Kenneth E. Konop

Experience

Ken represented the estate of a man who had left all of his property to the state of Michigan. When the man's son contested the matter in court, Ken successfully defended the validity of his client's decision. As a result, the decedent's wishes were implemented precisely as he had intended.

“A client recently told me he felt very comfortable working with me. I believe that's the essence of good representation. Your clients have to feel good about you.”

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Michigan, Probate and Estate Planning Section; Chairperson, 2000-01; Chairperson-elect, 1999-00; Vice-chair, 1998-99; Secretary, 1997-98; Treasurer, 1996-97; Chairman, SCOCPAR Subcommittee, 1995-96; Chairman and Treasurer, Publications Committee, 1993-95; Columnist, Estate Planning Journal, 1993-95
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Oakland County Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• The Financial & Estate Planning Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Inc.
• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Former Member of the Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board

Honors + Awards

• Best Lawyers in America, Litigation-Trusts and Estates 1995-present
• Michigan Super Lawyers, Top 100 2006; Estate Planning & Probate 2006-present
• Best of United States Trust and Estate Lawyers – Michigan 2007
• DBusiness Magazine, Top Lawyers, Trusts and Estates 2011

Publications

"The 'Other Beneficiary'-Tax Apportionment Clauses," Michigan Probate & Estate Planning Journal, Summer 1992

"The Revised Michigan Claims Statute," Michigan Probate & Estate Planning Journal, Winter 1989

"Taxation of Seniors," Laches, published by the Oakland County Bar Association, June 1989

"Individual Retirement Account Deductions," Laches, published by the Oakland County Bar Association, April 1987

"Recent Developments: Income, Estate, & Inheritance Taxes," Laches, published by the Oakland County Bar Association, December 1986

Contributing Author, "Inheritance Tax," Michigan Tax Practice and Procedure 2nd Edition, published by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1983

Speeches

"Transferring Vacation Property to a Family Trust or LLC," 45th Annual Probate and Estate Planning Institute, State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section, Troy, Michigan, June 11, 2005

"Charitable Remainder Trusts & Other Estate Planning Tips," "Before the Bell" Breakfast Forum sponsored by Miller Canfield, March 10, 2005

"What Stockbrokers Need to Know about Estate Planning, Prenuptial Agreements, Asset Protection, Death and More," "Before the Bell" Breakfast Forum sponsored by Miller Canfield, August 15, 2004

"Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Planning," Planning Techniques for the Taxable Estate, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, December 11, 2003

39th Annual Probate and Estate Planning Seminar, (Organizer and Presenter), State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Grand Traverse Resort, Michigan, 5/20-22/99 and Troy, Michigan, 6/11-12/99

"The Marital Deduction: Solving the Estate Planning Puzzle." (Moderator and Speaker), The Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Grand Rapids and Troy, Michigan, 3/13/98 and 3/27/98

Seventh Annual Drafting Estate Planning Documents Seminar, State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Grand Rapids, and Troy, Michigan, 1/16/98 and 1/23/98

Sixth Annual Drafting Estate Planning Documents Seminar, State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Troy, Michigan, 1/31/97

1996 Advanced Estate Planning Institute, State Bar of Michigan, Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Troy, Michigan, 11/15/96

36th Annual Probate and Estate Planning Seminar, (Moderator), State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Grand Traverse Resort, Michigan, May 16-18, 1996

"Administration of Trusts in Michigan, Creditors' Rights to Trust Assets," ICLE, Grand Rapids and Troy, Michigan, 3/6/96 and 3/29/96

4th Annual Drafting Estate Planning Documents Seminar, State Bar of Michigan, Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Grand Rapids and Troy, Michigan, 1/6/95 and 1/27/95

"Estate Planning for the Marital Deduction (Including the New QTIP Regulations)," (Moderator and Speaker), ICLE, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Southfield, Michigan, 9/16/94 and 9/27/94

"Federal Estate and Gift Tax--Michigan Estate Tax and Estate Planning," Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, Troy, Michigan, 6/7/94

"Post Mortem Planning (Including Form 706)," MACPA, Livonia, Michigan, 11/12/93

"Estate Planning and Preparation of Federal Estate and Fiduciary Tax Returns," ICLE, Dearborn, Michigan, 10/21/93

33rd Annual Probate and Estate Planning Seminar, (Moderator), State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Grand Traverse Resort, Michigan, 05/13-15/93; and Dearborn, Michigan, 06/11-12/93

"Drafting Estate Planning Documents II," State Bar of Michigan Probate and Estate Planning Section and ICLE, Troy, Michigan, 02/05/93

"Fundamentals of the Federal Estate and Gift Tax, the Michigan Inheritance Tax and Estate Planning," Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, Troy, Michigan, 12/9/92

"Doing it Right: Business Succession Planning," Walsh College of Accountancy and Administration, Troy, Michigan, 8/19/92

Pre-retirement Seminar, General Motors Corporation, Warren, Michigan, 9/23/91 and 4/01/92

"How to Probate an Estate in Michigan," ICLE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 03/12/92; and Troy, Michigan, 03/27/92

"Estate Planning and Probate in Michigan," NBI, Southfield, Michigan, 2/5/92

"Current Developments in Estate Planning," Oakland County North Small Practitioners, Troy, Michigan, 12/19/91

"1991 Advanced Estate Planning Institute," (Commentator), ICLE, Detroit, Michigan, 12/16/91

"Current Developments in Financial and Estate Planning," Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration, Troy, Michigan, 11/29/91

"Fiduciary Accounting," MACPA, Livonia, Michigan, 6/24/91

"Michigan Probate," NBI, Southfield, Michigan, 6/19/90 and 2/12/91

"Sheltering Estate Assets from Creditors and the IRS in Michigan," NBI, Southfield, Michigan, 2/27/90

"Basic Probate in Michigan," NBI, Lansing, Michigan, 03/22/89, 3/22/90; and Southfield, Michigan, 03/23/89, 3/23/90

"Section 2036(c) of the Internal Revenue Code," Southfield, Michigan, 2/23/89

"Michigan Probate: Beyond the Basics," NBI, Lansing, Michigan, 10/18/89; and Southfield, Michigan, 10/19/89

"Estate Planning," Lapeer Bank, Metamora, Michigan, 10/2/89

"Michigan Claims Statute," State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, 4/12/89; Farmington Hills, Michigan, 8/17/89; and Lansing, Michigan, 9/22/89

"Estate Planning for the Executive," Comerica Bank Trust Department, Detroit, Michigan, 7/11/89

"Michigan Claims Statute," Manufacturers National Bank, Detroit, Michigan, 6/28/89

"Will Drafting," (Commentator), ICLE, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 4/13/89

"Michigan Claims Statute," National Bank of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, 4/5/89

"Estate Planning," Comerica Bank and MCP&S, Roseville, Michigan, 10/13/88

"Estate Planning & Probate in Michigan," NBI, Saginaw, Michigan, 9/17/87; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, 9/18/87

Seminars + Events

• Before the Bell Breakfast Forum: Whose $ Is It Anyway?