• Tax
  • Trusts and Estates

Keith Novick concentrates his practice on estate planning, probate, charitable planning, asset protection planning, business entity formation, and business succession planning. Mr. Novick also represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate and trust administrations and clients in tax controversies before the Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Novick is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Mr. Novick has represented many individual, business, and institutional clients in matters and transaction within his areas of practice. Mr. Novick’s representative matters on behalf of his clients cover a broad range, including:

• Client counseling and representation in (i) estate planning, including the preparation of sophisticated wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, and related documents that result in the reduction of estate taxes and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes; (ii) charitable planning, including the creation and implementation of charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and private foundations; and (iii) marital property planning, including the preparation of pre-nuptial agreements and post nuptial agreements
• Representation of executors or administrators in connection with administration of estates, including the probate of wills, the preparation of the federal “estate tax” return (IRS Form 706); the preparation of the estate inventory and/or accounting; will contests; and estate tax litigation
• Representation of trustees in connection with administration of trusts and related matters, including the interpretation and construction of trust provisions, the appointment or removal of trustees, and trust accountings
• Representation of beneficiaries of estates and trusts
• Representation of individuals and families regarding the formation, operation and transfer of family business and property ventures, including corporations, partnerships (general and limited), limited liability companies, and trusts
• Representation of tax-exempt organizations

• J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, cum laude (1984)
• B.B.A., Texas Tech University (1980)

Publications

• Author, An Overview of the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Proposed Regulations, Tax Section Newsletter, State Bar of Texas (1994).
• Author, Section 2702: Opportunities and Pitfalls, Tax Section Newsletter, State Bar of Texas (1992).
• Author, New Estate Freeze Rules, Tax Section Newsletter, State Bar of Texas (1990).
• Co-Author with Randy Zipse, Tax Consequences of the Crummey Trust, Tax Section Newsletter, State Bar of Texas (1995).

Programs and Courses

• Speaker, Address for the Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Seminar (Texas State Board of Public Accountancy CPE Accreditation), Maximizing Charitable Gifts: Terminating a CRT, Dallas, Texas (Feb. 20, 2013).
  • This seminar presented a strategy (patent pending) developed by Gardere to purchase life interests in charitable remainder trusts at a significant premium to the seller and maximize charitable gifts for the buyer.
• Speaker, Address for the Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Seminar (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): The Art Before The Deal: Pre-Transaction Planning, Dallas, Texas (Sept. 9, 2005) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation provided an overview of various estate planning techniques that may be utilized prior to an appreciation event, such as outright gifts, the grantor retained annuity trust, and the sale to defective grantor trust.
• Speaker, Address at the Dallas Bar Association Estate Planning Seminar (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): How Times Change - What Once Was Estate Planning Is Now Asset Planning, Dallas, Texas (Feb. 4, 2003) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation discussed various asset planning techniques.
• Speaker, Address at the Communities Foundation of Texas (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Should We Care about C.A.R.E.? Darn Tootin! The Feds are Messing with Charities Again, Dallas, Texas (Jan. 6, 2003) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation provided overview of Senate Bill: S. 476, the "CARE Act of 2003" and House Bill: H.R. 7, "Charitable Giving Act of 2003."
• Speaker, Address to The Catholic Foundation (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): The Brave New World: The Repeal of the Estate Tax? An Overview of Changes in the Estate Tax, Gift Tax, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax, Dallas, Texas (Oct. 10, 2001) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed the changes in the federal estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax that occurred under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.
• Speaker, Address to the East Texas Estate Planning Council (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Overview of the Insurance Trust, Tyler, TX (Feb. 4, 1999) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed the tax consequences and practical issues associated with the irrevocable life insurance trust.
• Speaker, Address at the State Bar of Texas 1997 Advance Estate Planning and Probate Course (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Transfer Taxes for the Resident Alien and Non-Resident Alien, Houston, TX (June 1997) (authored paper for course proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed the application of the federal estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax to resident aliens and non-resident aliens.
• Speaker, Address at the North Texas Estate and Financial Planning Council Fall Seminar (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Trust Taxation: It Isn't Getting Any Easier! Wichita Falls, TX (Oct. 4, 1996) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the applications of the federal income tax, estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax to irrevocable trusts.
• Speaker, Address to the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Society of CPA's: An Overview of Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Dallas, TX (Nov. 14, 1995) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed the tax consequences and practical issues of the irrevocable life insurance trust.
• Speaker, Address at the Gardere & Wynne LLP Seminar (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Application of Section 2703 to Buy Sell Agreements, Dallas, TX (Oct. 12, 1995) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed the impact of IRC §2703 on the estate tax consequences regarding the buy sell agreements.
• Speaker, Address to the Texas Society of C.P.A.s: The Family Limited Partnership: The Panacea of All Estate Planning Maladies? Dallas and San Antonio, TX (Aug. 1995) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation reviewed (i) the advantages and disadvantages of the family limited partnership and (ii) the tax consequences associated with the family limited partnership.
• Speaker, Address to the Dallas Bar Association Probate Section (State Bar of Texas CLE Accreditation): Trust Taxation: It Isn't Getting Any Easier! Dallas, TX (Jan. 24, 1995) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the application of the federal income tax, estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax to irrevocable trusts.
• Speaker, Address at the Nation Business Institute, Inc. Seminar: Estate Planning -Beyond the Basic Will, Estate Planning & Probate, Dallas and Austin, TX (July 1994) (authored paper for seminar proceedings).
  • Article and presentation discussed various estate planning techniques to reduce potential estate tax, including tax-planning wills using a "bypass/credit shelter trust" and the irrevocable life insurance trust.

• Member, State Bar of Texas
  • Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section
  • Tax Section
• Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Member, Dallas Bar Association
  • Probate, Trusts & Estates Section
• Member, The College of the State Bar of Texas
• Member, Dallas Estate Planning Council

• Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America (Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith eds., Woodward/White Inc.) (2003-2013)
  • Trusts and Estates
• Recognized, Texas Super Lawyers, Law & Politics Media Inc. as published in Texas Monthly (each year since its first publication in 2003)
  • Estate Planning & Probate
• Recognized, AV^® Preeminent^™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell^® PEER REVIEW RATINGS^™

• Fundraising Chair, Gardere Gearheads, Bike MS, National MS Society
• Volunteer, Meals on Wheels
• Member, Highland Park United Methodist Church
• Graduate, Dallas Regional Chamber^®, Leadership Dallas (1993)