Wells, Jaworski & Liebman, LLP, announced that Jonathan Kukin has joined as partner and will chair the firm’s Tax, Trusts and Estates department. Kukin previously co-chaired the Tax, Trusts and Estates practice at Winne Banta Basralian & Kahn in Hackensack and served on its management committee.
Kukin will focus his practice on advising entrepreneurs, small and mid-size companies and high- net-worth individuals on a wide variety of tax and estate planning matters. These include wills, living wills, durable powers of attorney, revocable living trust agreements, irrevocable trust agreements, family limited partnerships, charitable trusts and foundations, as well as corporate, business and family succession planning, and charitable giving.
“In estate and tax planning, an attorney needs to understand the global issues within the family. Personally, I treat all my clients as if they were members of my family,” Kukin said. “I am excited to join Wells, Jaworski & Liebman, which is known throughout northern New Jersey for its values about giving back, commitment to client service, and cultivating an environment where great legal talent can grow and thrive.”
Prior to practicing law first as an associate at Cole Schotz, and then in his own boutique tax practice for nearly 30 years, Kukin clerked with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Staff Counsel Office, which is at the forefront of alternative dispute resolution at the federal appellate court level. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.
Kukin frequently lectures on such issues as estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, elder care and Medicaid planning, and strategic business planning for business owners. He is a past President of Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck and previously served on the executive board of the Moriah School and on the boards of the SAR Academy in Riverdale and the Cardozo School of Law. He is also a frequent speaker on charitable giving.
“Our firm is thrilled to welcome Jonathan into the WJ&L family. He brings with him the high professional and ethical standards for which the firm is known, as well as exciting opportunities for new growth,” Andrew Kohut, Esq., managing partner at Wells, Jaworski & Liebman said.
