Michael O. Hartz

Michael O. Hartz is co-head of the Chicago Trusts and Estates Practice. Mr. Hartz concentrates his practice in estate planning and his clients consist primarily of successful family business owners who are high net-worth individuals. He assists clients in designing family business succession plans; estate plans that use sophisticated trust techniques to implement the individual’s desire to shift future wealth in the most tax-efficient manner while treating the succeeding generations fairly and equally; and charitable planning strategies that are integrated into the individual’s overall estate plan.

Mr. Hartz has written numerous articles on tax and estate planning matters for publications, including the Journal of Taxation and TAXES. He is a member of the Board of Estate Planning and Taxation for Trusts & Estates as well as a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. A speaker and panelist at numerous estate planning, tax and retirement seminars, Mr. Hartz is also a former adjunct professor in the LLM in Taxation program at the John Marshall School of Law. He has been listed in Illinois Super Lawyers (2007–2013) and in The Best Lawyers in America (2008–2013).

Mr. Hartz received his BA from Kalamazoo College, his JD from the University of Detroit School of Law, and an LLM in taxation from the University of Florida.