William J. Butler is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Chicago office. He focuses his practice on both estate planning and probate administration matters.

Bill counsels family groups and individuals on all aspects of wealth transfer planning, with an emphasis on formulating estate plans that maximize and protect wealth while minimizing transfer taxes.

Bill represents a number of large family groups and works with their family office executives on family office administration and structure issues.

Bill also works with a number of families in assisting them on all legal issues involving their privately-owned business, including succession planning and shareholder agreements.

Bill has spoken on estate planning topics before bar groups, family office executives, and at employer-sponsored seminars, and is a co-author of Discretionary Trust Distributions (Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education - Illinois Trust Administration handbook).