One of the most frequent topics of conversation among estate planning attorneys in recent years (yes, we are sometimes boring) has now been resolved. On December 31, 2025, like Cinderella’s coach turning into a pumpkin, the federal estate tax exemption was scheduled to nearly halve….
In an area where real estate is a highly valuable—and often appreciating—asset, holding residential properties as income-producing rentals is not uncommon. What should you know if you are thinking of renting out your property from a business planning and estate planning perspective? Liability Considerations At…
Every year, June and July are “summer blockbuster season.” Hollywood releases a buzzworthy big-budget picture that is designed to drive us out of the heat and into air-conditioned movie theatres. What is the best summer blockbuster of all time? BDBF attorneys debate it! Tim Canney…
In our last newsletter, in Part I of this article, we discussed how qualified small business stock (“QSBS”) could offer significant tax savings upon the sale of an owner’s interest in a “C” corporation. However, many business owners instead register their business as a limited…
If you or a family member owns a car and lives in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia, then you are probably covered by some amount of uninsured motorist coverage. What is “uninsured motorist” (UM) and “underinsured motorist” (UIM) coverage? Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage…
On May 28, 2025, BDBF attorney Liz Farley was inducted as a “Bar Leader” by the Montgomery County Bar Foundation. Liz joins BDBF partners Jeremy Rachlin, Meg Rosan, and Dan Shaivitz as Bar Leaders. Bar Leaders are selected by the Board of Directors of the…
NOTE – This is part one of a two-part series. Part two will follow in July 2025. Tax reform has been in the news this month, and much of the discussion of the new bill in Congress has centered around whether or not the provisions…
Estate and trust attorneys (and our clients) were anxiously awaiting President Trump’s budget proposals on the estate tax. We now have some clarity going forward. Where Do Things Presently Stand Under present federal law, deceased individuals can pass an unlimited amount of wealth to a…
Maryland may be an undersized state, but we are known for our oversized state pride. Perhaps at no other time during the year does Maryland pride get such nationwide recognition as when the eyes of the nation fall on the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore…
Over the past ten years, as a matter of public policy, numerous states and the federal government have attempted to limit the enforceability of noncompete agreements. A noncompete agreement prohibits a worker from competing against the employer either during employment or after the employment ends….
