Kevin Kuenzli

Kevin Kuenzli is board-certified in estate planning and probate and tax law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, bringing over 40 years of experience to benefit individual, business, and nonprofit clients. He prides himself on always being fully client-focused, which means that accessibility, approachability, timeliness, and responsiveness are all day-to-day priorities. Kevin’s certifications reflect his current law practice, where he deals primarily with estate planning, probate, and the complexities of tax law. He also works in business transactions and corporate-facing law.

Kevin sees every day that he can provide for his family by problem-solving for his clients as a blessing. He strives to maintain balance by supplementing his work with cooking, gardening, fly fishing, exploring new restaurants, and keeping connected with family, and his dog, Wilbur. Kevin also loves domestic and international traveling and counts New York City among his favorite destinations. Originally from Galion, a small town in Ohio, Kevin now lives in Fort Worth’s Museum District, where he appreciates amazing art and incredible architecture in one of his favorite areas of FW, aside from the energy of Sundance Square.

Education

  • Juris Doctor – Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 1979
    • Law Review – Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Contributor
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting – The University of Texas at El Paso, 1976
    • Cum Laude

Bar & Court Admissions & Certifications

  • State Bar of Texas, 1979
  • Board Certified in Estate Planning & Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • Board Certified in Tax Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • United States Tax Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Awards & Recognition

 
  • Best Lawyers by Best Lawyers Rankings: 2020 (Trusts and Estates)
  • Top Attorneys by 360 West Magazine: 2019 (Tax Law; Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Probates)
  • Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: 2007-2011
  • Top Attorneys >5 Years of Practice by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine: 2014, 2016-2020, 2023 (Probate, Estates, Trust, and Tax)

Professional Affiliations & Organizations

  • Tarrant County Bar Association, Member
  • National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

Volunteerism & Community

  • Friends of the TCU Libraries, Board of Directors, Member
    • Treasurer
    • Past President
  • Molyneaux Charitable Foundation, Board of Directors, Member
    • Treasurer

Publications

  • “Amending Irrevocable Trusts,” Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course, State Bar of Texas, 1988
  • Chapter 85, “Revocation, Modification, and Termination of Trusts,” Texas Probate and Trust Practice, Matthew Bender, 1993
Kevin Kuenzli

Shareholder, Director

Representative Experience & Services

While Kevin’s overall experience is extensive, he considers his problem-solving experience as the most significant. He sees everything that he, and the firm, does as an extension of solving problems for clients, no matter the issue at hand.

Kevin’s focuses his problem-solving skills primarily in estate planning and probate law.  Services and experience include:

  • Counseling clients in the design and drafting of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents in order to implement a variety of estate planning goals, tax/non-tax objectives, and straightforward to highly complex special needs
  • Advises and represents clients in estate and trust administration as executors, trustees, or beneficiaries, including contested matters
  • Interpreting, modifying, or terminating trusts in probate court proceedings

Kevin also deals heavily in personal, business, tax exempt, and non-profit matters, particularly concerning tax-related issues. Services and experience include:

  • Advising clients in general personal and business tax planning
  • Tax planning as it pertains to selecting, structuring, and forming business entities
  • Providing counsel on matters regarding an organization’s satisfaction and continued satisfaction of the complex public support tests to avoid private foundation status
  • Planning and advice on unrelated business income issues
  • Advise on best practices of governance for tax exempt organizations, including conflicts of interest policies, excess benefit transactions, and fringe benefits
  • Assisting clients in establishing nonprofit organizations and securing recognition of exempt status under Section 501(c)(3)
  • Advising donors and tax-exempt organizations on the intricacies of planned giving
  • Extensive experience working with clients advising on compliance regarding federal and state tax, IRS administrative proceedings and collection matters, and contested tax proceedings and litigation
  • Representation of individuals and executors in IRS examinations of federal estate and gift tax returns, and the planning associated with such returns
  • Representation before the U.S. Tax Court, the IRS National Office, and IRS Appeals in technical advice, private letter rulings, and defense of valuations of closely held business entities and family limited partnerships
  • Preparation of federal gift tax returns (Form 709) and federal estate tax returns (Form 706), involving transfers of closely held corporations, family limited partnerships, LLCs, life insurance, real estate (including undivided interests), farm and ranch property, and mineral interests

He also works on corporate and business transactional-leaning concerns, including:

  • Selecting, structuring, and forming business entities
  • Business succession planning
  • Buy-sell arrangements
  • Employment and independent contractor agreements
  • Advising on a range of other business contracts
  • Providing counsel on the administration of qualified retirements plans, section 401(k) plans, section 403(b) annuity plans, section 457 plans, and nonqualified deferred compensation plans