Mr. Weisbard's practice concentrates in the areas of taxation, estate planning, probate and employee benefits.

In the areas of taxation and estate planning, his clients include owners of closely held and family owned businesses, business executives and retired individuals. Mr. Weisbard regularly advises these clients on complex tax matters including tax planning and reporting, gifting strategy and succession planning. His tax and estate planning work also includes providing tax advice and estate planning documents for United States citizens residing abroad and foreign nationals with property interests in the United States. His probate work has included numerous disputes relating to will and trust administration and construction, including will contests.

In the area of employee benefits, Mr. Weisbard works extensively with both qualified and non-qualified benefit plans for both closely held and family owned businesses and large corporations. He has worked with numerous companies on the drafting and implementation of welfare plans and qualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans. This includes significant experience representing lenders in ESOP transactions, as well as representing businesses and trustees in the creation and administration of ESOPs, and the sale of ESOP-owned businesses. He also consults with clients frequently on tax issues involving executive compensation and stock option issues; benefit plan administration, qualification and termination; and advises both sellers and buyers on the effects of mergers and acquisitions on their employee benefit plans.

In addition, Mr. Weisbard is an experienced lecturer, having addressed multiple organizations on a variety of topics including non-qualified deferred compensation plans, stock option plans, ERISA fiduciary responsibility and others. He has also been recognized as both an Illinois Super Lawyer and Illinois Leading Lawyer.

Bar Admissions

Illinois, 1979

Education
Northwestern University, J.D., cum laude Dartmouth College, B.A., magna cum laude

• American Bar Association
• Member, Chicago Estate Planning Council

• The Ins and Outs of the Income Tax Deadline Extension—Which Returns, Deadlines Are Affected, and Which Aren’t?

  By Mark Weisbard |April 2021

• Benefit Plan Implications of the CARES Act

  By Mark Weisbard |April 2020

• Question and Answer: Employee Benefits Triage Amid COVID-19

  By Mark Weisbard |March 2020

• The John Marshall Law Review "The Pitfalls of Will Contest Litigation"