Benjamin E. Akselrad

Benjamin Akselrad is an attorney with Bressler's Private Wealth Management practice group.  Ben is skilled in explaining complicated legal issues in simple terms so that clients understand their options, and mainly advises individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. 

For individuals, Ben assists with estate planning, estate administration, asset protection, and philanthropic matters.  For businesses, matters focus on formation issues, raising capital, reorganizations, succession planning, mergers, acquisitions, and sales.  Lastly, for non-profit organizations, Ben helps them build from the ground up and advises on their ongoing governance issues.  Ben also represents clients before the IRS and state tax authorities.  He strives to resolve disputes out of court, but litigates when necessary.  

In his spare time, he volunteers on the Emerging Leaders Committee for the Calvary Hospital as well as annually updates a treatise called New Jersey Estate Planning, Will Drafting and Estate Administration Forms that is published by LexisNexis’ Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.

Prior to joining Bressler, Ben earned a Tax LL.M. masters degree from the NYU School of Law, a J.D. degree from Rutgers Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Business degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Ben also completed two judicial clerkships before joining Bressler.

Languages

• Hebrew

Experience

• Preparing complex estate, inheritance, and gift tax returns for people with significant wealth
• Drafting wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents for young families, high net worth individuals, and a senior diplomat
• Advising clients on multi-million dollar sales to grantor trusts
• Administering multi-million dollar grantor retained annuity trusts for c-suite executives and large shareholders of publicly traded companies
• Terminating, severing, and merging trusts
• Counseling trustees of dynasty trusts regarding complex GST and income tax questions
• Representing corporate trustees and individual trustees in fiduciary litigation matters
• Defending clients in IRS examinations and collection matters
• Business succession planning for multinational corporations
• Reorganizing international companies
• Administering an incentive stock option plan, LLC equity compensation plan, and phantom stock plan
• Negotiating deeds of gift and pledge agreements involving multi-million dollar assets with well-known museums, universities, and donor advised funds.
• Advising on the donation of a valuable art collection to a major museum
• Creating a tax efficient endowment at an international university to subsidize research in neuroscience
• Advising private foundations, private operating foundations, and public charities on tax and governance matters
• Preparing applications for tax exemption, annual non-profit tax returns, and state registrations for non-profit entities
• Coordinating the charitable donations of multi-million dollar interests in closely held businesses
• Forming and structuring business entities as well as drafting their governing documents for multi-state operations involving domestic and international owners

News & Alerts

Speaking Engagements & Events

Articles & Publications

Professional Affiliations

• Member, New York City Bar Association, Art Law Committee

Civic Involvement

• Member, Emerging Leaders Committee, Calvary Hospital

Awards & Honors

• Included in list of the Best Lawyers in America,® "Ones to Watch," 2024

This award is conferred by Best Lawyers. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.    

Get to Know Ben

In his spare time, he volunteers on the Emerging Leaders Committee for the Calvary Hospital as well as annually updates a treatise called New Jersey Estate Planning, Will Drafting and Estate Administration Forms that is published by LexisNexis’ Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.