Practice Expertise

  • Trusts and Estates
  • Financial Services
  • Family-Owned and Closely-Held Business ...
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Areas of Practice

  • Family-Owned and Closely-Held Business ...
  • Financial Services
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Family Offices
  • Founders & Entrepreneurs
  • View More

Profile

Michael Arlein is Chair of the firm's Trusts and Estates group and the firm’s practice group devoted to Founders & Entrepreneurs and has been with the firm since 2000. Mr. Arlein focuses his practice on estate and tax planning for high net worth individuals and families, including founders and entrepreneurs, Wall Street professionals, principals at venture capital and private equity firms and hedge funds, real estate developers, corporate executives, professional athletes, entertainers and artists. A former investment banker, Mr. Arlein brings to his clients insight and business sense that distinguishes him among lawyers. He works closely with clients and their other trusted advisors to identify their objectives and provide creative and practical solutions designed to meet their specific goals. Collaborating with lawyers from the firm's other practice areas, Mr. Arlein often serves as "general counsel" for his clients, coordinating all of their personal legal needs.

Mr. Arlein's practice extends to all aspects of sophisticated planning, wealth preservation and philanthropy. He has extensive experience preparing wills and trusts and implementing complex strategies involving grantor-retained annuity trusts (GRATs), family partnerships and limited liability companies, life insurance, Delaware trusts, and other wealth transfer techniques. Mr. Arlein frequently represents clients in administering large estates and trusts and in resolving complex estate and gift tax audits. He also has considerable experience negotiating and preparing prenuptial agreements, designing estate plans for international clients, and counseling clients on estate planning opportunities that arise in connection with the sale of privately held businesses and digital assets.

In recent years, Mr. Arlein has worked with the founders of numerous venture-backed companies in connection with their estate and tax planning. Among others, he has worked with some of the founders of the following companies (who have given permission to be included on this list): 305 Fitness, Alleviant Medical, Alma, Anchor, Anvyl, AppNexus, Aterian, Attentive, Bay Dynamics, Bedrock Ocean Exploration, Beeswax, Care/of, Carpe, Casper, Codeacademy, Cometeer, Coursedog, Dia & Co., Daily Harvest, Dash, Digital Ocean, Drink LMNT, Duolingo, Fair Harbor, Firstleaf, Fishbowl, Flatiron Health, Frame.io, Frida Baby, Formsort, fuboTV, Gimlet, Greater Industries, H1, Harry’s, Hubble Contacts, Imperfect Foods, Influenster, Kard, Khaite, Kingdom Supercultures, Koneksa Health, Localize, Loom, Maestro, Magic Spoon, Maven Clinic, mParticle, MoneyLion, NS1, Pearl Health, Quartzy, Rhone Apparel, ROKO Labs, Roman Health, Saturn, Scoop Technologies, ShopKeep, Slack, Slice, SmartMedia Technologies, Sollis Health, Standard Bots, StellaService, Transfix, Triple Whale, Trunk Tools, Vestwell, Voray, Xtreme Solutions, and Xwing. In that context, Mr. Arlein has developed deep experience implementing planning strategies for Qualified Small Business StockPlease visit the Founder Focus Resource Center where you will find unique content on topics of interest to founders and entrepreneurs and their professional advisors.

Mr. Arlein has been recognized in Chambers High Net Worth in 2022 and 2023 as a top-tier practitioner in its Private Wealth Law guides for New York. A market source quoted in the publication notes, [h]e’s one of those lawyers who is just so down to earth, practical and easy to deal with.” Another source notes “[h]e is very calm under pressure, very smart and practical. I like dealing with him." Other sources describe him as "very smart and thoughtful" and "very bright and technically skilled." Mr. Arlein has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating of "AV Preeminent" based on both peer reviews and numerous client reviews. Mr. Arlein frequently publishes articles and lectures on various estate planning topics. He served on the Board of Directors of the Estate Planning Council of New York City and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). He is a Guest Lecturer on the Practice of Wealth Management for High Net Worth Clients at Columbia Business School. Mr. Arlein also serves on the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Trusts, Estates & Surrogate's Courts Committee, as well as the New York-Presbyterian Planned Giving Advisory Council.  

In 2018 Mr. Arlein received the Jeremy G. Epstein Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service for his work with clients of the Planning and Estates Law Project (PELP). PELP offers free legal assistance with end-of-life planning, probate, and estate matters to low-income individuals in New York City.

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • New Jersey

Education

  • Harvard Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2000)
  • Duke University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1995)

Areas of Practice

  • Family-Owned and Closely-Held Business Services
  • Financial Services
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Family Offices
  • Founders & Entrepreneurs

Professional Career


Professional Activities and Experience

MEMBERSHIPS: Don't Hide It, Flaunt It (Board of Directors); Chair, Summit Hometown Heroes Banner CommitteeRutgers Master Gardener; New York-Presbyterian Planned Giving Advisory Council; New York State Bar Association (Trusts & Estates Law Section, Committee on International Estate Planning); Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Trusts, Estates & Surrogate's Courts Committee); Estate Planning Council of New York City (Board of Directors); Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP); Instructor, "Art as a Family Asset: Value, Gifts and Transactions," Sept 21, 2011, Artelligence Conference (New York, NY); "Divorce and Trusts: How to Effectively Represent Your Client," October 13, 2012, ABA Section of Family Law Fall Conference (Philadelphia, PA)




Articles

Blogs

Antitrust Update

Antitrust Update Blog is a source of insights, information and analysis on criminal and civil antitrust and competition-related issues. Patterson Belknap’s antitrust lawyers represent clients in antitrust litigation and counseling matters, including those related to pricing, marketing, distribution, franchising, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. We have significant experience with government civil and criminal/cartel investigations, providing the unique perspectives of former...

Data Security Law Blog

DataSecurityLaw.com is the firm’s resource for the latest news, analysis, and thought leadership in the critical area of privacy and cybersecurity law. Patterson Belknap’s Privacy and Data Security practice provides public and private enterprises, their leadership teams and boards with comprehensive services in this critical area. Our team of experienced litigators, corporate advisors and former federal and state prosecutors advises on a broad range of privacy and data protection matters...

Misbranded

Misbranded is Patterson Belknap’s blog covering false advertising litigation—both consumer class actions and competitor suits—with a particular focus on FDA-regulated products (foods/beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dietary supplements).

New York Commercial Division Decisions

The blog is a source for insights and developments related to practice in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. This blog reviews key developments in the Commercial Division, including important decisions handed down by the Commercial Division and appellate court decisions reviewing Commercial Division decisions. The blog also covers changes and proposed changes to Commercial Division rules and practice, including revisions to the rules since January 2015. The...

Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important and thoughtful opinions on many subjects, including the criminal law. We review every published criminal law opinion handed down by the Second Circuit in order to provide you with a summary of the...

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