William L. Guy III

Counsel

Office: 701.237.8200
Email: jraymond@fredlaw.com
Assistant: Jordan Raymond, 701.237.8231

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PRIMARY SERVICES

Trusts & Estates
Family & Closely Held Business
Real Estate

FEATURES

Fargo’s Trusts & Estates team once again assisted low income veterans with their estate planning (July 17, 2019)

Overview

Estate planning and business succession are Bill’s primary practice areas. He focuses on estate tax minimization, wealth transfer and asset protection for clients and their descendants, many of whom are involved in farming or ranching, oil and gas, closely held businesses or licensed professions such as medicine or engineering.

Bill is the senior member of the Fargo Trusts & Estates group which consists of five lawyers, six paralegals, and four secretaries. Our group emphasizes a systematic team approach to the needs of our clients. By so doing the work for our clients is done promptly, efficiently and in the most cost effective manner.

The team approach enables each aspect of a client’s work to be performed by the individual who is best qualified and least expensive to the client. The systematic approach developed over the past 43 years is one that is flexible enough to be adapted to each client’s specific needs and yet enables us to incorporate our latest thinking into each project and to complete our work in an efficient and timely manner.

Bill and his colleague, John Williams, both of whom grew up in farm families, spend one day each month meeting with clients in Williston and in Bismarck. Many of these clients own oil, gas, and other mineral interests and are actively involved in family farms and ranches, oil field service businesses and other types of closely held businesses.

Although none of them practice accounting, Bill is one of three lawyers in the Fargo Trusts & Estates group who is also a certified public accountant.

Experience

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Business Succession, Estate Tax Minimization, Wealth Transfer and Asset Protection

Bill has represented numerous clients in both North Dakota and Minnesota with these objectives who are the owners of:

Oil and Gas Interests in Western North Dakota
Oil Field Service Companies
Family Farming Operations
Certified Seed Companies
Agricultural Real Estate (that is rented to third parties)
Manufacturing Companies:
- Agricultural Equipment
- Specialty Equipment for the Construction Industry
- Industrial Lamps
- Truck Bed Liners
Body Shops
Machine Tool Companies
Computer-Assisted Metal Building Design Company
Rental Real Estate Management Companies
Real Estate Development Companies
General Contractor Construction Companies
Roofing Companies
Excavation Companies
Heavy Equipment Sales Companies
Commercial Cleaning Service
Pizza Parlors, Restaurants and Nightclubs
Nursery/Garden Centers
Lakeside Resorts
Fairground Food Truck Company
Franchise Auto Parts Stores
Franchise Fast Food Enterprises
Family Asset Holding Companies
Dental Practices
Pharmacies
Professional Engineering Firms
Insurance Agencies

Honors & Education

EDUCATION

University of North Dakota, J.D., 1976
University of North Dakota, B.S. of B.A. in Accounting, 1968

BAR ADMISSIONS

North Dakota, 1976
Minnesota, 1976
U.S. Tax Court, 1976

HONORS

Chambers High Net Worth Guide, Private Wealth Law, North Dakota, 2017-present
Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, 1987-present
AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell, 1987-present
The Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 2010-present
Best Lawyers’ Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year,” in Fargo, 2012, 2017, 2021
Super Lawyer, Great Plains Super Lawyers magazine
Minnesota State Bar Association, North Star Lawyer, 2013-2014
Named “Best of the Bar” in the area of Trusts and Estates by attorneys in Cass and Clay Counties, 2002
Outstanding Chair Award, State Bar Association of North Dakota for chairing the N.D. Uniform Trust Code Legislative Drafting Task Force and for 25 years of chairing the N.D. Business Entity Legislative Drafting Task Force, 2007

Professional Activities

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Advisor, UND School of Law Building Planning Committee, 2013-2015
Pro Bono Attorney, Minnesota Assistance Council – Veterans, 2013-present
State Bar Association of North Dakota, 1976-present
North Dakota Society of Certified Public Accountants, 1973-present
Minnesota State Bar Association, 1976-present
Clay County Bar Association, 1976-present
Cass County Bar Association, 1976-present
Red River Valley Estate Planning Council, 1976-present
Certified Public Accountant, North Dakota (Inactive), 1973-present
Estate Planning Law Specialist and Accredited Estate Planner certifications by the National Association of Estate Planning Councils, 2000-present
Naval Supply Corps Officer, U.S. Navy, 1968-1973

COMMUNITY

Mentor, UND Pancratz Career Development Center, 2012-present
President, University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 2007-2009
Director, University of North Dakota Foundation and University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 2001-2012
Director, Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation, 2000-2009
National Co-Chair, C-400 Project 16, Concordia College, 2000-2003
Director, Fargo North Baseball Club, 1999-2001
Director, Fargo North Raiders Youth Hockey Club, 1990-1996
Director, Hope Lutheran Foundation, 1989-1995
Director, American Lutheran Church Board of Pensions, 1979-1987