Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
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William J. Brody
William J. Brody
 
wbrody@fredlaw.com
p: 612.492.7026
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f: 612.492.7077
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Assistant: Erin Earl 612.492.7618
General Bio
 

Introduction

Bill, a shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron in the Trusts & Estates Group, focuses on sophisticated wealth transfer issues for individuals, families, and family offices, His specific areas of expertise include:

  • Estate and tax planning for individuals (including the preparation of wills, trusts, and related documents);
  • Charitable gift planning and administration;
  • Estate and trust administration;
  • Estate and trust controversies;
  • Tax controversies.

Education

  • Indiana University School of Law, J.D., 1976, magna cum laude, Indiana Law Journal, Associate Editor, 1975-76
  • Purdue University, B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1973, with honors
  • Tau Beta Pi

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota, 1976
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1978
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1980

Practice Areas

Selected Publications & Presentations

  • "Doing Good and Saving Taxes (Is the Conventional Wisdom Always Correct or is There Still Room for Common Sense?)," Washington State Bar Association (CLE), October 5, 1999
  • "Planning for the Larger Estate (Going Beyond the Credit Trust)," Minnesota Association of Life Underwriters (Seminar), September 9, 1999
  • "Drafting the Documents: What to Include and Why," Minnesota State Bar Association (CLE), September 24, 1998
  • "What Every Development Officer Should Know: (But on Occasion Was Afraid to Ask) About Charitable Lead Trusts," Minnesota Planned Giving Council, July 14, 1998
  • "Post-Mortem Estate Planning," Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants 42nd Annual Tax Conference, November 18-19, 1996
  • "Planning Options for the Larger Estate," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education 22nd Annual Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 13-14, 1996
  • "The Benefits of Preserving Private Lands," The Minnesota Land Trust Land Preservation Forum - Preserving Our Private and Family Lands, May 30, 1996
  • "Estate Planning Concerns for Retirement Distributions," Red River Valley Estate Planning Council, Oct. 18, 1995
  • "Planning for Disclaimers," Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants Annual Estate and Financial Planning Conference, June 7, 1995
  • "Planning the Large Estate," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education 21st Annual Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 1 & 2, 1995
  • "Community Foundations Versus Private Foundations: Estate and Charitable Planning After 170(e)(5)," The Minneapolis Foundation, December 8, 1994
  • "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Uses and Abuses of Charitable Remainder Trusts," Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, 12th Annual Estate and Personal Financial Planning Conference, June 9 & 10, 1994
  • "Transferring the Closely Held Business," Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 24, 1994
  • "Taking a Fresh Look at Retirement Assets: Creative Uses in Estate Planning," The Minneapolis Foundation, December 9, 1993
  • "Planning and Drafting Concerns for Residence GRITS and GRATS," Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law of the American Bar Association, April 29 & 30, 1993
  • "The House That Roared: The Use of Personal Residence Trusts Under Section 2702," ICLE and Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan, Advanced Estate Planning Institute, November 6, 1992
  • "A Potpourri of Charitable Planning Ideas," American Cancer Society/Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, Charitable Giving Seminar, July 29, 1992
  • "Current Planning with Buy-Sell Agreements," Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, The 10th Annual Estate and Personal Financial Planning Conference, May 28-29, 1992
  • "Taming GRITS, GRATS, QPRTS and Other Creatures Oozing from the Section 2702 Swamp," Annual UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, May 15 & 16, 1992
  • "Estate Planning Considerations for Transfers of Non-Business Interests: GRITS and Joint Purchases," 36th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Washington State Bar Association, October 1991
  • "Closely Held Business Issues in Planning and Administration," 17th Annual Conference of Probate and Trust Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 1991
  • "S-Corporation Planning," 23rd Annual Advanced Life Underwriting Institute, Minnesota Association of Life Underwriters, May 1991

Professional Activities

  • Trusts and Estates Group, Past Chair
  • Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Shareholder and member of Board of Directors
  • The Minneapolis Foundation, Past Chairperson and Trustee
  • Indiana University School of Law, Member of the Board of Visitors
  • Probate and Trust Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Past Chairperson
  • Minneapolis Estate Planning Council, Past President
  • Minnesota Zoo Foundation, Past Chairperson
  • Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Planned Gift Committee
  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Development Committee

Honors & Distinctions

  • Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
  • Minnesota Super Lawyer, Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine
  • The Best Lawyers in America (nominated by peers), 2007-2008 edition