Demarea Christine

For individuals, families, and businesses across Missouri facing the intricate challenges of wealth transfer, business succession, and complex tax implications, specialized legal counsel is not just beneficial—it's essential. In Kansas City, Christine H. DeMarea stands as a highly regarded and trusted advisor, particularly known for her innovative and results-oriented approach to estate, business succession, and tax planning. This article aims to provide a clear, engaging, and informative overview of Christine H. DeMarea's practice, highlighting her extensive expertise, areas of specialization, and why she is a leading choice for those in Missouri seeking sophisticated legal solutions to secure their financial future.

Christine H. DeMarea has built a distinguished career focused on helping clients optimize their private wealth through strategic planning. Licensed in Missouri and Kansas, she brings a deep understanding of both state and federal laws governing estates, trusts, and taxation. Her expertise extends to representing over 300 family businesses across 18 states, demonstrating a broad reach and specialized knowledge in agricultural business planning. Christine is consistently recognized for her ability to solve the problems that keep clients awake at night, offering customized strategies that ensure the future for themselves, their families, beneficiaries, and businesses. For Missourians, particularly those involved in family farms or substantial business ownership, her insights into entity structure, asset protection, and farm transfers are invaluable.

Clients seeking legal guidance from Christine H. DeMarea benefit from her unique background, which combines a degree in finance-economics with an advanced legal degree in taxation. This robust foundation makes her exceptionally well-versed in legal, tax, and monetary matters, allowing her to craft comprehensive solutions that address the multifaceted aspects of wealth and business planning. Whether it's litigating complex trust and tax matters or utilizing sophisticated planning techniques such as family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, or qualified personal residence trusts, Christine's approach is designed to be both effective and tax-efficient. Her significant skill in advising nonprofit clients on operations, fundraising, and regulatory activities further showcases her diverse capabilities and commitment to serving a wide range of needs within the Missouri community.

Christine H. DeMarea practices as a Partner at Husch Blackwell LLP, located at 4801 Main St #1000, Kansas City, MO 64112, USA. This prominent address places her office within a key commercial and legal hub of Kansas City, ensuring excellent accessibility for clients from across the metropolitan area and the broader Missouri region. Main Street is a central artery, making the office easy to locate and reach via various modes of transportation.

Being situated in a well-established professional building at 4801 Main Street provides a highly professional and convenient setting for legal consultations. This central Kansas City location offers practical advantages for clients, minimizing travel time and logistical burdens, thus allowing them to focus more efficiently on their critical estate, business, and tax planning matters. The strategic placement of the office underscores Husch Blackwell's commitment to serving the Missouri community by making top-tier legal expertise readily available to its clients.

Christine H. DeMarea's national practice focuses on private wealth, offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to high-net-worth clients, family farms, and business owners. Her key areas of expertise include:

• Estate Planning: Designing and drafting sophisticated trust and estate planning documents, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts (such as life insurance trusts, gift trusts, dynasty trusts, and qualified personal residence trusts), financial and medical durable powers of attorney, and living wills.
• Business Succession Planning: Helping clients devise effective and practical plans for transitioning family businesses, including preparing buy-sell agreements, family business plans, purchase and sale agreements, asset/stock purchase agreements, promissory notes, and leveraged buyout plans.
• Tax Planning: Utilizing sophisticated tax planning techniques such as Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs), Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), sales to Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs), and Beneficiary Intentionally Defective Irrevocable Trusts (IDITs) to secure future wealth and minimize tax liabilities.
• Charitable Planned Giving: Advising clients on philanthropic strategies, including the establishment and administration of private foundations, public charities, and various charitable remainder trusts (CRTs).
• Estate and Trust Administration/Probate: Counseling professional and nonprofessional administrators of trusts and estates on fiduciary duties, assisting with probate and trust administration, fiduciary income tax returns, and accountings.
• Trust, Estate, and Fiduciary Litigation:<4> Representing clients in probate actions on matters such as will and estate contests, breach of fiduciary duty, trust accountings, spousal claims, beneficiary rights, creditor claims, undue influence, and business owner disputes. Notably, she has successfully defended an estate against a million-dollar claim filed out of time and represented a national public charity in eliminating a $3.2 million tax assessment.>
• Nonprofit Organization Counsel: Providing significant knowledge and skill in advising nonprofit clients on the complexities involved in operations, joint ventures, grants, fundraising, and regulatory activities.
• Agribusiness Planning: Offering specialized legal services customized to the unique issues faced by family farms and agricultural businesses across 18 states, including entity structure, succession/estate planning, farm transfers, LLC formation, tax issues, and hemp regulations.

Christine H. DeMarea's legal practice is distinguished by several key features and highlights that underscore her expertise and client-focused approach:

• Highly Regarded Advisor: Recognized as a trusted advisor in estate, business succession, and tax planning, particularly for high-net-worth clients and family businesses.
• Innovative and Results-Oriented: Clients appreciate her innovative, results-oriented approach that is customized to solve complex problems, often leveraging sophisticated tax planning techniques.
• Dual Expertise in Finance and Law: With a B.S.B.A. in Finance-Economics (magna cum laude) and a J.D. with distinction, followed by an LL.M. in Taxation, she is exceptionally well-versed in legal, tax, and monetary matters.
• Extensive Representation of Family Businesses: Represents over 300 family businesses across 18 states, demonstrating specialized knowledge in business succession, farm protection, and agricultural transactions.
• Proven Litigation Success: Has a track record of successfully defending significant claims against estates and eliminating large tax assessments for clients.
• Comprehensive Estate Planning: Skilled in designing and drafting a wide range of core and advanced trust and estate planning documents to secure clients' legacies.
• Community Involvement: Actively involved in community causes and charitable activities in the Kansas City area, including serving on the Finance Council for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph and supporting organizations like the Children's Mercy Hospital.
• Strong Personal Connection to the Ag Community: Her understanding of the unique characteristics and tax planning needs of the ag community is enhanced by her personal background, serving family farms and agricultural businesses extensively.

As a Partner at a large and highly regarded national law firm like Husch Blackwell LLP, Christine H. DeMarea's practice typically does not advertise traditional "promotions" or "special offers." However, it is customary for reputable law firms to offer initial consultations to prospective clients. These consultations provide a valuable opportunity for individuals and businesses to discuss their specific legal needs, receive a preliminary assessment of their situation, and determine if Christine's specialized expertise aligns with their requirements. While the firm's policy on complimentary consultations may vary depending on the complexity of the matter and the client's needs, interested parties are encouraged to contact the office directly to inquire about scheduling a meeting and any associated fees. This allows for a direct and confidential discussion of complex legal challenges without an immediate financial commitment.

For high-net-worth individuals, family farms, and business owners in Missouri seeking expert guidance on estate planning, business succession, and tax matters, Christine H. DeMarea can be reached through the Husch Blackwell LLP Kansas City office:

• Address: 4801 Main St #1000, Kansas City, MO 64112, USA
• Phone: (816) 983-8000 (main firm number); direct line is (816) 983-8186.
• Mobile Phone: +1 816-983-8000 (main firm number).

When contacting the office, it is advisable to clearly state that you are seeking assistance with estate, business succession, or tax planning and wish to speak with Christine H. DeMarea or a member of her specialized team. Scheduling an appointment in advance is highly recommended to ensure dedicated time for your consultation.

For individuals, families, and businesses throughout Missouri, particularly those in the Kansas City metropolitan area with significant assets or complex family-owned enterprises, Christine H. DeMarea offers an unparalleled resource for strategic legal planning. Her deep expertise in estate planning, business succession, and intricate tax matters, combined with her innovative and results-oriented approach, makes her an exceptionally suitable choice for anyone seeking to secure their financial future and legacy. Locals, especially those with family farms or high-net-worth considerations, will find her specific knowledge of agricultural business planning and sophisticated tax techniques to be a significant advantage.

Christine’s unique background, merging finance and law, ensures that clients receive comprehensive advice that addresses both legal and monetary implications. Her proven track record in litigating complex trust and tax matters, alongside her extensive experience assisting over 300 family businesses, provides a robust testament to her capabilities. The convenience of her office location in central Kansas City, within the reputable Husch Blackwell LLP firm, ensures easy access to top-tier legal services for clients across the state.

In essence, Christine H. DeMarea provides a rare blend of specialized knowledge, extensive practical experience, and a client-centric philosophy that is dedicated to solving the problems that keep clients up at night. For Missourians looking for a trusted advisor who can offer creative, tax-effective solutions and meticulous planning for their wealth and business transitions, Christine H. DeMarea is an outstanding choice, offering peace of mind and strategic pathways to a secure future.