Lawyers / Professionals

 
Charles D. Fox IV       
Partner
Court Square Building, 310 Fourth Street, N.E., Suite 300
P.O. Box 1288
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-1288
T: 434.977.2597
F: 434.980.2280
cfox@mcguirewoods.com
 

Mr. Fox's extensive experience includes estate planning and administration, and charitable organizations. He works with clients regarding planning for families with closely held businesses, including ownership succession issues; the use of family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and other techniques to transfer wealth at significantly reduced transfer tax costs; and counseling on the appropriate uses of family offices.

He works with groups interested in reforming the federal tax system, and advises and consults with other law firms on substantive estate planning issues and the administration of their practices. His experience also includes audits of estate tax returns involving unique assets such as art, trust and estate litigation, and the formation and operation of public and private charities, including the formation of charities after the sale of not-for-profit hospitals to for profit corporations.

Mr. Fox has contributed numerous articles to many publications including Trusts & Estates, Estate Planning, Trusts & Trustee, and the Journal of Asset Protection. He was a member of the editorial board of Trusts & Estates, and is currently chair of the editorial board of Trust & Investments. He also writes a bi-monthly column for Trust & Investments, and a semi-annual column for the CCH Estate Planning Corporate Library. He is a member of the CCH Estate Planning Advisory Committee. He was also editor of the ACTEC Journal from 2005-2006.

He is the co-editor of Estate Planning Strategies After Estate Tax Reform: Insights and Analysis (CCH, 2001). He is the author of the Estate Planning with Life Insurance volume of the CCH Financial Planning Library, and co-author of the books Estate Planning Manual (2001 edition), Fiduciary Law and Trust Activities Guide, and Tax Law Guide, all published by the American Bankers Association.

He lectures annually around the country at numerous seminars on estate planning and trust administration topics for banks, bar associations and other organizations, including the University of Miami Heckerling Estate Planning Institute and the Notre Dame Estate Planning Institute.

Mr. Fox is on the faculty of The National Trust School and the National Graduate Trust School, and was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School from 1983-2005. He is currently a lecturer in law at the University of Virginia School of Law. He serves or has served on the boards of several charities including the University of Virginia Law School Foundation and the Episcopal High School in Virginia, from which he received its Distinguished Service Award in 2001.


Practices & Industries
Firm Management
  • Co-chair, Private Wealth Services Industry Team

Honors
  • Elected to National Association of Estate Planners and Councils Estate Planning Hall of Fame, and Given Designation of Distinguished Accredited Estate Planner 2008
  • Named an Illinois "Super Lawyer," Law & Politics
  • Named a Virginia "Super Lawyer," Law & Politics, 2009-2010
  • Named One of the "Best Lawyers in America," Woodward/White, Inc., 2009-2011
  • Named One of America's "Leading Lawyers," Chambers USA, 2009-2010

Publications
  • State Death Tax Chart, Revised July 29, 2010
  • Tax Notes, Trust and Investments, Bimonthly Column, 1999-Present
  • CCH Practitioner's Guide, Semiannual Column, 2004-Present

Articles
  • "Role of the Trustee," Illinois Trust Administration Handbook, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (Co-author 1982-1996, updated every 2 to 3 years)
  • "The State of Estate Planning: Meet Challenges and Prosper," Trusts and Estates, p. 20, September 1992
  • "Liability for Environmental Hazards: The Saga Continues," (Co-authored with Roy M. Adams and Sheldon A. Zabel), Trusts and Estates, p. 30, January 1993
  • "Blind Trusts: Easing the Burdens of Government Service," (Co-authored with David A. Herpe), Trusts and Estates, p. 28, March 1993
  • "The Federal Claims Priority Act: No Safe Harbor for Fiduciaries," (Co-authored with Roy M. Adams and Sheldon A. Zabel), Trusts and Estates, p. 44, July 1993
  • "Working Successfully with the Difficult Client," (Co-authored with Roy M. Adams, Debra L. Stetter and John D. Utley), Trusts and Estates, p. 8, February 1995
  • "Building an Estate Planning and Administration Practice," Trusts and Estates, p. 46, March 1995
  • "Qualified Personal Residence Trusts Yield Tax Savings," (Co-authored with David R. Hodgman and Karen Van Meter), Estate Planning, July/August 1995
  • "The Doris Duke Estate: A Wake-Up Call," Trusts and Estates, p. 38, September 1995
  • "Recent Liability Issues Facing Trustees and Executors," Trusts and Estates, p. 16, May 1996
  • "Fiduciary Environmental Liability: The Mist Clears," (with Sheldon A. Zabel), Trusts and Estates, p. 30, January 1997
  • "How Fiduciaries Can Avoid Another New Era Philanthropy Debacle," (with Benetta Y. Park), Trusts and Estates, p. 26, May 1997
  • "Evolution of the Charging Order Remedy Against FLPs," (with Benetta Y. Park), Trusts and Estates, p. 22, August 1997
  • "Fiduciaries and Attorneys Must Face a Developing Doctrine of Duty," (with Rosalie Murphy), Trusts and Estates, p. 22, September 1997
  • "To Repeal or Not to Repeal: Is It an Issue?" Trusts and Estates, p. 30, January 1998
  • "Are Spendthrift Trusts Vulnerable to a Beneficiary's Tort Creditors?" (with Rosalie Murphy), Trusts and Estates, p. 57, February 1998
  • "Avoid Common Law Business Organizations," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trusts and Estates, p. 18, March 1998
  • "Sales of Not-for-Profit Hospitals to For-Profit Corporations," (with Charlene A. Kelly), Trusts and Estates, p. 38, October 1998
  • "Forward Into Battle: See Their Banners Go," Trusts and Estates, p. 66, January 1999
  • "The Impact of the 1998 IRS Restructuring Act," (with Theodora A. Karnegis), Trusts and Estates, p. 66, January 1999
  • "Is Crossing State Lines Ethically Challenging to Estate Planners?" 33rd Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Matthew Bender, 1999
  • "Repeal of the Estate Tax: Rising Tide or High Water Mark?" Trusts and Estates, p. 56, January 2000
  • "Building a Better Estate Plan," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, p. 14, March/April 2000
  • "Estate Planning: Recent Developments," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, p. 14, September/October 2000
  • "Repeal of the Estate and Gift Tax: So Near and Yet So Far Away," Trusts and Estates, p. 50, January 2001
  • "Will Repeal of the Estate and Gift Tax Affect Charitable Giving?" Trusts and Estates, p. 28, January 2001
  • "Planning for the Repeal of the Estate and Gift Tax," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, p. 24, May/June 2001
  • "Non-Tax Considerations in the Succession of Closely Held Businesses," 36th Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Matthew Bender, 2002
  • "Asset Protection and Dynasty Trusts," (with Michael J. Huft), 37 Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal 287, Summer 2002
  • "A Trustee's Duty to Keep Beneficiaries Informed in Light of McNeil," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, January/February 2003
  • "Ramifications for Estate Planners of the Phase-Out of the Federal State Death Tax Credit: Boom, Bust, or Unknown?" 29 ACTEC Journal 26, Summer 2003; ALI-ABA Journal, September 2003, p. 170; Proceedings of the 2003 Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Institute, September 2003; 38th Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Matthew Bender, 2004; Trust and Investments, January/February 2004, p. 37, (with Robert C. Pomeroy, Susan L. Abbott, and Laurie L. O'Donnell)
  • "Basic Asset Protection Planning Considerations before Using Offshore Trusts," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, September/October 2005
  • "Outright Does Not Always Mean Outright," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, January/February 2006
  • "Competency Issues with Elderly Clients," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, September/October 2006
  • "International Estate Planning for Trust Professionals," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, January/February 2007
  • "Outright Does Not Always Mean Outright," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), 32 ACTEC Journal 308, Spring 2007
  • "How "Revocable" is "Irrevocable"? Obtaining Flexibility in Irrevocable Trusts," 33 Ohio Northern Law Review 943, 2007
  • "The Top Ten Ethical Challenges Facing Estate Planners Today and the Best Practices for Addressing Them," 42d Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. Lexis Nexis, 2008
  • "The Doctor's in, School's in Session," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, May/June 2008
  • "Estate Planning in 2009: A New Playing Field," (with Thomas W. Abendroth), Trust and Investments, January/February 2009

Books
  • Estate Planning with Life Insurance, CCH Financial Planning Library, 1998, updated 2002
  • Estate Planning Manual (3 Volumes), American Bankers Association (with Thomas W. Abendroth), 2002
  • Tax Law Guide, American Bankers Association, (with Thomas W. Abendroth and Elizabeth H. Weissman), 2000, 2003
  • Fiduciary Law and Trust Activities Guide, American Bankers Association, (with Thomas W. Abendroth and Elizabeth H. Weissman), 2000, 2003
  • Glossary of Fiduciary Terms, American Bankers Association, (with Thomas W. Abendroth and Elizabeth H. Weissman), 2000, 2003
  • Estate Planning Strategies After Estate Tax Reform: Insight and Analysis, CCH (Co-editor with Thomas W. Abendroth), 2001

Classes Taught
  • Northwestern University Law School, Adjunct Professor, 1983-2005
  • American Bankers Association National Trust and National Graduate Trust Schools, Faculty Member, 1987-Present (currently teach six courses)
  • University of Virginia School of Law, Lecturer in Law, 2006-Present

Seminars
  • Presentations by Sponsor: Bar & Legal Professional Associations
    • ALI-ABA; American Bar Association; American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; Chicago Bar Association; Colorado Bar Association; Illinois Bar Association; Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education; Indiana Bar Association; Michigan Bar Association; Minnesota Bar Association; Ohio Bar Association; Oklahoma Bar Association; Philadelphia Bar Association; St. Louis County Bar Association; South Dakota Bar Association; Vermont Bar Association
  • Presentations by Sponsor: Tax Institutes
    • Alabama Federal Tax Institute; American Institute on Federal Taxation; Duke University Estate Planning Council Annual Conference; Hawaii Tax Institute; Notre Dame Estate Planning Institute; Southern Federal Tax Institute; Tennessee Federal Tax Institute; Tulane Tax Institute; Trusts and Estates Annual Conference; University of Miami Philip E. Heckerling Estate Planning Institute; University of North Carolina Tax Institute; Washington State Bar Tax Institute
  • Presentations by Sponsor: Estate Planning Councils
    • Broward County, Florida; Central Arizona; Central Virginia; Chattanooga; Chicago; Dallas; Decatur; Dupage; Estate Planning Council of New York City; Fort Wayne; Fox Valley; Knoxville; Lower Fairfield County, Connecticut; Martin County, Florida; Memphis; Mid-Ohio Valley Mobile; Nashville; New River Valley; Northeastern Michigan; Northeast Suburban; Red River Valley; St. Louis; Sarasota; Southern Arizona; South Suburban Chicago; Spokane; Western Kansas; Western Michigan
  • Presentations by Sponsor: Bank & Trust Associations
    • Alabama Bankers; American Bankers; Arkansas Bankers; Association of Independent Trust Companies; Florida Bankers; Illinois Bankers; Indiana Bankers; Iowa Bankers; Michigan Bankers; Mississippi Bankers; MOKAN (Missouri-Kansas); New York Bankers; Ohio Bankers; Pennsylvania CTFA Institute; Texas Banker; Tri-State Bankers (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota); West Virginia Bankers
  • Presentations by Sponsor: Banks
    • AmSouth Bank; Associated Banks; Bank of American; Bank One; Cape Cod Bank and Trust Company; Chase Bank; Dominion Bank and Trust Company; First American Bank; First Chicago Bank; First Interstate Bank; First Hawaiian Bank; First National Bank of Deerfield; Integra Bank; Key Bank; Marine Bank of Springfield; National City Bank; NBD Bank; Princeton Bank and Trust Co.; Security Bank and Trust Co.; Star Bank; Summit Bank; SunTrust; Trans-Financial Bank; United Carolina Bank; U.S. Bank

Professional Affiliations
  • Chairman, Advisory Committee, Duke University Estate Planning Conference
  • American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
    • Regent, 2006-Present
    • Co-chair, Legal Education Committee, 2002-2005
    • Editor, ACTEC Journal, 2005-2006
    • Chair, Editorial Board, 2008-Present
    • Asset Protection Committee, Estate and Gift Tax Committee, Legal Education Committee, Program Committee
  • Trusts and Estates Magazine
    • Chair, Economics of the Practice, Subcommittee, 1993-1997
    • Member, Editorial Board, 1996-2001
  • Trust and Investments Magazine
    • Member, Editorial Board, 2001-2003
    • Chair, Editorial Board, 2003-Present
  • Chicago Estate Planning Council, 1990-2005
  • Duke University Estate Planning Council, 1986-Present
  • CCH Financial and Estate Planning Advisory Board, 2004-Present
  • Central Virginia Estate Planning Council, 2006-Present
 

EDUCATION

University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, J.D., 1980

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, M.A., 1977

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, A.B. Russian Studies, with Distinction, Concentration in Russian Studies, 1975

 
 

ADMITTED

Virginia 1980

Illinois 1980