THE PRACTICESterlington's Private Wealth group advises the kind of clients most T&E lawyers spend a career trying to reach: founders at the peak of their business, executives navigating complex compensation and liquidity events, and multigenerational families managing significant inherited wealth. The work is sophisticated, the clients are consequential, and the team is deliberately small.
As an Associate on this team, you will work directly with senior practitioners on real matters; not spend years on drafting assignments before you see a client. The practice is built around one belief: the best way to develop a great private wealth lawyer is to give them great private wealth work.
WHAT YOU'LL DO - Draft wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and ancillary estate planning documents for high-net-worth and UHNW clients
- Support design and implementation of advanced planning structures: GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, QPRTs, charitable trusts (CLTs/CRTs), and private foundations
- Assist with trust and estate administration; probate, fiduciary accounting, beneficiary communications, and post-mortem planning
- Conduct federal and state tax research on estate, gift, GST, and fiduciary income tax issues
- Support business succession planning matters, including entity structure analysis and buy-sell agreement review
- Coordinate with family offices, accountants, and investment advisors as part of multidisciplinary client teams
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Three pillars. Equal weight. All three required.
- FOUNDATION
J.D. from a top-tier law school. 2-6 years of trusts and estates experience at an AmLaw 100 firm or a recognized private wealth boutique. You have drafted complex estate plans, you understand the federal transfer tax system, and you have real experience; not just exposure; to UHNW client matters. LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning is a meaningful differentiator. - TECHNICAL & TAX ACUITY
Estate planning at this level is fundamentally a tax practice. You are comfortable with IRC §2010, §2642, §2031, and the mechanics of grantor trust rules. You can spot a 280G issue when it surfaces in a succession context. You can hold a drafting conversation with a senior partner without needing the answer to every question; but you know when to ask. - CLIENT PRESENCE
Private wealth clients are not transactional. They are long-term relationships (often spanning generations) and they are built on trust and discretion. You write clearly, you communicate well under pressure, and you understand that how you show up in a client meeting matters as much as the quality of the document you drafted the night before.
A NOTE ON TECHNOLOGY
Associates who use AI tools for research, document drafting, and tax analysis will find meaningful support here. We are investing in building a technology-forward private wealth practice. Curiosity about how AI can enhance estate planning work is welcomed.
COMPENSATION Compensation at Sterlington is competitive and structured around the quality of the person and the context they bring. We take both seriously. Full-time employees are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k).
