Senior Trusts & Estates Tax Paralegal

About the role

Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with multiple locations across the United States, serving clients with domestic and international operations. We believe that diverse, equitable and inclusive teams lead to better outcomes and are committed to retaining, recruiting, developing, and promoting talented lawyers and business professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our firm fosters an engaged, diverse, and inclusive team culture of accountability and purpose that makes our Firm and our communities better. We are committed to attracting and retaining professionals who value each other and the service we provide by embracing Teamwork, Collaboration, Client Service, and Innovation.

Responsibilities

• Administer estates and assist attorneys with funding post-death irrevocable trusts, preparing documents, and preparing probate and filing estate-related tax returns.
• Prepare Estate Tax Returns and Fiduciary Income Tax Returns.
• Maintain financial records of trusts; perform trust accounting; audit accounts.
• Maintain general ledger accounts, reconcile broker statements, prepare payables and bank deposits.
• Obtain and reconcile 1099 and K-1 statements.
• Handle irrevocable trust funding and administration (post death).
• Conduct probate administration, including drafting of probate pleadings.
• Maintain close personal contact with clients and financial advisors.
• Meet annual billable hour requirement of 1,600 hours.
• Learn and develop technical proficiency in database use and management; internet/electronic research; and project folder/electronic file maintenance.
• Independently organize and manage files or delegate similar tasks to appropriate business professionals and supervise same.
• Familiarity and experience with adopting legal AI and ability to learn and implement new AI preferred.
• Sustain attention to detail and quality of work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ability to deliver superior service to all internal and external customers and to communicate effectively.
• Ability to interact in a professional and courteous manner with clients and employees at all times; professional appearance required.
• Ability to successfully perform position requirements with excellent organizational, time-management and prioritization skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team; ability and willingness to adapt to changing business demands.
• Ability to produce an acceptable amount of work efficiently and accurately; ability to produce quality final work product.

Position-specific requirements

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in Trusts & Estates, including complex estate and trust administration, as well as estate and fiduciary tax matters.
• Two-year degree required. Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program preferred; significant, substantive related experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Proven success working in a fast-paced, continually changing environment.
• Ability to prioritize; excellent time management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Familiarity with tax and trust accounting software.
• Experience with document database programs and/or software.
• Significant client case management experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally and provide exceptional service, internally and externally, at all times.
• Highly organized; able to prioritize workflow and manage projects.
• Ability to perform effectively with little or no supervision and within established time limits and ongoing deadlines.

Preferred location

This position is open in any of our offices, but location in either St. Louis, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona is preferred.