Photo of Keith A. Herman

Keith A. Herman

Officer

"I work with clients to protect their family wealth from unnecessary taxes, expenses, divorce and creditor claims."

Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Illinois

Education

J.D., University of Missouri School of Law, Missouri Law Review

B.S., Business Administration, University of Missouri - Columbia

Profile

Keith Herman focuses his practice on tax planning, creditor and divorce protection and estate and trust administration. 

As many of Keith’s high-net-worth clients have closely held businesses and private foundations, he often provides advice on matters relating to these entities, including the transition of a business to the next generation. He has extensive experience with retirement account planning, asset protection, divorce protection and family-owned business succession planning. Keith works with several multi-generational families on preserving their wealth and educating younger family members, including representing family offices.  

Keith represents individual and corporate trustees with respect to all aspects of their fiduciary duties and the trust administration process, including trust litigation. He also represents individuals on their rights as beneficiaries of trusts.

As part of his practice, Keith also has experience with gift tax audits, estate tax audits and premarital agreements. He has been retained as an expert with respect to the marital property characterization of trust assets and trust distributions. 

In addition to being an elected fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Keith is also an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law, teaching Family Wealth Management I and Family Wealth Management II. He is also certified as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, an international organization for attorneys and other advisors who focus on family inheritance and succession planning.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow
  • Missouri Bar Association, Probate & Trust Law Committee
  • Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Tax Section, Vice Chair; Probate & Trust Law Steering Committee
  • Estate Planning Council of St. Louis
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Employee Benefits in Estate Planning Committee
  • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners 

Community/Civic Activities

  • St. Louis Public Library Foundation, Planned Giving Advisory Council

Honors & Awards

Honors & Awards

  • Chambers High Net Worth Guide, 2019-2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, 2023-2024; Trusts and Estates, 2018-2024, St. Louis area Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year, 2023
  • St. Louis Magazine, Top Accounting & Estate Planning Professionals in St. Louis for Exceptional Service & Overall Satisfaction, March 2014
  • Probate & Property, Excellence in Writing Award, Best Overall Article – Probate & Trust, “Coordinating Retirement Accounts with Estate Planning 101 (What Every Estate Planner Needs to Know)," 2006

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Implemented the full range of sophisticated tax planning techniques for clients, including rolling short-term grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), installment sales, family limited partnerships, corporate restructurings, buy-sell agreements, split dollar arrangements, dynasty trusts, asset protection trusts, conduit trusts for retirement plans, special needs trusts, insurance trusts and discount planning. 
  • Planned and implemented charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, private foundations, gifts of remainder interests in a home, charitable gift annuities and other planned gifts. 
  • Drafts a variety of estate planning documents, including revocable trusts, wills, powers of attorneys, split dollar agreements, Crummey trusts, 2503(c) trusts, 2642(c) trusts, irrevocable grantor trusts, GRATs, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance trusts, partnership agreements, limited liability operating agreements, S corporation documents, shareholder restriction agreements, voting trusts, buy-sell agreements, sale documents and private foundation documents.
  • Advises on a number of large generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax grandfathered trusts.
  • Prepares and reviews estate tax returns, gift tax returns, fiduciary income tax returns and private foundation returns (Forms 706, 709, 1041, and 990-PF).

News & Insights

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

Publications

Articles & Books

Newsletters

Blog Posts

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