Richard Dees Email & Phone Number

Richard L. Dees is a partner in the Private Client Group of McDermott, Will & Emery's Chicago office, which he joined June 1, 1980. He specializes in advising owners of privately and publicly held companies and wealthy families on control, tax and business planning issues. He is nationally known for his expertise in using partnerships and S corporations to save estate and income taxes. Richard also frequently consults with other lawyers, accountants, financial planners, insurance consultants and trust officers on IRS litigation, structuring business transactions and developing succession plans. Richard is one of the foremost authorities on the special estate tax rules under Chapter 14 impacting family businesses having authored a trilogy of articles in Taxes Magazine. His first article, "Section 2036(c): The Monster That Ate Estate Planning," in Taxes, December 1988, laid the groundwork for the repeal of Section 2036(c) - the "anti-freeze" provision. Richard later testified to both houses of Congress and negotiated with Treasury over the shape of its replacement. In 1999 he spoke on the subject to the preeminent estate planning conference, the Heckerling Institute, and authored an article, “Using a Partnership to Freeze the Value of Pre-IPO Shares.” In 2009 he revisited Section 2701 to discuss its application to profits interests in investment partnerships and hedge, venture and private equity funds. Concerned with interpretations of Section 2701 that produced absurd results, he wrote “Profits Interests Gifts under Section 2701: ‘I am not at Monster,’” Tax Notes vol. 123 p. 707 (May 11, 2009). In 2007 he authored a second trio of articles from his unique perspective on Chapter 14 and the ongoing estate tax litigation concerning family limited partnerships: "Time Traveling to Strangle Strangi (and Kill the Monster Again)." Richard is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Listed skills include Estate Planning, Trusts, Estate Tax Planning, Tax, and 17 others.

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  Partner

  Mcdermott Will & Emery Llp

  Jun 1980 - Present