Michael H. Barker - McGuireWoods

Michael serves as co-leader of McGuireWoods private wealth services practice group, devoting much of his time to representing high-net-worth individuals and families with respect to complex tax, estate planning and trust and estate administration matters. Michael also regularly represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries involved in trust or estate litigation and other disputes.

Michael advises individual clients, families, and closely-held businesses on various complex matters involving estate, gift, income, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and also routinely advises family businesses in intricate business succession and planning matters.

As a member of McGuireWoods’ fiduciary advisory services practice group, Michael also frequently advises corporate and individual fiduciaries regarding tax and administration matters related to the fiduciary’s diverse duties and broad-ranging discretionary decisions.

Michael also regularly represents public charities, private foundations, and charitable trusts in obtaining tax exemption and advises exempt organizations in various governance, tax, and compliance matters. His work also includes charitable gift planning, including through the use of charitable trusts and other instruments.

While earning his law degree at the Georgetown University Law Center, Michael also earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and served as a Senior Editor of the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

Experience

Provided comprehensive estate, trust, tax and closely-held business planning advice to high-net-worth individuals and families.
Advised clients on international estate planning matters, including the operation of various estate and gift tax treaties.
Advised executors and trustees of substantial estates and trusts regarding matters of administration and fiduciary responsibilities.

Speaker, Modern Charitable Planning, Richmond, VA, March 26, 2025
Speaker, "Planned Gifts of Complex or Difficult Assets," 21st Annual Nonprofit Seminar, October 2024
Speaker, "Modern Estate Administration: A Deeper Dive," 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, FL, January 10, 2024
Speaker, "The Year in Review: An Estate Planner’s Perspective of Recent Tax Developments," 42nd Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, Fairfax, VA, October 30, 2023
Speaker, "5 Pressing Issues for Trusts and Estates Practitioners," 42nd Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, Fairfax, VA, October 30, 2023
Speaker, Private Wealth Services Virtual Seminar Series, September-October 2023
Speaker, "So You Want a New Trustee? (Best Practices and Considerations for Removal and Replacement of Fiduciaries)," 57th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, FL, January 11, 2023
Speaker, "An IRS Scouting Report: Areas of Audit Focus in the Estate Planning Arena," University of Texas Estate Planning Workshop, Austin, TX, December 2, 2022
Speaker, "Fiduciary Litigation Update," Wealth Planning Scouting Report, Charlotte, NC, October 20, 2022
Speaker, "The Year in Review: An Estate Planner’s Perspective of Recent Tax Developments," 41st Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, Virginia CLE, Williamsburg, VA, October 27, 2022
Speaker, "Advising the Personal Representative in the Administration of the Estate," The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) 2022 Summer Meeting, Banff, AB, Canada, June 22, 2022
Speaker, Perennial Problems Facing Corporate Fiduciaries, May 24, 2022
Speaker, "A Scouting Report: Recent Developments in Federal Wealth Transfer Tax," Baker Tilly Annual Meeting, May 17, 2022
Speaker, "Areas of IRS Audit Focus," Delaware Estate Planning Council, Wilmington, DE, February 2, 2022
Speaker, "Paying for College: A Tax Planning Primer," American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Family Estate Planning Guide, January 19, 2022
Speaker, Estate Planning Strategies with Special Considerations, Richmond, VA, October 14, 2021
Speaker, Estate Planning Strategies, Richmond, VA, February 11, 2021
Speaker, "Adequate Disclosure: Strategies and Best Practices for Reporting Gifts," Virginia ACTEC Fellows Meeting, January 29, 2021
Speaker, "IRS Scouting Report: Tax Proposals and Hot Topics," Virginia Peninsula Estate Planning Council, December 1, 2020
Speaker, "State Income Taxation of Trusts," 79th Annual NYU Institute on Federal Taxation, November 20, 2020
Speaker, Private Wealth Services Virtual Seminar Series, September 2020
Speaker, Business Planning Strategies, Richmond, VA, July 15, 2020
Speaker, "What's Going to Happen to the Estate Tax and What Can We Do about it Now?," Richmond, VA, June 25, 2020
Speaker, "A Scouting Report: Recent Developments in Federal Wealth Transfer Tax," Baker Tilly Annual Meeting, June 1, 2020
Speaker, "Back to the Future – Or Looking Forward to the Past? Estate Planning in an Age of Ever-Changing Tax Law," Central Florida Estate Planning Council, Orlando, FL, January 16, 2020
Speaker, "Estate Planning Fundamentals," NewMarket Corporation, Richmond, VA, October 8, 2019
Speaker, "Dealing with Business Interests in Trusts," 14th Annual Fiduciary Advisory Services Seminar, Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Speaker, "Litigation Lessons to Lessen Lamenting," NCBA 2019 Estate Planning and Probate Law Survey Course, NCBA Bar Center, Cary NC, September 27, 2019
Speaker, "A Vacation Home Is All I Ever Wanted – Until I Didn’t: Advising Clients Through the Thrills and Agonies of Legacy Property Ownership," The Conner-Zaritsky 40th Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Administration Seminar, Williamsburg, Virginia, May 4, 2019
Speaker, Recent Federal Tax Developments: An IRS Scouting Report, New York, NY, May 1, 2019
Speaker, "Fiduciary Case Law Update: What Planners (and Clients) Need to Know," 37th Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, October 31, 2018
Speaker, "Recent Developments in Estate Planning," Baker Tilly Estate and Trust Conference, May 31, 2018
Speaker, "Cabins and Compounds – Boats and Biplanes: Planning for Vacation and Recreation Assets," 30th Annual RPTE Spring Symposia, ABA Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law, May 11, 2018
Speaker, How to Advise Your Clients: Impact of the 2017 Tax Act on Estate, Income Tax, and Business Planning, January 16, 2018
Speaker, "Succession Planning Environment: Issues and Opportunities for Closely-Held Family Businesses," Wells Fargo Thought Forum, November 15, 2017
Speaker, "Don’t Discount Discounts: Valuation of Closely Held Businesses in a Changing Regulatory Environment," 63rd Annual William and Mary Law School – 2017 Tax Conference, Tax Planning in an Era of Uncertainty, November 9, 2017
Speaker, "Portability: 7 Years Later," 36th Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, October 31, 2017
Speaker, "Estate and Trust Update: Planning in an Era of Change," Richmond Private Business Study Group, October 17, 2017
Speaker, "Asset Protection Devices in a World of Creditors and Predators," Virginia Bar Association 127th Annual Meeting, January 20, 2017
Speaker, "Lessons from Virginia Fiduciary Litigation Cases," 35th Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar, October 20 and 27, 2016
Speaker, "2704 Proposed Regs - Gone are the Good Old Days?," Richmond Private Business Study Group, October 18, 2016
Speaker, "Primer on Key Tax Elections: Business Succession Planning," ABA RPTE/Tax Section Joint Fall Meeting, September 30, 2016
Faculty, "Estate Planning in a World of Creditors and Predators: Asset Protection for Every Estate Planning Client," 34th Trusts Estates Seminar, October 20, 2015
Speaker, "Charitable Remainder and Charitable Lead Trusts: A Primer," 13th Annual Nonprofit Seminar – Staying Current and Avoiding Trouble: What Nonprofits Need to Know, September 15, 2015
Speaker, Federal Fiduciary Income Tax Workshop, Foxmoor Continuing Education, November 21, 2014
Speaker, "Silver Lining of ATRA: Choice of Entity in Light of Changes in Tax Law," 26th Annual RPTE Spring Symposia, ABA Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law, May 1, 2014
Speaker, "Federal Legislative Outlook," Virginia Bankers Association Trust and Wealth Management Conference, May 31, 2013
Speaker, "A Primer on Decanting and Directed Trustees," In-House Continuing Education Webinar, September 19, 2012
Speaker, "Trustees: Duties and Discretion in Two Parts," Virginia CLE, August 16, 2012

Michael H. Barker Partner

Experience

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

Bloomberg Interviews Michael Barker on Supreme Court’s Kaestner Decision

Experience

Practices

Education

Affiliations

Events

Insights

International

Admissions

Recognitions

Podcasts

News

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

McGuireWoods Again Earns Nationwide Honors in Chambers High Net Worth Guide

Bloomberg Interviews Michael Barker on Supreme Court’s Kaestner Decision