Peter M. Garson

Peter has worked with and for business clients and individuals throughout the State of Wisconsin for more than 25 years as a trusted business and legal adviser.

Business Experience

His experience as a business attorney includes advising clients about setting up the right type of business entity (such as corporations, LLCs and partnerships), business acquisitions representing clients on both the buying and selling side, business reorganizations and combinations by merger, and liquidating and dissolving the business when the time is right.

He believes business owners should concentrate their attention on running and developing their business, while trusting their business attorney to play a proactive role in advising the business as to legal matters. As such, he has assisted many clients in recognizing and developing strategies to promote growth and profitability, while avoiding the problems and conflicts that potentially cause negative and detrimental impacts on businesses. His clients often turn to him as a trusted business adviser to assist in a variety of areas, including:

• Brainstorming about business and legal ideas and strategies
• Reviewing, drafting and negotiating important business documents such as loan and financing documents, leases, franchise documents, entity records, licensing agreements, employment related documents such as non-compete and confidentiality agreements and employee handbooks
• Assessing the merits and likelihood of success in litigation matters

Peter also has experience in the acquisition and development of commercial and residential real estate as well, and has assisted clients with the negotiation and drafting of commercial and residential leases and the myriad of issues and complexities involved in either process.

He knows and understands the needs and wants of business clients because he grew up working in his parents’ family owned business along with his six siblings. Drawing upon his own family business experiences, he has developed a unique skill set and is adept at working with individual business owners in the area of business succession planning. He helps owners, their family members—who may or may not be actively engaged in the business operations— as well as key employees of the business, in designing, implementing and monitoring a well thought out succession or business transition plan which will promote family harmony as well as position the business for success for future generations.

Individual Estate Planning & Tax Experience

In addition to business succession planning, Peter provides valuable estate planning guidance to individuals to help fulfill their wishes regarding the distribution and management of assets upon death while also avoiding or minimizing potentially adverse income and estate tax consequences. By first listening to their wishes and asking the right questions at the onset, he is able to effectively draft the appropriate estate planning documents for his clients, including:

• Wills
• Revocable and irrevocable trusts
• Marital property agreements
• Financial and health care power of attorney forms

He also provides valuable income and estate tax advice, which not only provides clients with a peace of mind that their estate plans are in good order but also that the plans appropriately provide for their children and grandchildren.

With the tax and accounting knowledge he gained during college and law school and while employed by Arthur Andersen (once one of the Big 5 accounting firms) and during his tenure with the appeals division of the IRS, Peter has experience representing business and individual taxpayers before state and federal taxing authorities on compliance, audit and collection matters. In addition, he assists business clients in the design and implementation of a variety of tax planning strategies.

Peter is convinced that people don’t plan to fail, they simply fail (or are too busy) to plan. With his assistance and experience, clients can start planning for success and the future. So what are you waiting for, let’s get started.