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David B.
Deutsch

Shareholder

Practices

Corporate and Business, Estate Planning and Probate, Tax

DAVID DEUTSCH, a shareholder in the firm’s Corporate, Business and Estate Planning practices, combines an intuitive business sense, sophisticated yet practical dollars-and-cents advice, and an immersive understanding of advantageous taxation strategies to help companies and their owners grow and thrive. From entity formation to exit strategies, from early-stage financing and capitalization to business succession planning, David serves as a trusted partner throughout all stages of the entrepreneurial lifecycle.

Clients know that David will leverage his deep and diverse experience and pragmatic approach to transform their abstract dreams and goals into tangible, workable strategies for sustained success. He recognizes that business is deeply personal for his clients, and he seeks to complement their investments of money, time, effort, energy, and emotion with an equally robust commitment to maximizing returns.

For entrepreneurs and emerging businesses, David shepherds them through the planning and operational stages, putting the structures, documentation, and tax planning approaches in place to form a solid foundation for the future. He has worked with closely held and family businesses on the full spectrum of business and tax planning transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, sales of businesses and sales of medical practices, family business transfers, entity selection, and planning issues relating to corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies.

For businesses from a wide range of industries, David structures and documents the formation of limited liability companies and joint venture transactions, including advising and drafting the appropriate operating agreements, bylaws, and buy-sell agreements, the conversion of both co-partnerships and limited partnerships into limited liability companies on a tax-free basis, and cross-entity merger transactions of S-corporations and C-Corporations with and into limited liability companies.

For small business owners who want to ensure continuity and stability for the companies they have built through years of hard work and commitment, David structures and documents the seamless transfer of family businesses from the parent/owner to their children or others by using various planning techniques such as family limited liability companies, recapitalization of voting and non-voting stock, self-canceling installment notes, stock redemption/stock purchase transactions, private annuities and defective trust transactions. David’s efforts and expertise have allowed countless clients to transfer their family businesses with minimum transfer taxes while retaining favorable capital gains treatment.

David also leverages his taxation insights to advise growing businesses in developing non-qualified benefit plans for their employees, including drafting non-qualified deferred compensation agreements, Rabbi trusts, phantom stock and equity plans, and share appreciation right plans.

David’s estate planning practice focuses on providing comprehensive advice to clients to minimize estate taxes and secure their financial legacies. He helps clients understand and implement strategies to reduce estate tax liabilities through careful planning and execution. David’s services include drafting both basic and sophisticated estate planning documents, such as revocable and irrevocable trusts, tailored to meet each client’s unique needs and objectives. Whether clients require straightforward solutions or complex arrangements, his goal is to ensure their estates are managed efficiently and in accordance with their wishes.

Active in many professional and civic organizations and endeavors, David is a frequent and sought-after speaker on taxation and business subjects, as well as a provider of continuing education credits to insurance and accounting professionals.

Education

Michigan State University College of Law, summa cum laude, Juris Doctor

New York University, Master of Laws

Michigan State University, with honors, Bachelor of Science

 

Professional Memberships

State Bar of Michigan

American Bar Association

Michigan Bar Association

Oakland County Bar Association

 

Recognition

Best Lawyers in America