Austin is a partner in Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group. Austin’s practice encompasses all aspects of business law, including sophisticated and proactive estate and gift tax planning, mergers and acquisitions with both strategic and financial parties, corporate and real estate finance, and partnerships and joint ventures, with particular emphasis on advising significant, privately owned companies and their owners. Austin has extensive experience in the integration of tax, business, and personal aspects of succession planning.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate, partnership, and limited liability company structuring and recapitalization, including strategies for family business planning
Represents a wide spectrum of businesses, including manufacturing, real estate services and investment, distribution, and technology, often as a direct advisor to general counsel or serving as outside general counsel
Provides trust and estate planning, which includes generational transfers and tax-efficient charitable giving alternatives
Advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate, partnership, and limited liability company structuring and recapitalization, including strategies for family business planning
Represents a wide spectrum of businesses, including manufacturing, real estate services and investment, distribution, and technology, often as a direct advisor to general counsel or serving as outside general counsel
Provides trust and estate planning, which includes generational transfers and tax-efficient charitable giving alternatives
Recognitions
- Named in Crain’s Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders, 2021
- Honored by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at its Annual Awards Dinner, 2020
- Recipient of Distinguished Service Award, Chicago Bar Foundation
Credentials
Education
Education
- Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 1973, J.D., Member of the Editorial Board, Northwestern University Law Review
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1970, B.S., Accounting, CPA Certificate
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- Chair and President of The Selfhelp Foundation and Recipient of Selfhelp Special Service Award
- Co-Chair, Lawyers Lend A Hand For Youth for Sun Time Judge Marovitz Program
- Former Managing Partner, Sachnoff & Weaver, Ltd.
- Former Executive Committee Member, Reed Smith
- Member, Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Foundation and Chair of Investment Committee
- Member, Finance Committee of the Chicago Bar Association