Nicolas serves as a Partner in the Firm’s Estate Planning and Wealth Preservation practice. He advises individuals, families, and closely held businesses on sophisticated estate, tax, and wealth transfer strategies. His practice includes high-net-worth planning, business succession, charitable giving, special needs planning, and trust and estate administration.
A significant portion of Nicolas’s work focuses on developing and implementing tax-efficient strategies to preserve and transfer wealth across generations. He regularly counsels clients on complex planning matters, including post-SECURE Act retirement and qualified fund planning. He frequently integrates advanced charitable strategies to address evolving tax constraints. In addition, he partners closely with family-owned businesses to structure strategic, tax-efficient succession plans, including the use of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), ESOPs and other employee ownership transactions, while advising selling owners on related pre-and post-transaction tax planning techniques designed to preserve, protect, and transition family wealth.
Nicolas brings deep experience in sophisticated lifetime and testamentary planning techniques. His work includes generation-skipping transfer tax strategies, intentionally defective grantor trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), and beneficiary deemed owner trust structures. He tailors each approach to align estate, gift, and income tax considerations with his clients’ long-term objectives. He also advises high-profile individuals, including athletes, business leaders, and media personalities, on privacy-focused planning solutions such as the use of blind trusts.
In addition to his client work, Nicolas is widely recognized for his commitment to pro bono service. His honors include the Ohio Northern Pro Bono Service Recognition Award in 2011, Volunteer Attorney of the Year for the 18th Judicial District of Arkansas in 2013, and the Legal Aid of Arkansas Pro Bono Service Award in 2017.
