Rob Wood and Jan Schlichtmann on 468b trusts.

In part two of a podcast that Jan and Rob did while at the WTLA conference in Scottsdale, AZ we are part of an in depth discussion on the topic of 468b trusts. I know a lot of people ask me why I am such an advocate of these and my answer is that virtually no area of settlements is more wide open for growth then cases in which these are used. Now that I have LBN properly funded and staffed, your going to see a major expansion of the content and business focus of Wahlstrom & Associates, and that is going to be about our wide ranging work on cases involving 468b settlement funds. If you are a trial lawyer, a structured settlement professional or a plaintiff, these series of video and audio podcasts on structured settlements, settlement planning and 468b trusts are going to be of interest to you.

468b trusts and tax issues to consider.

One of the nations leading experts on the taxation of damages is Attorney Robert Wood of the firm, Wood Porter of San Francisco, CA and he joins Mark Wahlstrom and Scott Drake on Speaking of Settlements this week to discuss his recent article in the Journal of Tax practices and Procedure on the use of 468b trusts. 

As regular readers and listeners to The Legal Broadcast Network and The Settlement Channel know, 468b trusts, also know as qualified settlement funds, are one of the single most useful and powerful tools for the management of multi-claimant/multi-defendant litigation. They provide a safe harbor during the management and prosecution of a case into which funds can be received by defendants at various times and amounts, with out taxable receipt by the attorney or the plaintiffs in the case. This allows for a rational, transparent process by which legal fees are paid, expenses are paid, government benefits or liens calculated and accounted for, structured annuities purchased and funded along with other substantial benefits. 

However, as these gain in popularity and awareness in the trial practices of leading attorneys, the potential for mistakes or over reaching as to their use looms large and that is the focus of these articles and this two part podcast. Rob and Mark discuss how lawyers can avoid mistakes in the creation of these trusts in the first place, but in the article and podcast they also review the process by which a code sec. 468b trust for a lawyers trust account can potentially be established even after receiving settlement proceeds. This is a very technical area and one that attorneys or settlement professionals should tread carefully in, and only with top quality tax counsel that knows exactly what they are doing.

If you or your firm are considering the use of a 468b trust, or possibly have received funds in a recent case that you think might have been better served by the process of electing status of a 468b trust, then you should listen to these two podcasts or go to Rob Wood's site where you can access the complete articles.

You can listen to the first podcast on 468b trusts by clicking here.

You can listen to the second follow up podcast on 468b trusts by clicking here. 

Joe Jamail discusses structured settlements

Famed trial lawyer Joe Jamail, the attorney that brought in a $12 billion verdict against Texaco in the landmark Pennzoil vs Texaco case was recently interviewed by the Legal Broadcast Network while at a NSSTA regional in Austin, TX.

Mr. Jamail had spoken at length to the members of the National Structured Settlement Trade Association earlier in the day and then agreed to an interview to discuss the vital importance of structured settlements as a tool for injury victims and others who receive large court awards. Very often it is the trial lawyer who over looks the key role they play in providing settlement options to their clients, matching them up with a qualified settlement professional and explaining how the structured settlement annuity is used to guarantee tax free income and future funds to protect them and their family.

You can view this entire video, that was sponsored by NSSTA and produced by The Legal Broadcast Network, by either clicking on the TV screen in this blog or clicking on this link. If you are considering the option of using a structured settlement or if you are a trial lawyer wondering what your responsibility is to obtain professional advice for your client, this is a very valuable video for you to watch.

Wahlstrom and Associates is one of the leading experts nationally in the use of structured settlements and underwriting settlement annuity contracts. If you want to know more about structured settlements or how to work with our firm, contact us at the email form on this page.