Law Bulletins

Alison J. Midden
- E amidden@taftlaw.com
- T (612) 977-8218
- F (612) 977-8650
Summary
Alison co-chairs the firm’s Private Client and Estate Planning practice groups. She focuses her practice in the areas of:
- Estate planning
- Estate and trust administration
- Guardianships and conservatorships
- Nonprofits
Alison advises clients on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, charitable planning, asset-protection planning, and disability planning. She is a trusted adviser to clients in estate and trust court proceedings as well, including will contest litigation and tax controversies.
Alison also works with a variety of tax-exempt corporations and charitable trusts, helping organizations obtain and keep tax-exempt status, and advising on governance, structure, and compliance with federal and state tax law.
Awards
Honoree, Chambers High Net Worth Guide, Private Wealth Law (2022 – 2023)
Honoree, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Minneapolis (2023)
Honoree, Top Lawyers, Trusts and Estates, Minnesota Monthly (2022 – present)
Honoree, Minnesota Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate (2018 – present)
Honoree, Best Lawyers in America, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Trusts and Estates (2018 – present)
Education
- William Mitchell College of Law (2000)
magna cum laude
- University of Wisconsin
B.A., Dean’s List
Admissions
- State - Minnesota
- State - Wisconsin
- Federal - District of Minnesota
Notable Matters
- Represents clients in formulating estate plans by drafting Wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and antenuptial agreements.
- Represents Wisconsin residents in creating Marital Property Agreements to best take advantage of Wisconsin’s Marital Property law.
- Assists families with wealth-transfer strategies, including sales to grantor trusts, creating grantor-retained annuity trusts, generation-skipping transfer tax trusts, charitable trusts, and other estate-planning techniques.
- Aids families in estate and trust administration, representing clients in probate court and fiduciary litigation.
- Represents corporate and individual trustees of variety of irrevocable trusts, assisting trustees in Minnesota and federal tax strategy and compliance.
- Forms new private family foundations and public charities and counsels tax-exempt organizations on governance and administration.
- Courtroom experience includes representing:
- personal representatives fending off Will challenges;
- corporate trustees asking for court instruction and construction of trust terms;
- trustees of court-supervised charitable trusts and non-charitable trusts; and
- guardians and conservators.
Speeches and Publications
Speeches
- 2022 Probate and Trust Law Section Conference, “10 Facts You Should Know About the Minnesota and Federal Estate Tax,” June 14, 2022
Publications
- “Attention! Action Might Be Needed if You Have GRATs, Life Insurance Trusts, SLATs, QPRTs, or Other Grantor Trusts!”, Taft Law Bulletin, Sept. 30, 2021
- “A Word of Reassurance from Taft’s Estate Planners and Information on Health Care Advance Directives,” Taft Law Bulletin, March 23, 2020
- “Taking of Access: Minnesota Supreme Court Declines to Allow Admission of Evidence of Access Due to Installation of a Median in a Takings Case−County of Anoka v. Blaine Building Corporation, 556 N.W.2d 331 (Minn. 1997),” Author, William Mitchell Law Review, April 2014.
- “Closing and Administration,” Chapter 7, Minnesota CLE’s Minnesota Estate Administration Deskbook, Author, Several Years.
News
The Roadmap to the Corporate Transparency Act: Focus on Estate Planning News
Thirty-Eight Taft Minneapolis Attorneys Recognized as Top Lawyers 2023 by Minnesota Monthly News
Three Hundred Six Taft Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® 2024 News
Taft Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2023 High Net Worth Guide