W. Thomas Wheeler Email & Phone Number

Co-founder of the firm. Directly involved in the design, development and implementation of automated internet-based estate plan drafting expert systems for use by lawyers only. Early development stage company co-founded with John J. Carney, CTO. Redfield successfully launched it's fourth version prototype template by October, 2009. Rigorously tested and de-bugged by six law students/law graduates/attorneys in summer and autumn of 2009. Implemented and available for demonstration to qualified… Show more Co-founder of the firm. Directly involved in the design, development and implementation of automated internet-based estate plan drafting expert systems for use by lawyers only. Early development stage company co-founded with John J. Carney, CTO. Redfield successfully launched it's fourth version prototype template by October, 2009. Rigorously tested and de-bugged by six law students/law graduates/attorneys in summer and autumn of 2009. Implemented and available for demonstration to qualified interested parties and beta testing by qualified interested parties. Show less

Estate planning, estate and trust administration. Guidance on designing and building professional quality estate plans. Primarily focused on trust-based estate planning (as contrasted with will-based estate planning). Counsel to trustees both individual trustees and corporate trustees, including banks and trust companies subject to state or federal banking supervision. Counsel to executors, both individual and corporate.

University of St. Thomas School of Law is in downtown Minneapolis and is one of four ABA-accredited law schools in Minnesota. Honored to be allowed to teach a 3-credit elective law school course on "Estate Planning" to second-year and third-year year law students in Spring Semester 2008, 2009 and 2010. Followed authoritative Estate Planning law-school texts by Beyer (in 2008 and 2010) and Campfield (2009). Recent assignments on the study of "current state-of-the-art in estate planning drafting… Show more University of St. Thomas School of Law is in downtown Minneapolis and is one of four ABA-accredited law schools in Minnesota. Honored to be allowed to teach a 3-credit elective law school course on "Estate Planning" to second-year and third-year year law students in Spring Semester 2008, 2009 and 2010. Followed authoritative Estate Planning law-school texts by Beyer (in 2008 and 2010) and Campfield (2009). Recent assignments on the study of "current state-of-the-art in estate planning drafting resources" available for use by lawyers, a critical analysis for a corporate trustee's law department of a draft of hypothetical client's will and incoming funded revocable trust agreement, preparation of a federal estate tax return Form 706 for a hypothetical 2010 married decedent's estate and a mid-term recommendation of hypothetical estate plans for a married couple with children, and a 175 question multiple choice and true false final exam. Using the University of St. Thomas' state-of-the-art web-based Blackboard System as a teaching and communication tool. Presented in-class demonstration on February 9, 2010 of a web-based document assembly system creating in class a complete set of estate plans for the hypothetical Hendrickson family. Show less

Formerly known as Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association. Originally hired into the bank's Personal Trust Department as a new business development trust officer. (Then the only lawyer in the new business department). Primary responsibilities included bringing new trust accounts to the bank. Consistently met all goals and consistently set record new business volume (new incoming assets under management) year after year. Added responsibilities included initial reading and written critique… Show more Formerly known as Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association. Originally hired into the bank's Personal Trust Department as a new business development trust officer. (Then the only lawyer in the new business department). Primary responsibilities included bringing new trust accounts to the bank. Consistently met all goals and consistently set record new business volume (new incoming assets under management) year after year. Added responsibilities included initial reading and written critique (internal memorandum) of every trust agreement and every Will naming the bank which came to the Minneapolis office from 1986 through 1988. (Document quality control and risk management.) Dotted line reporting to Ann Hart Wernz, head of trust law division. Added responsibilities included appointed to the Investment Review Committee headed by Ed Libby and Chuck Stoddard. Added responsibilities included member of Model Forms Committee (Model Will and Trust forms) with members Ann Hart Wernz and Ardell Gilb. Promoted in 1988 to Vice President and Business Unit Manager in charge of the operations and budget of one-third of the downtown Minneapolis core group of funded personal trust accounts under current management. Departed amiably in 1993 to re-enter private law practice again in former law office in the Baker Building in downtown Minneapolis. Have received hundreds of steady new business estate planning referrals from former colleagues at the bank's trust department ever since 1993. Show less

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Had a dotted line reporting responsibility to Head of Law Division in headquarters of Trust Department at Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association (which later grew and acquired Wells Fargo Bank and changed its name to Wells Fargo and moved HQ to San Francisco) conducting front-line review of governing instruments as prerequisite to their acceptance and approval of all incoming new business trust account opening relationships: bank as trustee or personal representative. Assisting in a… Show more Had a dotted line reporting responsibility to Head of Law Division in headquarters of Trust Department at Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association (which later grew and acquired Wells Fargo Bank and changed its name to Wells Fargo and moved HQ to San Francisco) conducting front-line review of governing instruments as prerequisite to their acceptance and approval of all incoming new business trust account opening relationships: bank as trustee or personal representative. Assisting in a tangential way during initial development by Head of Law Division of the first “Policies and Procedures” Manual for a National Bank which became compulsory mandatory reading and “sign off” by all officers and staff in the Trust Department upon internal roll out of the Manual. Conducted initial training for account managers. Later as Vice President oversaw as business “Unit Manager” a team of lawyers/account managers with a book of approximately one-third of the Minneapolis area personal trust accounts (family wealth) administering a few billion dollars in about 1,000 accounts. Revenue-producing Profit center called business unit having a separate Unit financial statement Show less

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Advising senior bank management on compliance with Office of Comptroller of Currency and internal requirements of a national bank. Weekly account review meetings.

Working as Wheeler & Wheeler Attorneys at Law in downtown Minneapolis. Probate, real estate, estate planning, trust administration, business succession planning and corporate law. Had a boutique two-lawyer father and son law practice serving about a dozen key clients who were small business owners in the Minneapolis area. Served as counsel to various small business owners: a publishing company, two lumber companies, a steel company, gear manufacturing company, engineering company, etc.

Jd Cum Laude

B.A., Biology/ Pre-Med./ Political Science / Pre-Law

Activities and Societies: Fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa Biology minor (pre-Med) Political Science major (pre-Law)

Biology / Pre Med

Activities and Societies: Sailing Club Scuba Diving Marine Biology

College Preparatory

Class of 1969