MVM Firm Brochure 2014

MVM LAW

Matsen Voorhess Mintz LLP

Welcome To Matsen Voorhees Mintz LLP We specialize in providing sophisticated asset protection, estate planning, business planning, and income tax planning services to affluent individuals and families, prestigious institutions and highly successful business owners.

As one of the premier law firms in the country, we have the experience, technical expertise, resources and strategic professional alliances to handle not only local matters, but national and international matters as well.

While every one of our clients is unique, we serve all of them according to the following principles: • Clients are the most important people in our firm • Clients are not dependent on us, we are dependent on them • Clients are the purpose of our work, not an interruption; answering your questions is a privilege – an opportunity to earn your business and trust • Clients rely on us to help them continue to prosper, and our job is to do so as courteously, efficiently and effectively as possible Ultimately, our goal is not just to help you realize your dreams, but to help you – and the people you love – enjoy peace of mind. We thank you for investing your time in getting to know us, and we welcome the privilege of working with you in the pursuit of your life goals, dreams and legacy.

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Why Our Clients Choose Matsen Voorhees Mintz LLP You’ve worked long and hard to provide for your loved ones and save for the future.

Having done so, who can you trust to preserve what you have accumulated and help you enjoy the fruits of your labor today, while protecting your legacy and the future financial well-being of the people you care about most? To help answer these questions, we invite you to consider some of the credentials of our Principal Partners, Jeff Matsen, Tim Voorhees, and Jonathan Mintz. Please see their bios at the end of this brochure and on our website, www.MVMLawyers.com.

With collective experience of more than 100 years, Jeff, Tim, and Jonathan have been leaders in the estate planning, business planning, asset protection, probate, income tax, real estate and trust administration fields. All three men are sought-after speakers at seminars and events around the country, instructing attorneys, CPAs and financial planning professionals in the intricacies of zero-tax and asset protection planning, as well as related practice areas.

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A commitment to excellence, individualized client service, and professional integrity are the three core principals that the partners uphold at Matsen Voorhees Mintz LLP. Our firm is dedicated to helping clients maximize the value of their personal and business assets by means of both basic and cutting-edge strategies, as well as legal and tax planning tools and techniques. We welcome you to MVM Law, and we look forward to providing you with the excellent service you deserve!

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Estate Planning Taking care of the present, planning for the future

If you don’t have your own estate plan, the IRS and the state of California will simply impose one upon you and your heirs. At MVM Law, we are committed to scrupulously analyzing your potential tax liability, providing customized and specific recommendations to reduce or even eliminate the tax burden upon your estate and heirs. And that’s just the beginning: Through creative, highly sophisticated wealth preservation and management strategies, we can help make certain your golden years are spent in comfort, your loved ones are well taken care of, and that your enduring legacy is assured. Our primary interest is to alleviate all of your concerns.

We will provide you with all of the following services and more: • The Basics Revocable Living Trusts, Pour Over Wills, Powers of Attorney and Advance Healthcare Directives;

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• Dynasty Trusts To pass wealth over multiple generations free of gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax;

• Family Limited Liability Companies To hold various assets and devise discounted gifting plans while retaining influence and management over those assets; • Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) and Sales to Grantor Trusts (IDGTs) To establish a specific personal revenue stream while creating a vehicle to transfer wealth during your lifetime

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• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) To provide for insurance proceeds to be received by your heirs estate and income tax free so as to provide liquidity to pay for death expenses and estate tax; •

Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) To secure a planned income stream, structure tax savings, pass significant wealth to your loved ones and benefit the charities of your choice.

Asset Protection Planning Guiding, guarding, preserving and protecting

It is unfortunate, but true: We live in a highly litigious society and people today seem to sue one another over just about anything. Worse, you never really know what a jury might decide, regardless of how frivolous a lawsuit may appear. Even some of the people you love the most may need protection from themselves, such as those who suffer from drug or alcohol dependency, or who lack the maturity to handle a large inheritance on their own. All of this helps explain why Asset Protection Planning is such a rapidly growing area of the law and why it is so important for you to have a plan expertly tailored to your specific needs – particularly if you are a physician, attorney, CPA, business owner, real estate developer, or member of a profession that is subject to an unusually high number of lawsuits.

At MVM Law, we provide the guidance that individuals, families and owners of closely-held companies need in understanding the risks they face. We then design creative asset protection plans to guard against potential liabilities.

With years of experience in all areas of asset protection law, and an extensive network of leading financial professionals worldwide, we are particularly skilled at establishing and managing offshore trusts and corporations. The techniques and strategies we can use to protect your hard-won assets and legacy include:

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• Offshore and domestic business entity formation • Domestic trusts designed to safeguard assets from predators • Offshore trusts: Placing your assets beyond the jurisdiction of U.S. Courts and out of harm’s way • Equity stripping and asset isolation strategies to minimize the risks posed by potential predators and which ensure your privacy

Income Tax and Retirement Planning Income Tax solutions designed to maximize your retirement and family legacy

Most individuals pay too much income tax. In California, the top combined federal and state income tax rate is 57%. In other words, of every dollar you earn above approximately $450,000, you keep only .43 cents, and the government gets .57 cents. Even in states with no state income tax, the top rate exceeds 45%.

And while qualified retirement plans are excellent vehicles to defer income tax, upon reaching age 70 ½ you must begin taking what are known as Required Minimum Distributions, which are taxed as ordinary income. Thus, a retirement plan valued at $1 million is only worth $430,000 if the participant is in the highest tax bracket. Compounding the problem is the fact that many individuals are now in higher tax brackets than when they contributed to the retirement plan, because of increased tax rates.

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We believe that no one should pay more income tax than is required by law. Fortunately, the IRS agrees and offers incentives to reduce income taxes. In fact, Congress and the IRS recognize that charities are far more effective than the government when it comes to philanthropic causes, and thus the government offers tax deductions for contributions to charity. These contributions take different forms, including:

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• Direct contributions to the charities of your choice, or to a Donor Advised Fund that will make future contributions to the charities of your choice

• Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) to secure a planned income stream, structure tax savings, pass significant wealth to your loved ones and benefit the charities of your choice • Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs) to benefit the charities of your choice while eliminating estate tax and passing significant wealth to your loved ones • Private Foundations to benefit the charities of your choice, while creating a vehicle to engender philanthropy in younger family members and future generations

Business and Succession Planning Legal solutions designed to maximize the success of your business

If you are a business owner, chances are your business represents one of your most valuable assets. This means that a truly effective estate or asset protection plan is predicated upon having an effective business plan. Such a plan should help you earn the greatest possible return on your initial investment, save on income taxes, minimize your tax liability, protect your family and the business entity itself, while allowing for the possibility of growth and success. A well thought out plan will also offer protection against the financial consequences of operational problems or downturns in the economy. Finally, it must take into account the timing and manner of your exit from the business.

At MVM Law, we assist owners of businesses – both large and small – at start-up, exit, and at every stage in between. Our unique, highly effective EP Protection Plan™ serves as your in-house counsel for day-to-day business operations, strategic planning and executive coaching. It has been our experience that the very best plans depend upon collaboration. We welcome the opportunity to work closely with your company’s financial advisers, attorneys, CPAs, CFOs and other trusted professionals. We can provide you with all of the following business planning services and many more:

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• Entity selection and formation • Contract preparation and review • Corporate Compliance • Sales and acquisitions of business concerns • Shareholder LLC Operating and partnership agreements • Strategies for structuring capital investments and infusion of capital • Exit and succession planning strategies

Trust Administration and Probate Providing the support and resources you need upon the death of a loved one

The loss of a loved one is traumatic, painful and stressful. Making critical financial and legal decisions during a time of grief can be extremely difficult. At MVM Law we are dedicated to making the Trust Administration and Probate process as efficient as possible for your loved ones. We have represented hundreds of Trustees and court-appointed representatives in the administration and distribution of trusts and estates. We will expertly guide your loved ones through the process with sensitivity and compassion. Should your wishes ever be disputed or challenged, we aggressively defend your interests in court. The Trust Administration and Probate services we offer include: • Ongoing support and representation ser- vices for Executors, Administrators and Successor Trustees of family trusts • Preparation of appropriate estate tax return forms • Conservatorships and guardianships, to allow individuals to act on behalf of those who are unable or legally prohibited from handling their own personal and financial affairs • Representation in all Probate, Trust and Tax proceedings • Trust and estate fiduciary accounting • Probate and Trust Litigation and disputes

Real Estate Law

Getting the most out of your investment

For most individuals, families and business owners, real estate represents a major part of their total overall assets. Our real estate practice is focused on providing you with three main benefits: Helping you avoid the legal pitfalls associated with real estate ownership and transactions; maximizing your tax advantages; and ensuring your bottom line profitability on every one of your real estate holdings. To this end, we offer all of the following services and more: • Preparation and review of lease agreements • Sales and acquisitions agreements • Joint venture agreements • Construction contracts and commercial development • Financing review and analysis • Limited Liability Co. (LLC) formation and real estate entity funding • Title review and analysis • Deed preparation • Property tax reassessment issues

Principal Partners Jeffrey R. Matsen, Timothy Voorhees and Jonathan A. Mintz Jeff Matsen is the founding partner of the Southern California law firm, MVM Law and has been providing a wide range of clients with the highest level of legal services for over 40 years.

Since receiving his law degree with honors from UCLA School of Law in 1967, Jeff has been entirely dedicated to providing his clients with the quality, professionalism and integrity they deserve. MVM Law consists of a team of professionals ready to set up and form corporations,LLCs and partnerships of all types, and provide ongoing business, tax and legal advice for these entities. Jeff is also well versed in all areas of asset protection law, and has recently published an excellent resource on the subject, The Ladder of Success: An Asset Protection Planning Primer. Jeff’s knowledge, professionalism, responsiveness and integrity have vaulted him to the top of his field culminating in his designation by Worth magazine as one of “America’s Top 100 Attorneys”, by Los Angeles Magazine as one of California’s “Super Lawyers”, and the nationally renowned attorney rating service, ‘AVVO’ has rated Jeff a perfect “10/10 Superb”.

He has continued to achieve the highest “AV rating” and has been designated a “Preeminent Lawyer”

by Martindale Hubble. Perhaps most significantly, Matsen is the father of 7 children and was honored as the Orange County “Father of the Year” in 2007.

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Throughout his 35 year career as an estate planning lawyer and investment adviser, Tim Voorhees, J.D., M.B.A., has developed and implemented hundreds of Family Wealth Blueprints® to help clients reduce taxes while increasing retirement income, transfers to family members, and gifts to favorite charities.

Through the Zero Tax Institute, Tim equips advisers to integrate the most effective zero tax planning tools into financial and estate plans. In addition to publishing books described at www.ZeroTax Counsel.com and www.Legacies .info, Tim regularly publishes articles in Estate Planning Magazine, the Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Insurance News, the elite adviser website of Financial Planning Magazine, and other leading publications. Tim has spoken at national conferences of ALI-ABA, Kingdom Advisors, Peacemaker Ministries, the Southern California Tax & Estate Planning Forum, national networks for estate planning attorneys, and many other industry organizations. Tim is a member of the Maryland Bar, a Certified Christian Conciliator™ with Peacemaker Ministries, a Charter Member of Kingdom Advisors, and an Accredited Estate Planner®. He is a principal partner of MVM Law in Costa Mesa, CA and president of its affiliated Family Office Services, Inc.

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Jonathan Mintz, J.D., has nearly 25 years of experience in case design and implementation, making him uniquely qualified to help affluent families achieve their tax and estate planning objectives.

Before joining MVM Law, Jonathan served as Chief Operating Officer at WealthCounsel, LLC, overseeing the operations of the nation’s premier estate and business planning attorney membership organization, supporting thousands of attorneys throughout the United States. Because of his passion for helping professionals collaborate, Jonathan was also instrumental in the creation of The Advisors Forum, a national interdisciplinary membership organization that helps all disciplines of wealth planning professionals work together more productively for the benefit of their clients. Jonathan also spent time as Managing Board Member for Elder Counsel, LLC, an attorney support organization for 500+-member firms nationwide focusing in elder law and special needs planning. Jonathan is a frequent national speaker to attorneys, CPAs, and insurance and financial professionals, and he has authored or co-authored numerous articles including those published in Estate Planning Journal, the AICPA’s The Tax Adviser, The Journal of Financial Service Professionals, Broker World, and National Underwriter. Jonathan resides in Huntington Beach with his wife and is an avid cyclist.

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View full partner bios at www.MVMLawyers.com/Partners