters, medical service provider recovery and other complex civil litigation matters. He specializes in the advocacy and representation of clients that have sustained catastrophic physical or traumatic brain injuries. His clients include numerous medical service providers where he litigates disputes over No Fault eligibility, coverage, causation and priority disputes under Michigan’s No Fault Insurance Act. Michael has represented clients across the State of Michigan, as well as in multiple states around the country. 

Prior to joining the firm, Michael worked for a law firm in Southfield where his practice concentrated on representing medical providers involving catastrophic personal injury and No Fault insurance matters. For the past three years, Michael has been named by Michigan Super Lawyers® as a “Rising Star”, an honor given to 2.5 percent of the lawyers in Michigan.

Honors and Recognitions

Michigan Super Lawyers®, Rising Star, 2021-2023

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

Michigan Association of Justice

Kathleen A. Cieslik

Practice Areas

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., 2015

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
B.A., 2012

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Estate Planning Attorney

Kathleen is a trusts and estates attorney focused on creating customized estate plans for a wide range of individuals and multi-generational families which achieve goals such as tax avoidance, business succession planning and charitable giving. She also provides counsel to individual and corporate fiduciaries regarding the timely and efficient management of trusts and estates, including probate administration when necessary. An experienced litigator, Kathleen also handles controversies and frequently appears in Probate Court to handle both routine and contested matters throughout Southeast Michigan. 

Experience

Routinely represent high net worth clients including leading planning for the second generation of a ultra-high net worth family which utilized various wealth transfer techniques collectively removing over $30M in assets from taxable estates through grantor trusts.

Implemented plan which transferred situs of a $25M trust to a favorable jurisdiction which allowed for decanting resulting in the expansion of special power of appointment to allow a client to update her planning to provide for her desired beneficiary.

Management of taxable estates, including advice with regard to funding marital trust or family trust, obtaining business valuations and assist accountants with Form 706.

Effectively implemented postmortem trust modification by seeking probate court approval to effectuate a high value specific bequest made orally in close proximity to death.

Lead litigation and negotiate resolution on behalf of an irrevocable trust regarding decades of unprepared marital trust accountings following the surviving spouse’s death.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America®, One to Watch, Trusts and Estates, since 2021

Grand Rapids Magazine’s Top Lawyers, Trusts and Estates, 2023

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan, Probate and Estate Planning Section

Oakland County Bar Association

Presentations

Behind the Curtain: What Goes On in Charitable Estate Planning, Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan, June 2022

Drafting an Estate Plan for Estates Under $5 Million, ICLE, Spring 2022

Taxes and Estate Planning: Where Do We Go From Here?, ICLE, Fall 2022

Robert E. Kass

Practice Areas

Education

New York University Law School
New York City, New York
LL.M., Taxation, 1979

University of Michigan Law School
Ann Arbor, Michigan
J.D., cum laude, 1972

Graduate Institute of International Studies
Geneva, Switzerland
Post graduate studies, 1973, recipient of Fulbright-Swiss University Fellowship

Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
B.A., cum laude, 1969

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Court Admissions

All Michigan state courts

Languages

French

Estate Planning Attorney

Bob is an estate planning attorney with significant experience in all aspects of estate planning, wealth preservation and planned giving for estates of all sizes. In addition to the design and implementation of sophisticated estate plans, he specializes in sophisticated wealth preservation techniques, succession planning, probate and trust administration, gift and estate tax audits and appeals, and estate-related claims and litigation. 

Bob has unique expertise in charitable and planned giving techniques, helping clients meet their objectives with maximum tax benefit.

Experience

Ultra-high net worth client’s estate plan left vast sums to trusts for children, with little likelihood they would ever need much of the money.  Client was receptive to the idea of creating charitable gift annuities for the children, to provide a lifetime stream of distributions, with relatively small discretionary trusts as a backstop.  The resulting plan saved the client substantial estate taxes and provided amply for the children.

Converted private, perpetual foundation to spend-down, allowing the client more control over governance and avoiding mission shift. 

Successfully implemented sophisticated wealth transfer techniques including self-cancelling installment note (SCIN), initially removing over $5 million n value from the client’s estate. Over time, the amount removed from the taxable estate has increased many times, due to appreciation.

Effectively employed postmortem planning techniques and obtained favorable IRS Private Letter Ruling, to reverse effects of poor planning by decedent’s attorney, saving over the client $300,000 in estate taxes.

Recommended and implemented reallocation of personal injury award between decedent’s estate and family members, saving family members over $250,000 in estate taxes.

Implemented charitable trust for client owning a large concentration of highly appreciated publicly-traded stock, permitting him to diversify his holding into mutual funds without triggering capital gains, significantly increase his lifetime income, and receive charitable income tax deduction. 

Honors and Recognitions

Fellow, American College of Trust & Estate Counsel (ACTEC)

Best Lawyers in America®, Trusts and Estates, since 2009

Best Lawyers in America®Lawyer of the Year, Trusts and Estates (Detroit), 2015, 2022

Michigan Super Lawyers, since 2006

Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan, past chairman of LEAVE A LEGACY® Southeast Michigan’s Speaker’s Bureau

Community Involvement

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Professional Advisory Committee

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Foundation, Professional Advisory Committee

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Professional Advisory Committee

Detroit Institute of Arts, Professional Advisory Committee

M. Alexander Monahan

Practice Areas

Education

Wayne State University Law School
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., 2017

Michigan State University – James Madison College
East Lansing, Michigan
B.A., International Relations, 2012

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Corporate Attorney

Alex is a member of the Corporate Practice Team. His transactional experience includes mergers and acquisitions, real estate purchases and sales, and financing deals including private equity investment. He has significant experience in the formation and development of companies and corporations. He also has a background in bankruptcy reorganization and commercial litigation.

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association, Business Law Section

State Bar of Michigan, Business Law Section, Young Lawyers Section

 

 

L. Jeffrey Zauberman

Practice Areas

Education

University of Detroit School of Law
Detroit, Michigan
J.D., 1986

Law Society of Upper Canada
Bar Admission Course
1983, 1984

Osgoode Hall Law School
Toronto, Canada
LL.B., 1982

Bar Admissions

Michigan

Banking and Finance Attorney

Jeff is a senior transactional attorney representing borrowers and lenders in acquisition financing, construction lending, bridge lending and refinancing matters. He also advises clients in connection with multifamily projects, hotels, shopping centers and self-storage facilities in Michigan and other states.

Honors and Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America® since 2013

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario)