Jim Lamm is a third-generation Minnesota estate planning and tax attorney. He focuses his practice on estate planning, tax planning, family business succession planning, probate and trust administration, and charitable giving. Jim works with executives, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, high-net-worth families, and family offices to achieve family goals, pass on family values, and plan for family businesses.

Jim is nationally known for his speaking and writing on advanced estate planning and tax topics, and he has been interviewed and quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Star Tribune, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, The Associated Press, Reuters, Forbes magazine, Intellectual Property Magazine, Barron’s, Bloomberg, InvestmentNews, Kiplinger’s, Morningstar, Pew Research Center, Twin Cities Business, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, MSNBC, KSTP television, KMSP television, National Public Radio, and more. Jim also has been an adjunct associate professor teaching an Estate Planning and Drafting seminar at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Jim has been a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) since 2009. He currently serves as a Member at Large of ACTEC’s Executive Committee and as a Member of ACTEC’s Board of Regents. Jim served as a past chair of ACTEC’s Technology in the Practice Committee, a past chair of ACTEC’s Digital Property Committee, and a past co-chair of ACTEC’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force.

Jim plans and prepares foundational estate planning documents for families including wills, revocable trusts (living trusts), financial powers of attorney, health care directives (living wills), and beneficiary designations for life insurance and retirement plans. Jim also works with families and family business owners to plan and implement trusts for children or grandchildren, irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs), intentionally-defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), dynasty trusts, installment sales, split-dollar life insurance agreements, private foundations, donor advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, prenuptial agreements, family limited partnerships and limited liability companies, and buy-sell agreements.

Jim also works with families, family offices, and other professionals to help them through the probate and estate settlement process, as well as to administer trusts, prepare tax returns, and resolve trust, estate, and tax disputes.

Areas of Focus

Services

Credentials

Education

  • University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., cum laude)
  • St. John's University (B.A., summa cum laude, with all-college honors and distinction in the field of management)

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
  • U.S. Tax Court

Recognitions

  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Fellow, Member of the Board of Regents and Executive Committee
  • Chambers High Net Worth Guide, "Leading Practitioner of Private Wealth Law," 2020-2024
  • Selected among The Best Lawyers in America©, 2010-2025
    • Litigation - Trusts and Estates "Lawyer of the Year," 2023
  • AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Attorney, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Minnesota Monthly, "Minnesota's Top Lawyers," 2022, 2024
  • Thomson Reuters, "Minnesota Super Lawyer®," 2013-2024
    • "Minnesota Rising Star," 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011
  • "Top Rated Lawyers™ in Trusts & Estates," American Lawyer Media & Martindale-Hubbell, 2013

Presentations

  • Panelist, "Estate Planning for Intellectual Property: Hot Topics to Avoid Getting Lost in the IP Desert," ACTEC Annual Meeting, March 10, 2024
  • Co-presenter, "I’ll be Back! Protecting Yourself and Your Clients from Cyber‑Attack," ACTEC Annual Meeting, March 10, 2021
  • Co-presenter, "Estate Planner Q&A: Answers to Questions You’ve Been Meaning to Ask," U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, February 10, 2021
  • Presenter, "Securing Client Data and Teleworking: Ethical Concerns and Practical Tips," 46th Annual Notre Dame Tax & Estate Planning Institute, October 30, 2020
  • Presenter, "Protecting Client Data: Ethics, Securit and Practicality," 47th Annual Midwest Midsouth Estate Planning Institute, July 31, 2020
  • "Securing Client Data: Ethical Rules and Practical Tips," ACTEC Great Lakes Regional Meeting, December 14, 2019
  • "The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Estate Planning and Administration," ACTEC Annual Meeting, La Quinta, California, March 22, 2019
  • "Protecting Client Data: Ethics, Security, and Practicality for Estate Planners," 53rd Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida, January 16, 2019
  • "Planning for Digital Property: The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be, " Estate Planners Council of Southern Minnesota, February 27, 2018
  • "How to Manage Your Digital Identity," Minnesota CLE Webcast, February 13, 2018
  • "Saving My Digital Assets: Time to Reboot Your Practice," 7th Annual Hawaii ACTEC Fellows Planning Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 25, 2017
  • "Planning for Digital Property: The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be," The 43rd Annual Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, St. Paul, Minnesota, June 13, 2017
  • "15 Practical Tips for Staying Secure Online," Associated Bank Seminar, Edina, Minnesota, May 25, 2017
  • "Planning for Digital Property: The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be," 51st Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida, January 12, 2017
  • "Protecting Client Data: Ethics, Security, and Practicality for Estate Planners," American Law Institute CLE Webcast, November 10, 2016
  • "Minnesota’s Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act," Minnesota CLE Webcast, September 9, 2016
  • "Ten Things to Know About Minnesota’s New Trust Code," Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 12, 2016
  • "A Tangled Web: Tax and Estate Planning for Digital Property," Wealth Enhancement Group Seminar, November 12, 2015
  • "A Tangled Web: Tax and Estate Planning for Digital Property," Robert W. Baird & Co. Seminar, November 7, 2015
  • "A Tangled Web: Tax and Estate Planning for Digital Property," Wealth Enhancement Group Seminar, September 3, 2015
  • "Ethics and Data Encryption for Lawyers," ACTEC Summer Meeting, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, June 19, 2015
  • "A Tangled Web: Tax and Estate Planning for Digital Property," 33rd Annual MNCPA Estate & Personal Financial Planning Conference, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, June 15, 2015
  • "South Dakota Trust Laws," Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 5, 2015
  • "Fifteen Traps for Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts," Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 24, 2015
  • "Digital Passing: Your Client is Six Feet Under, But His Data is in the Cloud," Wilmington Trust’s 2014 T&E Symposium for the Professional Advisor, North Palm Beach, Florida, November 7, 2014
  • "Digital Passing: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave," U.S. Bank Teleconference, October 30, 2014
  • "Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act," Data Privacy, Security, and Access in the Digital Age, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, St. Paul, Minnesota, October 9, 2014
  • "Digital Passing: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave," Riverbridge Partners Seminar, September 22, 2014
  • "Digital Passing: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave," Minnesota Paralegals Association Seminar, September 10, 2014
  • "Digital Passing: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave," Minnesota CLE Webcast, May 15, 2014
  • "Introducing the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act," California State Bar Association’s Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section, Dana Point, California, April 26, 2014
  • "Digital Passing: Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave," 58th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Seattle, Washington, October 21, 2013
  • "Ethics, Security, and Practicality," Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 4, 2013
  • "2013 Minnesota Gift & Estate Tax Law Changes," U.S. Bank Seminar, June 6, 2013
  • "2013 Minnesota Gift & Estate Tax Law Changes," CliftonLarsonAllen Seminar, May 30, 2013
  • "Digital Passing," May 15, 2013
  • "Estate Planning Strategies for Large Estates: The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall, Unless We Work Hard to Make Them Small," 2013 Annual Meeting of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Maui, Hawaii, March 8, 2013
  • "Digital Death: Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," University of Miami School of Law, Law Review Symposium, Coral Gables, Florida, February 15, 2013
  • "Digital Death—Succession Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," July 26, 2012
  • "Digital Death: Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," Leave a Legacy Minnesota, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, May 16, 2012
  • "Digital Death: Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," American Bar Association Cyberspace Law Institute, San Francisco, California, January 20, 2012
  • "Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," 56th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, Seattle, Washington, November 1, 2011
  • "Your Digital Afterlife: Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," Central Coast Paralegal Association, San Luis Obispo, California, October 6, 2011
  • "Digital Death: Estate Planning for Passwords, Online Accounts, and Digital Property," Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 29, 2011
  • "Raiders of the Life Insurance Trust: Holy Grail or Temple of Doom?," 37th Annual Minnesota Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 6, 2011
  • "Estate Planning 2.0: Digital Property and Tech-Savvy Clients—Time to Reboot Your Practice," 45th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, Florida, January 12, 2011
  • "Thanks But No Thanks—Disclaiming Assets, Interests, and Powers in Uncertain Times," U.S. Bank Teleconference, July 21, 2010
  • "Advising Clients and Fiduciaries with Significant Digital Property and Intellectual Property Interests," 36th Annual Minnesota Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 7, 2010
  • "Estate Planning in Uncertain Times: Large Estate Panel," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 19, 2009
  • "Estate Planning in a Low Interest Rate Environment," Hennepin County Bar Association, September 22, 2008
  • "Tips and Traps of the Generation-Skipping Transfer ("GST") Tax: Are Your Clients’ Trusts GST Tax Exempt?," Securian Financial Group Webcast/Teleconference, June 16, 2008
  • "Top Issues in Estate Planning Practice," University of Minnesota Law School, March 8, 2008
  • "Estate Planning for Executives: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know," Gray Plant Mooty Corporate Counsel Breakfast Group Presentation, February 20, 2008
  • "Top Issues in Estate Planning Practice," University of Minnesota Law School, March 5, 2007
  • "Estate Planning in Times of Change," UBS Financial Services Client Seminar, February 27, 2007
  • "Business-Related Issues for Estate Planners: Choice of Entity Under Minnesota Law," Minnesota Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 19, 2006
  • "Top Issues in Estate Planning Practice," University of Minnesota Law School, December 6, 2005
  • "Business-Related Issues for Estate Planners: Choice of Entity Under Minnesota Law," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 24, 2005
  • "New Circular 230 Issues in Estate Planning," Hennepin County Bar Association, September 26, 2005
  • "Estate Planning and Florida Snowbirds," M&I Bank Client Seminar, September 21, 2005
  • "Asset Protection Ideas for Risk Management," Ethics and Estate Planning Symposium, May 5, 2005
  • "Minnesota Marital Deduction Handbook Q&A Session," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 5, 2004
  • "Minnesota Marital Deduction Handbook," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 13, 2004
  • "Recent Developments in Family Limited Partnerships," Meristem Annual Family Office Conference, June 10, 2004
  • "Recent Developments in Family Limited Partnerships," St. Paul Financial and Estate Planning Council, February 17, 2004
  • "Estate Planning That Endures in Times of Change," Minneapolis Foundation, November 13, 2002
  • "Business Succession Planning," Joint Client Seminar with LarsonAllen, October 24, 2002
  • "Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts," Firm Client Seminar, July 19, 2001
  • "Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Issues for Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts," Minnesota Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 8, 2001
  • "The Practice of Law in America," West Publishing, December 4, 1998

Professional Activities

  • Hennepin County Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section, past cochair, 2011–2012; cochair, 2010–2011; vice cochair, 2009–2010; and program cochair, 2008–2009

Community Involvement

  • St. John’s University Planned Giving Committee, Member