Integrating Business Ownership with Comprehensive Estate Planning

Your business isn't just an asset—it's often your family's primary source of wealth and a legacy you've spent years building. Yet without proper succession planning, that legacy faces unnecessary taxes, family disputes, and potential dissolution. We help business owners throughout Maricopa County integrate their business planning with sophisticated estate planning strategies, ensuring both continuity and tax efficiency.

Entity Formation & Structure

The right entity structure forms the foundation for both operational success and future wealth transfer. We help business owners choose and implement structures that serve today's needs while positioning for tomorrow's opportunities:

• LLC and Corporation Formation — Arizona entity formation for business ventures and asset protection, especially residential real estate investment structuring

• Operating and Shareholder Agreements — Governance documents that anticipate succession and ownership transitions

• Tax-Efficient Structuring — Balancing income tax savings with estate and gift tax planning

• Asset Protection Planning — Shielding business and personal assets through coordinated entity and trust structures

Business Succession Planning

Every business owner needs an exit strategy—whether planned or unexpected. We create comprehensive succession plans that protect your business, your family, and your legacy:

• Buy-Sell Agreements — Clear procedures for ownership transitions triggered by death, disability, or departure

• Valuation Provisions — Designing fair methodologies and procedures for CPA-performed valuations

• Funding Strategies — Life insurance, installment sales, and other mechanisms to ensure liquidity

• Management Succession — Planning for leadership transitions that maintain business continuity

• Family Business Governance — Structures that balance family dynamics with business needs

Ownership Transfer & Tax Planning

Transferring business ownership—whether to family members, key employees, or third parties—requires careful coordination of income, gift, and estate tax strategies:

• Family Limited Partnerships — Leveraging valuation discounts while maintaining control

• Installment Sales to IDGTs — Tax-efficient transfers that provide retirement income

• Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) — Transferring appreciation with minimal gift tax

• Charitable Planning with Business Interests — Using business assets for philanthropic goals

• Generation-Skipping Strategies — Preserving business wealth across multiple generations

Integration with Your Estate Plan

Business succession planning shouldn't exist in a vacuum. We ensure your business planning coordinates seamlessly with your broader estate planning objectives:

• Aligning buy-sell agreements with trust provisions

• Coordinating entity structures with asset protection trusts

• Balancing liquidity needs across business and personal estates

• Maximizing step-up in basis opportunities

• Planning for estate tax liquidity without forced business sales

Who We Serve

Our business law services are designed for:

• Business Owners — Entrepreneurs and family business owners seeking integrated succession and estate planning

• Medical and Professional Practices — Physicians, dentists, and professionals planning practice transitions

• Real Estate Investors — Owners of investment properties needing entity and succession strategies

• High Income Executives — Corporate leaders with equity compensation requiring coordinated planning

What We Don't Handle

We focus on business planning that integrates with estate planning. For services outside this scope, we coordinate with specialized counsel:

• Complex M&A transactions

• Commercial litigation

• Employment law disputes

• Intellectual property registration

• Securities offerings

Protect Your Business Legacy

With Mr. Ganser’s LLM in Taxation and deep experience in both business and estate planning, we help Arizona business owners create succession plans that minimize taxes, prevent disputes, and preserve the enterprises you've worked so hard to build.

Contact us at (480) 930-5859 to discuss how integrated business and estate planning can protect your life's work.