This session will provide fiduciaries, estate planners, attorneys, and tax professionals with practical guidance on administering trusts and estates that hold closely held business interests. This session addresses real-world challenges fiduciaries face when business entities intersect with trust administration. It combines technical tax knowledge, compliance requirements, and litigation risk management into a practical roadmap. These situations present unique challenges involving tax compliance, governance, and potential litigation. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to navigate these complexities effectively.
A3 – Closely Held, Carefully Managed: Administration of Trusts & Estates Holding Business Interests
Speakers
Matthew T. Arvizu
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP
Matt Arvizu is a seasoned business litigator who assists engineering and construction companies in navigating distressed projects and complex disputes. He represents developers, builders, and property owners in real estate litigation, contract disputes and construction matters – advising on project planning, contracting, and risk management. When disputes arise, he guides clients through negotiation, arbitration, and litigation, ensuring their business interests are protected. He recently worked on an Anti-SLAPP appeal involving a mechanic’s lien dispute, securing a published opinion.
Beyond construction and real estate, Matt has deep experience in trust and estate litigation, leveraging his finance background to resolve high-stakes asset disputes.
Matt earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from California State University, Long Beach, and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, graduating magna cum laude. While at Syracuse, he earned the highest-grade distinction in business valuation law, property law, banking law, accounting, and legal writing. He also served as an editorial member of the Syracuse Law Review and gained hands-on experience advising companies on technology commercialization through the Technologies Transfers Clinic.
Andrew D. Brooks
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP
Mr. Brooks’ practice emphasizes advising entrepreneurs in personal and business matters. He has over 35 years of experience in the formation and operation of businesses, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, stock options, corporate governance, finance, and Securities and Exchange Commission reporting, representing publicly traded and privately held clients of all types and sizes in widely diverse industries. Mr. Brooks also has extensive experience in personal planning, property tax issues, and the formation and operation of tax-exempt and religious organizations.
Rebecca Van Loon
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP
Rebecca Van Loon is an established leader in the estate planning community and an asset to the clients she represents. With a practice focusing in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate administration and taxation law, Ms. Van Loon assists families and individuals with all aspects of their estate planning needs, including wills, trusts, advance health care directives and financial powers of attorney. She also assists clients with estate, gift and property tax planning, including charitable gift planning.
Uniquely, Ms. Van Loon is certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Only approximately five percent of California’s attorneys are certified as specialists by the State Bar. Ms. Van Loon received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Gonzaga University in 2007. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law in 2010.
While in law school, Ms. Van Loon participated in the Trusts and Estates Legal Clinic and competed in the Jessup International moot court competition. She also studied abroad in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Ms. Van Loon also holds an LL.M in Taxation, magna cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law, which she earned in 2011. Recently, Ms. Van Loon’s practice has grown to incorporate international estate planning (inbound/outbound for citizens/residents and non-citizen residents), as well as the representation of individuals, private professional fiduciaries and corporate trustees as fiduciaries through trust and estate administrations.