International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce three additions to its Private Client Practice Group: Partner Anita Rosenbloom and Counsel John Kiely in New York and Partner Jay Scharf in Miami. Anita, John and Jay previously worked together and bring extensive experience in helping ultra-high-net-worth clients navigate complex estate and business planning and administration matters.

“Anita, John and Jay have a proven track record and a diverse practice in estate planning and trust and estate administration work, which will bring immediate benefit to our clients, as well as position our team for further growth in the coming years,” said Neil Kawashima, head of the Firm’s private client practice. “Anita specifically brings decades-long legal and business experience and is the trusted principal advisor to generations of multiple large families.”

Anita is a recognized leader in the private client field and has significant experience representing multigenerational privately held businesses. She has a deep understanding of the highly technical and practical issues that arise when structuring and implementing estate and business plans, negotiating real estate and other business transactions, managing private funds and other investments, and, when disputes arise, facilitating consensus and conflict resolution often on a tax-favored basis. She also has substantial experience in estate and trust administration and represents fiduciaries in transactions involving the estates and trusts of decedents, counsels with respect to fiduciary matters, and advises on probate proceedings, estate tax reporting and audit matters.

“I believe McDermott has the best private client practice in the nation and I have always held great admiration for its unparalleled contribution to the advancement of the practice,” said Anita. “The McDermott platform will provide vast resources to my clients, and I am thrilled to be here.”

John advises high-net-worth individuals and families on the full range of wealth management issues, including the preparation of wills, revocable trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and domestic asset protection trusts. He also represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in connection with trust and estate administration and litigation. Additionally, as an avid art collector, John advises artists and other collectors on estate planning and is well-versed in the nuances of the art market, which are often overlooked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when valuing art.

Jay advises high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices on developing customized strategies to help them attain their personal and estate planning goals while minimizing income and transfer taxes. His practice involves trust and estate administration, advising clients on all aspects of IRS and state tax compliance with respect to trusts and estates, including the preparation of federal and state estate tax returns, and defending clients in estate and gift tax audits.

Anita, John and Jay join from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP where Anita served as chair of the Private Client Services Group.

McDermott’s Private Client Practice Group represents ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, and their family offices, with an extraordinary focus on the client’s unique objectives. The team of more than 110 lawyers is continually recognized as a top private client practice in the United States and among the top practices worldwide. In 2022, McDermott’s private client practice was awarded the only national Band 1 ranking for Private Wealth Law in the United States by Chambers High Net Worth, a guide dedicated to the global private wealth market.

McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.