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James A. Goldsmith
Partner
Chair, Trusts & Estates Group
Trusts & Estates
Succession Planning
General Taxation
Trust Litigation

more
Cleveland Office
p 216.583.7114
f 216.583.7115
jgoldsmith@ulmer.com
At a Glance
Chair of the Trusts & Estates Group, Jim’s clients benefit from his more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration and succession planning. His expertise also includes taxation, employee benefits and corporate law. When developing tax-planning strategies for clients, he strives to reduce, defer or eliminate the imposition of federal and/or state transfer taxes in connection with achieving estate-planning goals. He was named to The Best Lawyers in America,® Trusts and Estates (2001-2012).
Education
University of Denver (B.S.B.A., Management, 1977)

Case Western Reserve University (J.D., 1980)
Practices/Industries
Areas of Concentration
  • Trust and Estate Planning
  • Trust and Estate Administration
  • Succession Planning
  • Trust Litigation
  • Taxation
  • Employee Benefits
  • Corporate Law
Representative Experience
  • Has over 25 years of experience in handling all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration.
  • Counsels individuals and families in structuring various methods of achieving financial goals and the distribution of wealth.
  • Designs and implements various estate planning arrangements for clients utilizing revocable and irrevocable trusts, family partnerships and limited liability companies.
  • Develops tax planning strategies to reduce, defer or eliminate the imposition of federal and/or state transfer taxes.
  • Consults with business owners to structure and implement business succession plans.
Honors/Distinctions

AV Rated - Martindale-Hubbell

Named to The Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, Woodward/White (2001-2012)

Named an "Ohio Super Lawyer" in a survey of Ohio lawyers by Law & Politics magazine (2004-2012)

Selected as a "Leading Lawyer" in Northeast Ohio in a survey of lawyers by Inside Business magazine (2001-2011)

Named a "Top Lawyer" by Northern Ohio Live magazine (August 2003)

Publications/Presentations

Publications
“A Trustee Checklist: Deciding Who Should Serve, What They Do and How They Are Paid,” Probate Law Journal of Ohio (March/April 2010)

“When Should Equitable Adjustments Be Made?” Estate Planning Magazine (January/February 1992)

Presentations
“Frequently Overlooked Estate Planning Issues Regarding Your Retirement Plans,”  Szarka Financial Management 401(k) Summit (July 2008)

Frequent speaker at professional seminars: Cleveland Bar Association Estate Planning Institute; Akron Bar Association Probate Law Seminar; and the Internal Revenue Service Cleveland District Directors' Conference on Federal Wealth Transfer Taxation

Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association (Taxation and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section)

Ohio State Bar Association (Estate Planning and Probate Law Section)

Florida Bar Association (Estate Planning and Probate Law Section)

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Past Chair, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section; Chair, 1992 Estate Planning Institute)

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Fellow

Estate Planning Council of Cleveland

Cleveland Society of Estate Analyst

Community Involvement

Cleveland Advisory Board of Facing History and Ourselves (Board Member)

Case Western Reserve University Estate Planning Advisory Counsel (Member)

Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of Northeast Ohio (PLAN) (Former Board Member)

Shaker Schools Foundation (Former Trustee)

Cleveland Chapter of the American Technion Society (Former Board Member and Co-Chair)

Shaker Historical Society (Board Member)

Oakwood Club (Former Board Member and Officer)

Suburban Temple (Former Board Member)

Shaker Youth Hockey Association (Former Board Member and President)

Menorah Park (Former Board Member)

Admissions
State of Ohio

State of Florida

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio