As chair of the firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group and Fiduciary Services department, Dan regularly advises entrepreneurs, individuals, and families in a broad range of matters pertaining to the ownership, growth, management, and transfer of family assets and business interests. In particular, Dan has gained the specialized knowledge into the unique issues facing owners of dairy farms and beverage distribution businesses.

Providing counsel throughout lifetime and after death, clients turn to Dan for assistance in:

• Resolving a multitude of succession planning issues for family and closely held businesses. Dan’s role includes everything from facilitating productive discussions to the creation of complex plans to assure a successful and tax efficient transfer of management responsibilities and ownership.
  
• Creating estate plans that transfer family assets in a tax efficient manner with sensitivity to the needs of family members and an emphasis on protecting family members from the destructive possibilities of inherited wealth.
  
• Buying and selling closely held businesses, including the marketing of businesses with no natural successor.
• Creating solutions for the day-to-day issues facing business owners.
• Forming businesses through limited liability companies (LLC) or family limited partnerships (FLP) funded with family real estate interests or other assets to take advantage of flexible management structure and valuation discounts.
• Wealth-transfer and asset-protection planning for clients with substantial assets, including implementation of gifts of LLC and FLP interests to family members.

In addition, Dan is actively involved as a trustee for clients where he leads the administration and management of trust assets. Recently Dan:

• Worked with a family on the transfer of a large dairy farm following the death of mom and dad.
  
• Assumed the role of trustee of a special needs trust for a person with developmental disabilities to ensure that they continue to receive benefits.
  
• Has acted of trustee of a series of multigenerational family trusts to assist in the support and enhancement of the lives of the beneficiaries.
  
• Planned and resolved the cash flow needs of a business owner who is retiring.

Finally, working with one of Northern Wisconsin’s largest construction companies, Dan has gained substantial experience in the alternative energy industry and the development of large scale Design-Build projects. Dan has been deeply involved in the development and construction of ethanol plants throughout the Midwest.

Education:
B.A., Ripon College, Ripon, WI (1985) Omicron Delta Epsilon
J.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison (1988)

Admitted to Practice:
Wisconsin Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Bar Associations:
American Bar Association

Section Member: Real Property, Trust & Estate Law; Taxation

State Bar of Wisconsin

Section Member: Real Property; Elder Law

Marathon County Bar Association

Professional Activities:
Marathon County Estate Planners Forum, Member

State Bar of Wisconsin, Real Property and Trust division Board Member (2010)

Civic Activities:
Woodson Y.M.C.A.

Director (1998 - present), Secretary (2002 - 2004), Treasurer (2004 - 2006), President 2006-2008, Vice President (2008-2010), President (2010 - present)

Robert W. Monk Gardens, Director (2004 - 2007)
Fr. Fisher Endowment Fund, Director (2001 - 2008)
YWCA Foundation of Wausau

Director (2005 - present), Vice President (2010 - present)

Wausau Child Care, Inc.

Director (1997 - 2003), President (2000 - 2003)

Wausau Area Youth Soccer Association, Director (2000 - 2004)
Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce,

Business Advocacy Committee (2010 - present)

YMCA State Alliance, Vice Chair (2008-present)

YMCA National Assembly, Delegate