Akane R. Suzuki - Garvey Schubert Barer

Akane R. Suzuki
Owner - Seattle
Second & Seneca Building
1191 Second Avenue
18th Floor
Seattle, WA 98101-2939
[email protected]
206.816.1473 Tel
206.464.0125 Fax
Akane Suzuki focuses her practice on a broad range of estate planning matters, from Wills and powers of attorney to
complex gifting strategies and business succession, charitable giving, and international estate planning. Her
experience includes wealth transfer strategies involving trusts, such as generation skipping trusts, personal residence
trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, and life insurance trusts, as well as family limited liability companies. She also
advises clients on probate and trust administration matters and gift and estate tax questions. A large portion of her
practice involves working with non-U.S. citizens living in the U.S. and U.S. citizens and others living abroad to assist
them with their inheritance and/or gifting needs and related tax matters.
Ms. Suzuki has been recognized by her peers and clients as an AV Peer Review Rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell,
as a "Super Lawyer," "Rising Star," and one of "Top 50 Washington Women Super Lawyers" by Washington Law &
Politics magazine, and as one of Seattle's top "Forty Under 40" professionals and community leaders by Puget Sound
Business Journal. She is listed in The Best Lawyers In America in the area of Trusts and Estates, and in
Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers.
Services
Estate Planning and Probate
Tax
Federal Tax
Charitable and Tax-Exempt Organizations
International Estate Planning
International Business
Industries
Family-Owned and Closely Held Businesses
Education
New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2000
University of Washington School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1999
Copyright © 2016 Garvey Schubert Barer. All Rights Reserved.
Executive Editor of Notes and Comments, Washington Law Review
Lewis & Clark College, B.A., East Asian Studies, with honors, 1995
Admissions
Washington, 2000
Professional Recognition
Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth as one of its "Leaders in their Field" for Private Wealth Law
(Washington), 2016
Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
Named in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, 2012
Named by peers to The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Trusts and Estates, 2011-2017
Named by Best Lawyers®, Trust and Estates, Seattle, WA, "Lawyer of the Year," 2016
Named by peers as a "Super Lawyer" in Super Lawyers Magazine 2010-2016; named one of the Top 50
Women Washington "Super Lawyers," 2012-2015; named among “Top 100 Washington Super Lawyers
2014-2015” by Super Lawyers Magazine
Named by peers as one of the "Rising Stars" of Washington law in Washington Law & Politics magazine,
2003-2006 and 2009
Selected as one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" for professional accomplishments and
community involvement, 2009
Languages
Japanese
Professional Activities
Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; Member, International Estate Planning Committee
Co-Founder of the Seattle Branch, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Past Executive Committee Member, Estate Planning Council of Seattle, 2012-2014
Past Executive Committee Member, Washington State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust
Section, 2010-2012
Member, Washington Women in Tax
Member, Washington State Bar Association Tax Section
Member, King County Bar Association
Community Activities
Board Member, Japan Business Association of Seattle, 2009-2010
Founding Board Member, Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMAS), 2007-2013
Member, Japan-America Society of the State of Washington
Member, Nichibei Women's Network
Events
"Japan and U.S. Transfer Tax – Pulling Back the Japan Tax Curtain on U.S. Trusts," PwC Japan, Tokyo,
Japan, April 19, 2016
"Building Legacies, Strengthening Bonds," Calgary Foundation for Community, Forever, Calgary, Canada,
October 28-30, 2015
"Tax-Smart Estate Planning for Americans Living in Japan," The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan,
Tokyo, Japan, September 30, 2015
"Estate Planning for Families that Span Two Continents," International Families: Money, Children and Long
Term Planning, American Bar Association, Seattle, WA, June 19-21, 2014
“Planning for the Global Family: Practical Guide to Advising International Clients,” WSBA 58th Annual Estate
Planning Seminar, Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle, WA, October 21-22, 2013
“Practical Estate Planning for Noncitizens in the US,” International Tax Conference, Washington Society of
CPAs, May 17, 2013
“Cross-Border PacRim Estate Planning – Japan/U.S,” 6th Annual Pacific Rim Conference, Society of Trust and
Estate Practitioners, May 3-4, 2013
“International Estate Planning in a Nutshell,” Northwest Estate Planning Council, March 20, 2013
“A Practical Guide to US-Canada Estate Planning,” Vancouver Estate Planning Council, Vancouver, B.C.,
February 26, 2013
Estate Planning for Women, Nikkei Concerns, February 23, 2013
International Estate Planning in a Changing Tax Environment, Garvey Schubert Barer, Seattle, WA,
September 18, 2012
"Planning for Clients with Non-U.S. Assets," Real Property Probate & Trust Section, Washington State Bar
Association, Seattle, WA, June 8-10, 2012
“Using Income and Estate Tax Treaties,” 5th Annual Pacific Rim Conference, Society of Trust and Estate
Practitioners, Santa Monica, CA, May 3-4, 2012
“Exploring the Canadian/U.S. Tax Implications of Gifting,” National Conference, The Canadian Association of
Gift Planners, Victoria, B.C., Canada, April 18-20, 2012
2011 Estate Planning Seminar: What is the Legislature Doing to Your Estate Plan?, Garvey Schubert Barer,
Seattle, WA, November 9, 2011
"Japanese Gift and Inheritance Laws," Seattle Chapter, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Seattle,
WA, June 2011
"U.S. - Canada Estate and Gift Tax Issues," University of Washington Law School Tax LL.M. Program ,
Seattle, WA, May 24, 2011
“Washington State Estate Tax Update,” Washington Women in Tax Seminar, Seattle, WA, May 18, 2011
"Make Your Charitable Giving Wishes Come True," The Seattle Public Library Foundation, Seattle, WA, March
22, 2011
"Perspectives on 'Bombproofing' the Estate Plan," WSBA 55th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Washington
State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle, WA, November 1-2, 2010
2010 Estate Planning Seminar: Who Can Fill Your Shoes?, Garvey Schubert Barer, October 21, 2010
"Ethical Considerations in Estate Administration," 7th Annual Trust and Estate Litigation Seminar, Washington
State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section CLE, Red Lion Hotel, Seattle, WA, March 12,
2010
"Post-Mortem Trust Planning," Sophisticated Probate Strategies, National Business Institute, Washington
State Convention & Trade Center, Seattle, WA, December 17, 2009
"Dealing with Out-of-state and International Property," Washington State Bar Association Advanced Probate
CLE, Seattle, WA, December 8, 2009
"Civil Dispute Management," King County Bar Association and Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, WA,
December 4, 2009
"Estate Planning for Japanese Nationals Living in the U.S.," Japan Business Association, Seattle, WA,
November 20, 2009
"Ethical Considerations When Dealing with Family Members and/or Fiduciaries of an Elderly Client," Advising
Estate Planning and Probate Clients, Washington State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust
Section, Seattle, WA, November 18, 2009
Aging Well: Planning for Common Aging Issues, Garvey Schubert Barer, Seattle, WA, November 4, 2009
"Trust and Estate Ethics," Washington State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
Mid-Year Meeting and Seminar, Seattle, WA, June 12-14, 2009
"Working with Financial, Tax, and Legal Advisors," Nichibei Women's Network, Issaquah, WA, June 14, 2008
"Aging in America," Nikkei Concerns, Seattle, WA, June 7, 2008
"Advanced LLC Issues," National Business Institute, Seattle, WA, December 18, 2007
Publications
"Akane Suzuki's Journey of 5,000 Miles ," SuperLawyers Magazine, 2014
"Navigating United States – Japan Estate Planning," Trusts & Estates, November 2013.
"Kaigai Sozuku Guidebook, International Inheritance Guidebook," Japanese only, August,
2013.
"The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012," Garvey Schubert Barer Legal Update,
January 31, 2013.
"Most Amazing Gifting Opportunity in History About to Disappear?," Garvey Schubert
Barer Legal Update, September 17, 2012.
"Cross-Border Estate Planning Considerations for the United States and Canada," Garvey
Schubert Barer Legal Update, July 12, 2012.
"Summary of Changes in Federal Estate and Gift Taxes," Garvey Schubert Barer Legal
Update, January 26, 2011.
"IRS Approves Income-Splitting for Registered Domestic Partners Subject to Community
Property Laws," Garvey Schubert Barer Legal Update, June 10, 2010.
"2010 Estate Tax and Related Tax Law Changes," Garvey Schubert Barer Legal Update,
January 29, 2010.
"Can You Inherit Debt?," You Maga, November 2009.
"Basic Estate Planning and Probate Japanese-language Column," Junglecity.com,
2004-2005; 2009.
"Estate Planning Practice Alert," WSBA Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
Newsletter, Winter 2007/2008.