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About
John A. Scott
Professional
Experience:
- 1995 -
Present: Private practice of law in Traverse City, Michigan. Primarily
areas of concentration: estate planning consultation and drafting of documents, administration of
decedent's estates and trusts, interpretation and construction of wills and
trusts, foundations, probate litigation matters, elder law, and real estate transactions.
- 1983-1995:
Shareholder and Director of the former
Deming, Hughey, Lewis, Allen and
Chapman, P.C., Attorneys at Law, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Head of the Probate and
Estate Planning Section of that firm, and as such responsible for guiding firm practice in
these areas. Conceived and jointly implemented firm's Basic In-house Legal Literacy
program. Primary areas of concentration: consultation with clients regarding estate
planning, conceptualizing of plans and drafting of documents with particular emphasis
on Federal Estate Tax, Gift Tax, and Generation Skipping Transfer Tax considerations together
with allocation and distribution schemes of considerable complexity; planning and
implementation of computerized template estate planning documents program;
consultation with other firm attorneys with respect to drafting and tax matters; legal
representation regarding fiduciary responsibilities and discretion in connection with the
probating of decedents' estates and administration of trusts; legal representation in
connection with guardianships and conservatorships, appellate representation of
fiduciaries in connection with fee questions, consultation with and research and
opinions for other firm attorneys with respect to probate procedures;
creation and qualification of foundations under state and federal laws; representation
and counsel to foundations on operational matters; representation in Probate Court
involving contested claims, contests of the validity of wills and trusts, and
construction and interpretation of trusts and wills, and cy-pres questions; drafting and negotiating of contracts for the sale,
purchase, and mortgage of residential, industrial and commercial real estate and
businesses, preparation of documents and closing statements regarding same, review of
abstracts, surveys, title documents and title insurance commitments and policies, preparation of
commercial leases; counsel to clients regarding environmental matters associated with
acquisition and ownership of property, representation of clients at closings of
transactions; Circuit Court and District Court litigation involving real estate matters
including partition, quiet title and adverse possession actions; practice before the
Michigan Workers Disability Compensation Bureau representing both employers and
employees;
- 1964 -1983: Shareholder and Director/ Vice president of Adams,
Burgie, Scott, Ritter
& Brenton, P.C., Kalamazoo, Michigan (dissolved). Employed by this firm and its
predecessor firms and a partner in predecessor firms.
Education:
- Undergraduate School: University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science and the
Arts, Bachelor of Arts, 1961.
- Law School: University of Michigan, Juris Doctor, 1963.
Current
Professional
Memberships:
- Michigan State Bar Association Member, 1964- Present. Member of Probate and
Estate Planning and Real Property Law Sections.
- Colorado Bar Association, Member 1993 - Present.
- American Bar Association Member, 1969 - Present. Member of Real Property,
Probate and Trust Law Section and Tax Section.
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow 1992 - Present.
- Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim County Bar Association, Member 1995 -
Present.
Adjunctive
Legal Work:
- State
Chair person for Michigan, American College of Trust and Estate
Counsel
- Elected to Council of Probate and Estate Planning Section of State Bar of
Michigan 1990, reelected 1991 & 1994. Elected as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice
Chairperson and Chairperson Elect. Chairperson (2001- 2002).
Presently Ex Officio Member of Council.
- Member of Committee on Special Projects of the Probate and
Estate Planning Section of the Michigan State Bar Association, active in committee
work involving review and recommendations regarding proposed legislation and rules,
including the proposed Estate Settlement Act (the Michigan revision of the Uniform
Probate Code). Chairperson of the same from 1994 to 1996.
- Speaker,
2009-State Bar of Michigan, Real Property Seminar. Subject:
Cottage Trusts
- Speaker,
2009 Michigan State Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning
Section/
Institute of Continuing Legal Education Annual Probate Seminar. Subject:
Estate Planning Issues of Timeshare Ownership.
- Speaker,
2008-Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Small Business
Seminar. Subject: Cottage Trusts.
- Speaker, 2000
Michigan State Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Section/Institute of Continuing Legal Education Annual Probate Seminar.
Subject: "Estate Planning for the Serial Marrier."
- Speaker, 1995 Michigan State Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Section/
Institute of Continuing Legal Education Annual Probate Seminar. Subject: " Protecting
the Fiduciary Through Accountings, What to Tell and How to Say It."
- Planner, moderator and speaker, Institute of Continuing Legal Education annual
Seminars on "Drafting Estate Planning Documents" 1991 through 2009.
- Speaker, Institute of Continuing Legal Education program on Real Property Litigation.
Subject: "Boundary Line Disputes", March 1995.
- Speaker, 1992 Michigan State Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Section/
Institute of Continuing Legal Education Annual Probate Seminar. Subject: "Estate
Planning for the Non-citizen Surviving Spouse".
- Speaker, Institute of Continuing Legal Education program on Drafting Real Estate
Documents. Subject: "Understanding Real Estate Descriptions", September 1992.
- Speaker, Institute of Continuing Legal Education program on Estate Planning for
Estates of Less Than $600,000, February 1990.
- Speaker 1989 Michigan State Bar Association Probate and Estate Planning Section/
Institute of Continuing Legal Education Annual Probate Seminar. Subject: "Probate
Litigation Involving Contesting the Validity of Wills, Trusts and Durable Powers of
Attorney".
Publications:
Community
Service:
- Traverse City Michigan Rotary Club, senior active.
- National Ski Patrol System, National Appointment # 7094; senior Nordic patroller
and past Patrol Director-West Michigan Nordic Ski Patrol, Grand Rapids,
MI; West Michigan Regional Nordic and Legal Advisor; National Ski Mountaineering
Instructor; alpine patroller and former shift hill leader, Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol,
Thompsonville, MI; Winter Emergency Care certified instructor and tester.
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Trustee. Elected 1985, reelected 1987
(resigned March 1990 to through-hike the Appalachian Trail).
- Kalamazoo County Guardianship Task force, an interdisciplinary professional group
working towards adoption by the community of a single entry approach to coordinating
the needs of persons requiring the services of another as guardian, conservator or
agent. 1990 to 1995.
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