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Philip J. Halley
Attorney
555 East Wells Street
Suite 1900
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3819
Phone: (414) 978-5426
Fax: (414) 223-5000
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Trusts & Estates
Philip J. Halley is a shareholder in Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.’s Milwaukee office, where he heads the firm’s Trusts & Estates Team. He has served the estate planning, administration and taxation needs of clients for more than 29 years, and also has represented many of them in estate and trust controversy matters and general business law matters. Mr. Halley was recognized by Best Lawyers® as Lawyer of the Year 2012 in Milwaukee for Trusts and Estates and Lawyer of the Year 2013 in Milwaukee for Litigation - Trusts and Estates.

Education

  • The Cardozo Dispute Resolution Institute, Yeshiva University, 2003
  • The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., with honors, 1981; Board of Editors, Ohio State Law Journal; Order of the Coif
  • The Ohio State University, B.S.B.A. (Economics) summa cum laude, 1978

Admissions

  • State Bar of Wisconsin
  • The Florida Bar
  • United States District Court, E.D. Wisconsin
  • United States District Court, W.D. Wisconsin
  • United States Tax Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Awards & Distinctions

  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as Lawyer of the Year 2013 in Milwaukee for Litigation - Trusts & Estates; Recognized by Best Lawyers® as Lawyer of the Year 2012 in Milwaukee for Trusts & Estates
  • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in Trusts & Estates (1995-2013), Litigation - Trusts & Estates (2012-2013)
  • Recognized in Top 50 by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® since inception of publication, including Top 10 in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and Top 25 Milwaukee Area Super Lawyers® in 2011 and 2012
  • Co-Author, Marital Property Law in Wisconsin (State Bar of Wisconsin)
  • Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service, Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association and Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. Volunteer Lawyers Project
  • Law Clerk to the Hon. Robert W. Warren, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1981-1983

Representative Work

  • Structured estate plans to meet the specific business, family and financial needs and circumstances of various clients.
  • Prepared wills and trust agreements, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, life insurance trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and private foundations (both trusts and corporations).
  • Represented clients in planning estates involving multi-jurisdictional and multi-national issues.
  • Negotiated and drafted various types of marital property agreements for clients.
  • Represented fiduciaries and beneficiaries in complex estate, trust and tax disputes.
  • Argued before the Wisconsin Supreme Court one of the leading cases on federal and Wisconsin estate tax apportionment.
  • Represented a national charitable organization in connection with the construction and reformation of a devise benefiting southeastern Wisconsin.
  • Represented one of Wisconsin's largest private charitable trusts in regard to numerous grant agreements with public charitable organizations.
  • Served as a member of the Uniform Trust Code Committee of the State Bar of Wisconsin Real Property, Probate and Trust Section.

Professional Associations

  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
  • Milwaukee Estate Counselors’ Forum
  • Milwaukee Mid-Winter Estate Planning Clinic
  • American Bar Association
  • Milwaukee Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors, Camp Manito-wish YMCA (Boulder Junction, WI)
  • Past Chair, Board of Directors, Dominican High School
  • Board of Directors (former), Wiscraft, Inc. (formerly Wisconsin Enterprises for the Blind)
  • Board of Directors (former), Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind

Teaching Positions

  • Adjunct Faculty Member, Marquette University Law School’s course in Marital Property Law (1993 - 1997)