Bio

With three decades of experience in the estate planning arena, James Steffel functions as both a generalist and a specialist. In his role as client manager, he identifies what services clients need and who in the firm is best suited to provide them. As an estate, succession and strategic planning expert for families and closely held entities, he operates in the more proscribed family office, commercial and health care sectors and handles any taxation, transactional and litigation issues that arise. Providing a combination of business law and asset protection counsel, Jim helps company owners plot their organizations’ futures and the ways they will eventually be handed to successors. Since the advent of the new presidential administration, Jim and his team have also focused on numerous significant anticipated changes to tax laws and policies. A big advocate of proactive planning, Jim develops personalized, detailed tax strategies that address each client’s particular circumstances and minimize taxation without negatively impacting familial, legacy or business priorities. Jim spent the first 10 years of his legal career in a two-man firm, where he developed knowledge and skills in multiple disciplines including litigation, real estate, business and estate planning. The experience gave him a broad perspective that few lawyers possess, and he brings this insight and familiarity to his current practice. In addition to deep well of knowledge and expertise, Jim contributes his honesty, sensitivity and confidentiality to each matter. He truly cares about his clients and their families and views his role as that of a servant who provides an open balance of thorough and pragmatic value. Highly proficient at gathering and analyzing relevant information, Jim quickly identifies both potential pitfalls and positive prospects and candidly explains them to clients in clear, straightforward language. Taking a collaborative approach, he then develops alternatives and options and helps clients plot the path forward that best fits their goals, preferences and appetites for risk. Jim’s clients live primarily in Michigan or Florida, but the nature of his practice involves property, beneficiaries and fiduciaries throughout the United States and oc