Forrest J. Bass

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Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration and Estate Tax Attorney

Forrest is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Board certification in the area of Wills, Trusts and Estates is a distinction held by fewer than 0.4% of all lawyers in the state of Florida. Additionally, Forrest holds a master of laws degree in Taxation from Boston University School of Law which is consistently ranked as one of the top tax law programs in the country. Forrest serves as a member of the Firm’s executive committee.

Forrest gives his clients trusted counsel in the areas of wills, trusts, estates and related tax matters. Forrest prepares revocable trusts, last wills and testaments, powers of attorney and healthcare directives. In the tax planning context, Forrest prepares irrevocable grantor trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts, dynasty trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts.

When family members or professionals are called on to serve as personal representative or trustee, they turn to Forrest to guide them through the process of serving as a fiduciary and rely on his expert counsel to complete the process in a prudent and timely manner.

Forrest is sought out by local and out-of-state lawyers, accountants and financial advisors to advise on complex estate, trust and tax matters. Additionally, Forrest works with the Firm’s trusts and estates litigation attorneys in providing back-office support and advice in contested matters.

Practice Areas

• Trusts & Estates

Awards & Recognition

• Graduate, Florida Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”)
• AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Rising Stars, Florida Super Lawyers 2016-2019
• Burton Award for Legal Achievement, Distinguished Writing Award in Law (presented by the Burton Foundation in association with the Library of Congress)
• Suzanne Armstrong Award for Excellence in Legal Writing and Professional Conduct,
• St. Petersburg Times Award for Best Write-On Competition Paper, Stetson Law Review

Professional Memberships & Admissions

• Member, The Florida Bar
  • Member, Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section
  • Member, Tax Section
• Admitted to practice: All Florida State Courts
• Past President, Charlotte Estate Planning Council
• Member, Charlotte County Bar Association

Experience

• Federal Judicial Intern, Honorable Mark A. Pizzo, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa,
• Research Assistant, Dean Theresa J. Pulley Radwan, Stetson University College of Law,
• Recent Developments Editor, Stetson Law Review
• Teaching Fellow, Stetson University College of Law

Education

• Boston University School of Law, Master of Laws (LL.M.), Taxation
• Stetson University College of Law, Juris Doctor
• Flagler College, Bachelor of Arts, cum laude

Representative Work

• Successfully obtained IRS private letter ruling for client resulting in estate tax savings in excess of $2,000,000.
• Representation of multiple clients with wealth in excess of $50,000,000 in the design and implementation of sophisticated estate planning techniques resulting in substantial tax savings and wealth preservation for future generations.
• Representation of successful business owners, farmers and ranchers in the development of succession planning.
• Successful completion of judicial and non-judicial modifications of trusts.

Community Activities

• General Counsel, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
• Past Chair, Florida Bar Grievance Committee, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Group C
• Vice President, Charlotte County Bar Association
• Vice President, Harborside Center for the Arts, Inc.
• Committee Member, Florida Bar Wills, Trusts and Estates Board Certification Committee
• Committee Member, Estate and Trust Tax Planning Committee and Trust Law Committee of the Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section