West Legal Directory Profile - Firmsite

Harlan S. Louis
Columbus, Ohio
Harlan practices in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, and Ohio tax appeals. He is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He administers trusts and estates with a wide range of tax and probate issues. Harlan has extensive experience with dynasty trusts, asset protection strategies, generation skipping trusts, life insurance irrevocable trusts, family limited partnerships, planning for non-traditional families and charitable giving.
Harlan also represents clients before Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, Ohio Department of Taxation, and county Boards of Revision concerning estate, real property, personal property, sales and use tax issues. He assists clients in tax strategies, including planning for Ohio's new commercial activity tax. He represents Crew Stadium on tax matters, including passage of new legislation to exempt the stadium from real property tax.
Harlan is a certified public accountant (inactive) and is licensed to practice law in the U.S. Tax Court, Florida and Ohio. He has achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV peer review rating and has twice been named an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star by Law & Politics magazine.
Education
University of Florida College of Law (LL.M. in Taxation, 1995)
University of Dayton School of Law (J.D., 1994; cum laude)
Miami University
(B.S. in Accounting, 1989)
Practice Areas
Business Succession and Wealth Transfer Planning
Charitable Tax Planning
Elder Law
Estate and Gift Taxation
Estate Administration
Estate Planning
Guardianships
Living Wills
Powers of Attorney
Probate and Estate Administration
Personal and Real Property Taxes
State and Local Taxation and Appeals
Sales and Use Taxes
Taxation Planning and Appeals
Trusts
Wills
Bar Admissions
Ohio
Florida
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
United States Tax Court
Noteworthy Matters
Part of the first class designated as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the Ohio State Bar Association.
Extensive estate planning and business succession work, including gifting strategies, life insurance trusts, dynasty trusts, family limited partnerships, qualified personal residence trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), charitable giving, and planning for non-traditional families.
State and local tax matters, including representing Crew Stadium on tax matters, including passage of new legislation to exempt the stadium from real property tax.
Frequent lecturer on estate planning and tax topics.
Chairman of the Probate Court Committee of the Columbus Bar Association
Memberships and Community Involvement
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association (Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section)
Florida State Bar Association
Columbus Bar Association
Chairman, Probate Court Committee
Columbus Estate Planning Council
Columbus Jewish Foundation
Member, Board of Trustees and Executive Committee
Chairman, Legal and Tax Advisory Committee
Member, Professional Council, The Columbus Foundation
BalletMet, Planned Giving Council
Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT),
Affiliate Member, Property Tax
Affiliate Member, State and Local Income Tax.
Pro-bono attorney, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Ohio State Legal Services Association
Certified Public Accountant, Ohio (currently inactive)
Honors/Awards
Martindale Hubbell, AV Rating
Ohio Super Lawyers - Rising Star, Named by Law & Politics magazine, 2005 and 2006
Leave a Legacy Professional Advisor Award, 2001
Website Articles
Snowbirds Come Home: Tax Policy Revision Intended To Reverse
2006 Estate and Gift Tax Update
Unique Estate Planning Issues for Same-Sex or Unmarried Couples