“Helping a client to pass values from one generation to another is just as important as helping them to pass value. Obviously, we can do much more to effectuate the latter. But drafting documents divorced from knowledge of the client's values and personal goals and pain points, no matter how technically perfect those documents may be, is only doing half of the job.”
Jeff is a partner in HMB’s Private Client, Trusts and Estates Group. He focuses his practice on estate planning and administration, fiduciary counsel and litigation, business planning, asset protection planning, and philanthropic planning and deployment of capital for social impact.
He works with high-net worth families and individuals, corporate and individual trustees and other fiduciaries, business owners and entrepreneurs, charitable foundations and donors. Jeff helps clients preserve assets for the long-term, aligning growth strategies with their personal and civic objectives.
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Jeff built his practice by creating long-term relationships with clients who value his accessibility and ability to bring creative, practical and empathetic solutions to their unique matters. He prides himself on responding to calls and emails promptly and answering his own phone when sitting at his desk.
Values-Driven Advice to Preserve and Grow Wealth
With over 30 years of experience helping people manage the passing of their wealth and wisdom across generations, clients rely on Jeff for the practical, forward-thinking, values-driven counsel he brings to all aspects of their wealth, family, philanthropic and business planning.
Education
- American University Washington College of Law, J.D., cum laude
- University of Massachusetts, B.A., Commonwealth Scholar, magna cum laude
Honors
- AV Rated
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2010-2021
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow
- Best Lawyers in America, 2010-2021
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association, Member
- American Civil Liberties Union, Member
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow
- Bloomberg BNA, Estates, Gifts, & Trusts Advisory Board
- Chicago Bar Association, Member
- Chicago Estate Planning Council, Member
- Greater North Shore Estate Planning Council, Member
- Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Board of Directors, Policy Committee Co-Chair
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Member
Events
- Jeff Zaluda presents "Some Trends in Philanthropy Impacting Large Publicly Supported Charities" - Jewish National Fund - 9/18/19September 6, 2019
09/18/19 Chicago, IL While Americans remain the most generous and philanthropic people in the world, the landscape for giving is changing at an accelerated rate. Jeff Zaluda discusses how Millennial and generational subgroups have dramatically impacted the manner in which philanthropy is carried out. He will examine some of the reasons behind the changing landscape and ways in which donors…
- Jeffrey Zaluda Presents "How To Survive As An Estate Planner In 2018"October 11, 2018
10/11/18 - 10/12/18 2018 Duke University Estate Planning Conference Duke University Durham, North Carolina Click here for more info and to register. Building and maintaining a financially successful estate planning practice is much harder today. From building a practice to the importance of social media, Jeff will discuss how the estate planning department of a mid-sized firm in a very…
Publications
- SLAT’s: An Old Idea with New UrgencyOctober 8, 2020
Client calls are coming in droves regarding the need to engage in estate planning if Joe Biden wins the White House and the Democrats have a majority in the Senate. And for good reason. There is every reason to think that the currently high estate tax exemptions will be substantially reduced as part of a tax overhaul relatively early in…
- 30 Things I've Learned After 30 Years as an Estate PlannerMay 29, 2017
The ABA published this article in one of their journals and it expresses my views of what makes a satisfying client relationship, as well as a satisfying relationship with partners, referral sources, and the legal practice generally.
News
- Richard M. Horwood, Rick S. Rein and Jeffrey A. Zaluda Named to Best Lawyers in America 2021 ListSeptember 8, 2020
Richard M. Horwood, Rick S. Rein and Jeffrey A. Zaluda were named to Best Lawyers in America 2021. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.…
- Jeffrey A. Zaluda Honored with JCUA's 2020 Rabbi Robert J. Marx Social Justice AwardJuly 6, 2020
Each year, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs honors an individual with the Rabbi Robert J. Marx Social Justice Award, recognizing their commitment to JCUA’s mission of fighting racism and poverty in partnership with Chicago’s diverse communities. This year on July 20, the award will be presented to Jeff Zaluda for his lifelong dedication to pursuing social justice and a…
blog
- New Illinois Statute Creates Presumption of Invalidity as to Transfers to Caregivers Over $20,000October 11, 2015
A new section in the Illinois Probate Act, 755 ILCS 5/4-a, et seq., titled "Presumptively Void Transfers," which took effect January 1, 2015, creates a rebuttable presumption that a document that transfers assets upon a person's death, referred to as a "transfer instrument," that transfers $20,000 or more to a caregiver is invalid. The intent of the new law is…
- Recycle Your Charitable DollarsJune 6, 2014
For private foundations interested in a "return on investment" on the distribution of their foundation's charitable dollars (that is, a return beyond the satisfaction of doing good), Program Related Investments ("PRI's") are generally the tool of choice. A PRI can be counted as part of the foundation's required 5% annual distribution provided that the investment accomplishes one or more the foundation's charitable purposes, is not made to achieve a significant investment return, and is not used for lobbying or political campaigns...
- How Do You Define "Philanthropy"?May 20, 2014
For many Gen Y'ers (a/k/a Millennials, and generally understood to be people in their 20's and 30's today), philanthropy goes far beyond writing a check to one?s favorite public charity (or, even, texting a donation to the Red Cross following some natural disaster or another). Instead, philanthropy is now understood as a broader deployment of social capital with consideration of the Return on Investment (ROI) to be achieved through that deployment...
