Web Analytics
About Sarah

Tax-smart counsel for estate and benefits planning and tax-exempt entities

Sarah Linsley is an experienced transactional lawyer who advises individuals, families, taxable and tax-exempt employers, foundations, charities and others on a range of matters. She provides counsel for:

  • Estate planning
  • Tax-exempt organizations
  • Employee benefits

Bringing deep knowledge of tax law and skill in working with individuals, families, companies and nonprofit organizations, she works closely with her clients to understand their specific needs and deliver legal solutions tailored to their objectives.

Experience in Action

Estate Planning

  • Planning with generation-skipping exempt and non-exempt trusts to minimize transfer tax, maximize creditor protection and achieve other family-specific objectives.
  • Designing and implementing family investment vehicles, including trusts, partnerships and limited liability companies. 
  • Planning for special situations, including maintenance, restructuring and transitioning of family businesses and creating trusts for family members with special needs. 
  • Estate and distribution planning for all types of retirement plan benefits, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plan interests, IRAs and other income tax-sensitive interests.
  • Post-death estate and trust administration, including post-death planning, tax return preparation, handling audits and other fiduciary duties.
  • Representing executors, trustees and beneficiaries in connection with disputes regarding the administration and distribution of estates and trusts. 

Tax Exempt Organizations

  • Advising on organizational and board structuring, tax exemption, unrelated business income tax, federal and state compliance, and officer, director and trustee liability matters.
  • Creating private foundations, supporting organizations and public charities and qualifying such organizations for tax-exempt status.
  • Advising on planned giving opportunities and implementation, including pooled income funds, gift annuity programs and charitable remainder trusts.
  • Preparing and reviewing state and federal tax returns and extra required filings.

Employee Benefits

  • Designing, implementing and maintaining all types of retirement and welfare plans for taxable and tax-exempt employers.
  • Assisting with selection of appropriate investment vehicles and compliance with requirements for participant-directed investment accounts.
  • Advising on day-to-day plan operation and compliance and annual reporting requirements.
  • Advising on ERISA issues in connection with corporate and real estate-related acquisitions and divestitures.

Professional Recognitions

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated
  • Selected as an Illinois Leading Lawyer - Law Bulletin Media, 2017–present (Trust, Will & Estate Planning)

Professional & Civic Activities

  • Chicago Bar Association (Member)
  • Illinois State Bar Association (Member)

Education

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Back to Main Content

We use cookies to provide you with the best user experience on our website and to analyze statistics related to our website. To understand more about how we use cookies, or for instructions to change your preference and browser settings, please see our Privacy Notice. Please note that if you choose to reject cookies, doing so may impair some of our website's functionality.