Edward D. Brown
Partner and Chair of the International Wealth and Asset Planning Group
Edward D. Brown is a partner and Chair of the International Wealth and Asset Planning Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Mr. Brown has more than 25 years of experience in areas of comprehensive estate planning, asset protection and taxation. Twenty years of Mr. Brown’s experience, thirteen as a shareholder, were with the law firm of Engel & Reiman PC, concentrating almost exclusively in the trust-planning practice area, including the crafting, amending, interpreting, analyzing and consulting with regard to the operations of many of these trusts, whether domiciled in the Cook Islands, Nevis or Isle of Man or domestically in states such as Nevada. Mr. Brown was a co-author, with Barry Engel, of the various editions of the Asset Protection Planning Guide, a Wolters Kluwer, CCH publication. He focuses his practice on trust designs that are customized to the clients’ goals of protection of assets for their family and having added flexibility in their comprehensive estate plans that allow maximizing options with regard to changing circumstances and evolving laws.
Mr. Brown is an AV-rated attorney who speaks frequently to professional organizations on a wide range of legal subjects, including complex estate planning, asset protection and related subject matters. He has been, and continues to be, invited to speak across the country.
Experience
Professional and Community Involvement
- American Bar Association, Member
- Denver Bar Association, Member
- American Academy of Attorney-CPAs, Member
- Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council, Member
Speaking Engagements
A sampling of Mr. Brown’s more recent presentations:
- Featured Speaker, “Asset Protection for High-Risk Professionals,” Webinar, WealthCounsel in Focus Trust & Estates, March 20,2025
- Presenter, “Asset Protection and Comprehensive Estate Planning in Today’s Environment,” Webinar, American Academy of Attorney-CPAs 2024 Fall Education Conference, November 7, 2024
- Speaker, “Leaving a Legacy with Michael Cates” UBS Podcast, July 9, 2021
- Presenter, “Designing and Drafting the Integrated Estate Planning Structure,” CELESQ, April 16, 2019
- Speaker, “Recent Developments in Asset Protection Planning During 2018 and into 2019,” CELESQ, March 19, 2019
- Presenter, “Ethical Considerations for Lawyers involved in Estate Planning and Asset Protection,” CELESQ, February 12, 2019
- Presenter, “Asset Protection Fundamentals: What Attorneys Should Know to Advise the Moderate Net Worth Clients,” CELESQ, January 29, 2019
- Speaker, “Trends and Traps for Asset Protection: What Attorneys Should Know to Advise Higher Net Worth Clients,” Clear Law Institute, September 7, 2018
- Speaker, “2018 Critical Tax and Planning Updates for Asset Protection, Estate Planning and Taxation Lawyers,” CELESQ, June 21, 2018
- Webcast on “Ethical Considerations for Lawyers Involved in Estate Planning and Asset Protection” for CELESQ
- Webinar offered through West LegalEdcenter on Select Federal and State Income, Gift and Estate Tax Issues and Filing Requirements for Domestic and Foreign Trusts for Estate Planning and Asset Protection Attorneys
- Ethics programs offered through West LegalEdcenter about advising clients on protecting assets
- AAA-CPA programs on comprehensive estate and asset protection planning
- West LegalEdcenter programs on the perceived erosions and enhancements of asset protection trends and multiple other estate planning and asset protection webinars
- National Business Institute live webinars and programs on (1) self-settled trusts and (2) domestic and offshore asset protection trusts
- CLE International programs on asset protection planning
- State Bar of California Young Tax Lawyers – Silicon Valley Chapter regarding estate planning and enhanced goal achievement
- Foxmoor Continuing Education program on the “Colorado Complete Trust” course
- Lorman Educational Services national audio conferences
- Denver Tax Council on Tax Compliance
- Southpac Trust International conferences (in the Bahamas and in Las Vegas) on various asset protection and administration topics
Awards
- Best Lawyers®, “The Best Lawyers in America,” Trusts and Estates, 2024-2026
- Martindale-Hubbell, Rated AV® Preeminent ™
- Lexology Content Marketing Awards, “Legal Influencer for Private Client – USA,” Q2 2019
Publications
Publications
He has also authored numerous articles on a variety of legal topics that have appeared in local and national publications such as the Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Journal of Taxation, Journal of International Taxation, The Tax Adviser, Asset Protection Journal, Journal of Financial Planning, The Colorado Lawyer, and Estate Planning. He is also a co-author of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions of the Asset Protection Planning Guide, a Wolters Kluwer, CCH publication, as well as a contributing author to Asset Protection Strategies, published by the American Bar Association. He was also a lead author for the Colorado Estate Planning Handbook (Orange Book Handbook) Chapter on Irrevocable Trusts (including “asset protection” trusts) published by the Colorado Bar Association.
A sampling of Mr. Brown’s more recent articles:
- Author, “Legal Firm on strategies to protect the high-risk professional’s assets,” Denver Business Journal, March 28, 2025
- Co-Author, “Asset Protection for High-Risk Professionals” Wealthcounsel Quarterly, Fall 2024
- Co-Author, “Using Third-Party Trusts for Asset Protection” Wealthcounsel Quarterly, Winter 2022
- Co-Author, “Irrevocable Trusts,” Colorado Estate Planning Handbook, October 2020
- Co-Author, “Cautionary Guidance For The Use Of Self-Directed Legacy Trusts As More States Pass Statutes,” Denver Business Journal, November 6, 2019
- Co-Author, “Asset Protection Update,” WealthCounsel Quarterly, Volume 12, Issue 1, Summer 2018
- Author, “Mid-Year Asset Protection Update,” WealthCounsel Quarterly, January – July 2017
- Trusts & Estates: Divorce and the Self-Settled Trust
- The CPA Journal: The Advantages of Beneficiary-Favored Trusts
- Trusts & Estates: Protecting Family Inheritances from Divorce
- Colorado Lawyer: Inheritance Protection for Married Children
- Estate Planning: Asset Protection for the Business and Professional Practice
- Journal of International Taxation: A Guide to Foreign Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
- The Tax Adviser: Third-Party Trusts Integrated Estate and Asset-Protection Planning
- Oct 16, 2025 Why Business Succession Should Be Part of Your Estate Plan
- Jul 17, 2025 Jimmy Buffett and Lessons Learned from Disputes over Estates and Trusts
- Apr 17, 2025 Understanding Step-Up in Basis and Capital Gains: What You Should Know About Gifting Assets
- Mar 28, 2025 Strategies to Protect the High-Risk Professional’s Assets
- Sep 28, 2021 Significant Estate Tax Changes Proposed – Urgent Action May be Needed to Lock
- Apr 1, 2021 2021 Tax Extension – How Does the Extension Affect You?
- Mar 12, 2021 Extremely Important Deadline Monday for Tax Filing Requirements for Foreign Trusts
- Jan 18, 2021 Income Tax Benefits of Trusts
- Jan 12, 2021 Feeling Lucky? Our Six Tips On What To Do If You Win the Lottery – Part 2
- Nov 9, 2020 Potential Estate Tax Law Changes and the Completed Gift Trust Solution
- Sep 1, 2020 Business Opportunity Trusts and Asset Protection
- Jul 10, 2020 International Wealth and Asset Planning Group Annual Client Letter
- Jun 23, 2020 Protection Planning More Relevant Due To COVID-19
- Apr 8, 2020 Client Alert: Automatic July 15 Extended Filing Deadlines MAY NOT Apply To All Affected Returns
- Mar 25, 2020 Greenspoon Marder Client Alert: International Wealth and Asset Planning Group
- Dec 31, 2019 The Voluntary Capital Gains Tax
- Nov 19, 2019 The Ideal Gift For A Spouse
- Oct 8, 2019 The Tax Benefit That Works Because It Is Not A Tax Strategy
- Oct 2, 2019 Are All US Citizens Created Equal In the Eyes of the IRS?
- Sep 24, 2019 Qualified Small Business Opportunities-Patience Has Its Rewards
- Sep 9, 2019 Qualified Opportunity Zone Opportunities–Why Pay Capital Gains Taxes Earlier than Need Be?
- Jun 10, 2019 Indiana Offers the New Legacy Trust as of July 1, 2019
- May 1, 2019 Tax Court Rules that Offshore Asset Protection Trust Assets are Not Available to the Taxpayer for Purposes of Paying the IRS
- Apr 29, 2019 Free Asset Protection Planning Strategy
- Apr 22, 2019 Benefits of Asset Protection Planning
- Apr 12, 2019 Asset Protection Planning: Dispelling the Myths
- Apr 2, 2019 Asset Protection Without Extravagance
- Mar 25, 2019 The Importance Of Protecting Your Personal Assets And The Assets Of Your Company Too!
- Mar 20, 2019 Feeling Lucky? Our Six Tips On What To Do If You Win the Lottery.
- Mar 18, 2019 Think Twice if You Own 100% of a Limited Liability Company
- Mar 11, 2019 The IRS Has Spoken, Providing Another Asset Protection Trust Strategy
- Feb 25, 2019 Value is in the Eyes of the Creditor
- Feb 19, 2019 Is Asset Protection Planning Immoral?
- Jan 30, 2019 Selfish Reasons to be Generous
- Jan 3, 2019 I Don’t Need Asset Protection, I Have Insurance!
- Dec 11, 2018 Asset Protection Planning Should Be High On Your Priority List
- Nov 20, 2018 Updates in Trust and Tax Law Cases-Straight Off the Press: Streightoff Estate Treated as Owning Full Partnership Interest in Partnership instead of merely as an Assignee Interest—Bad for Asset Protection?
- Oct 16, 2018 Are Most Trusts Really (Potentially) Self-Settled Trusts?
- Sep 20, 2018 Be Careful Not to Engage in Fraudulent Non-Transfers
- Sep 14, 2018 The Misfortunes of Not Addressing One’s Fortune
- Aug 1, 2018 If an Asset Protection Trust is Used as a Receptacle for Assets, Is this Automatically a Fraudulent Transfer?
- Jul 18, 2018 The Offshore Limited Liability Company – Just as Good as a Trust?
- Jul 12, 2018 Erosion of Effectiveness of Asset Protection Trusts
- Jun 26, 2018 LLC Charging Order Protection Against Creditor Causes Debtor to Lose Even More Money: How Can That Be?
- Jun 21, 2018 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward Brown and Jacqueline Fox Featured Speakers at Celesq “Critical Tax and Planning Updates” Webinar
- Jun 20, 2018 New Nevis LLC Law Passes
- Jun 14, 2018 European “Blacklist” Status May Hit Home
- Jun 5, 2018 Is Jail Time the Nuclear Attack that Creditors have Against Offshore Asset Protection Trusts?
- May 29, 2018 Georgia Has No Asset Protection on its Mind.
- May 21, 2018 A Cook Islands Trust that Could Have Succeeded to Protect Assets
- May 3, 2018 The Demise of Domestic Asset Protection Trusts?
News & Videos
- 64 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed in the Best Lawyers in America® 2026 Edition
- 56 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Edition
- Asset Protection and Comprehensive Estate Planning in Today’s Environment
- Asset Protection and Comprehensive Estate Planning in Today’s Environment
- 49 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 Edition
- Impact Hour: Building Generational Wealth Part 1: Estate Planning
- Impact Hour: Building Generational Wealth Part 1: Estate Planning
- Webinar: Why the Cannabis Industry Needs Estate Planning
- Greenspoon Marder Partner Edward Brown Featured Speaker on “Leaving a Legacy with Michael Cates” Podcast
- Webinar: Potential Estate Tax Law Changes Under a Biden Administration
- Potential Estate Tax Law Changes and the Completed Gift Trust Solution
- International Wealth and Asset Planning Group Annual Client Letter
- Client Alert: Automatic July 15 Extended Filing Deadlines MAY NOT Apply To All Affected Returns
- Greenspoon Marder Partner Edward Brown Recognized By Lexology Content Marketing Awards As “Legal Influencer For Private Client – U.S.”
- Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward D. Brown And Andrew Bechel To Be Featured Speakers For The “Designing and Drafting the Integrated Estate Planning Structure” Celesq Webinar
- Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward D. Brown and Jacqueline Z. Fox Featured Speakers At The Celesq “Recent Developments In Asset Protection Planning During 2018 And Into 2019” Webinar
- International Wealth and Asset Planning Group Annual Client Alert
- Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward Brown and Andrew Bechel To Be Featured Speakers For The “Ethical Considerations for Attorneys Involved in Estate Planning and Asset Protection” Celesq Webinar
- Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward Brown and Jacqueline Fox Featured Speakers at Celesq “Asset Protection Fundamentals” Webinar
- Greenspoon Marder Partner, Edward Brown, Co-Authors Irrevocable Trusts Chapter of the Colorado Bar Association’s Estate Planning Handbook
- Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Edward Brown and Jacqueline Fox to be Featured Speakers for the Clear Law Institute Webinar
- Greenspoon Marder Launches International Wealth & Asset Planning Blog
- Greenspoon Marder Expands International Wealth and Asset Planning Practice With Addition of Shareholder Edward D. Brown in Denver
