Andrew Copans is a partner in the Private Wealth Group, based in Los Angeles. He focuses on tax and wealth planning for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and estates. Andrew provides comprehensive advice on all aspects of estate and wealth planning, including international estate planning, business succession planning, family office structuring and administration, and post-death estate and trust administration. He also has extensive experience representing clients in audit proceedings before the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Andrew is proficient at structuring sophisticated, tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies for his clients. He advises on estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax issues, and collaborates with families and family offices to implement and administer complex estate plans. He serves clients based in the U.S. and internationally, and across various industries, including real estate investors, company executives, privately held business owners, athletes and entertainers.
Andrew also has extensive experience in advising on and structuring shareholder agreements, succession planning and transitioning companies to future generations. He understands that the planning for his clients is not only intended to benefit and maximize both tax and non-tax efficiencies for the current generation, but also for future generations.
Experience
Andrew advised on the following significant matters*:
- Represented a client before the IRS in a highly complex estate tax audit that lasted nearly two and a half years.
- Represented numerous clients in setting up and structuring both formal and informal family offices for both succession planning and tax planning purposes.
- Created a private trust company for a billionaire client.
- Oversaw a multiple-year estate administration with complex U.S. and international tax issues for a client who owned assets in numerous foreign countries, including France and Ireland.
* Andrew advised on these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
Loyola Law School, LL.M. (with distinction), 2007 University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 2003 Cornell University, B.A., 2000