Alexandra P. Crean

/My focus

Having spent the earlier part of my career focused on estate and trust administration matters, I design plans that work in practice, not just on paper. I anticipate beneficiary dynamics, fiduciary issues, liquidity needs, and funding mechanics. I focus on building flexible structures that minimize transfer taxes, enhance income tax efficiency, preserve optionality, and simplify administration over time.

In addition, I spend much of my time advising international families and globally mobile clients on US transfer tax issues (estate, gift, and generation skipping). My work includes inbound and outbound planning, domicile and residency analysis, pre immigration and expatriation strategies, treaty analysis, structuring of trusts and holding companies, and planning for US beneficiaries of non US trusts. My estate and trust administration experience has allowed me to identify efficiencies and opportunities where they may exist in the difficult and often nuanced transfer tax and income tax rules that come into play.

/Looking ahead

The recent changes to the federal transfer tax exemptions have provided much needed predictability around what individuals can transfer to others without incurring transfer tax. Even so, thoughtful planning is essential for those seeking to steward wealth across generations, and long term trust structures continue to play a critical role in safeguarding family assets.

International families are increasingly finding a US connection somewhere in the family tree. Sometimes, that connection is not revealed until a thoughtful estate plan has already been implemented at which point it may be too late to restructure efficiently. Engaging US advisors at the planning stage—even as a precautionary matter—can help avoid unnecessary complications.

At the same time, more US families are developing meaningful non US touchpoints, whether that be through cross border residency, investment in offshore assets, or family members living abroad. These touchpoints underscore the need for specialized planning and coordination with on-the-ground advisors to navigate local tax, probate, inheritance, and regulatory regimes that come into play and ensure that estate plans work across borders.