Thank you for visiting the website of the Law Office of Robert T. Bruegge. We encourage you to read more about the services we provide for families and businesses. Our areas of concentration include personal estate planning, bankruptcy, business succession planning, and real estate.
The purpose of estate planning is to minimize the impact of the incapacity or loss of a family member by ensuring orderly management of the person's property and minimizing the legal cost and taxes that can occur.
We seek to avoid probate for our clients, and to reduce or eliminate estate taxes. Through proper planning, we assist our clients in preserving assets for surviving family members.
We strive to accomplish this purpose through the use of the following planning techniques:
- Creation of a living trust.
- Durable powers of attorney.
- Health care powers of attorney.
- Trusts for family members who are minors.
- Asset protection.
- Formation of partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations
to allow for family succession and multiple family-member ownership.
Families or closely held business can face a financial crisis attributable to a disruption in their life, business, or the markets they serve. With more than 25 years of experience before the bankruptcy court, we have assisted family farms, closely held businesses, and individuals with reorganizing their debts and retaining their assets through Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 of the bankruptcy code.
In addition, Robert T. Bruegge is a panel trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
One of the most difficult decisions for a family business is to determine the structure of the business in the next generation. Because more than 70 percent of family businesses do not succeed past the second generation, structure is critical. We consider a family's challenges and take deliberate, thoughtful steps to formulate a succession plan that will increase the chance the business will succeed. We seek to recognize the emotional needs of the family by treating members with patience and fairness.
Our firm has the capabilities to facilitate the sale, purchase and development of residential subdivisions, agricultural land, retail business development centers and other commercial real estate.
This process includes:
- Governmental approval
- Private financing arrangements
- Governmental financing
- Negotiated sales of the project
- Development of long-term leasing documents
Our firm has represented clients in retail, manufacturing and service-related businesses in both the acquisition and sale of the business.
When forming a new business, it's important to choose the correct legal structure. This may be a small business corporation, a limited liability company, or a partnership. This decision is crucial because it can minimize liability of the business owner and reduce taxes to create a maximum return for the business. We seek to create a business entity that will allow multiple owners to resolve conflicts among themselves and ensure stability upon the loss of a partner or owner.
