Professional Experience
While receiving heartfelt thank yous are part of Linda’s job as an estate planning attorney, they reaffirm why she wanted to become an attorney – to help people through a complicated, emotional life event and to make a positive difference. No two estate plans are alike because everyone’s life is unique—their values, their relationships, and their assets.
Linda’s estate planning practice includes:
- Planning and drafting estate planning documents to avoid probate and minimize estate and income taxes through the use of revocable and irrevocable trusts, marital property agreements, titling, and beneficiary designations.
- Advising clients on tax and non-tax issues regarding making substantial lifetime gifts.
- Succession planning for cabins, hunting land, and other recreational property.
- Probate and trust administration.
- Advising clients on how to set up beneficiary designations for their IRAs and other retirement accounts in a manner that maximizes income tax deferral.
- Advising high net worth clients on various income, gift and estate laws.
In addition to her estate planning practice, Linda also has experience with business law. Recently, she assisted a family with the purchase of numerous businesses. Because of her business knowledge, she was able to create a tailored estate plan that met their needs and objectives. Specifically, Linda’s business law practice includes:
- Setting up corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships, and advising clients on which type of entity is appropriate for them.
- Advising clients who are interested in transferring ownership of a farm or other closely held business on business succession issues so that both the business and family thrive.
- Drafting buy/sell agreements and operating agreements.
- Assisting clients who are buying and selling closely held businesses.
Linda is a proud mother of two sons. She enjoys hiking, camping, and cooking, especially for her family. While she reads a lot of tax law, her recreational reading preference is decidedly fiction.
Education
- University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (1984)
- J.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison (1988)
Bar Associations
- American Bar Association - Section Member: Business Law; Taxation; Real Property, Trust & Estate Law
- State Bar of Wisconsin - Section Member: Business Law; Elder Law; Real Property; Taxation; Agribusiness
- Eau Claire County Bar Association
Admitted to Practice
- Wisconsin Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Professional Activities
- Eau Claire County Bar Association - President (2013 - 2014); Volunteer at Free Legal Clinic
- University of Wisconsin Law School Lawyering Skills Course, Representing the Small Business Client - Faculty (2013, 2017)
Civic Activities
- Chippewa Valley Symphony Foundation - Trustee (2012 - 2018)
- Chippewa Valley Symphony - Past President
- Eau Claire YMCA - Board Member (2007 - 2013)
- Eau Claire YMCA Endowment Trust - Trustee (current)
- Eau Claire Community Foundation - Development Committee Chair (2012 - present), Trustee (2015 - present)
- HSHS Sacred Heart Foundation Leadership Council - Advisory Board Member (2013 - present)
- Friends of UCP Foundation - Board Member (2009 - 2013)
- United Cerebral Palsy of West Central Wisconsin, Inc. - Board Member (2000 - 2013)
Blue Ink Blog Articles