Professional Background
Michael Whittaker is a Partner in the Trust & Estates Practice Group and Tax Law Practice Group, focusing his practice on counseling high-net-worth individuals and their families in connection with estate and tax planning, trust and estate administration, and business succession planning. He also advises financial institutions regarding fiduciary and custodial issues and serves as a trusted advisor on generational skipping transfers, probate, and post-death trust administration.
Mr. Whittaker understands the unique circumstances of each client, whether they are first generation wealth builders, beneficiaries, athletes with substantial contracts, or a family-owned business. He prepares individualized plans with a keen mind toward minimizing estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes. Michael explains the key concepts and practices so clients can actively participate in accomplishing their wealth preservation and wealth transfer goals. He prepares trusts, wills, financial powers of attorney, and healthcare powers of attorney to ensure that clients’ financial and healthcare desires are followed throughout their life and their wealth is transferred as planned upon their death.
Mr. Whittaker represents trustees, local and out-of-state personal representatives, and beneficiaries in court supervised and unsupervised trust administration and probate proceedings during emotional times, such as when a loved one passes. He works to help guide families, prevent conflict, and allow individuals to deal with the loss of a loved one without the added stress of legal concerns. His experience also includes negotiating and preparing settlement documents to dissolve and divide multimillion dollar trusts among beneficiaries in blended families.
For many families, their closely held business represents most of their wealth and Mr. Whittaker assists throughout all phases of the business life cycle. He helps clients select the most advantageous type of entity formation, counsels them as they grow their business, and provides tax saving and asset protection strategies. He also advises on succession planning to ensure a seamless and cost-effective transition to the next generation or future owners. Mr. Whittaker has prepared all types of transactional documents including, but not limited to, entity formation documents, company governance agreements, partnership agreements, statutory conversion, merger agreements, buy-sell agreements, dissolution agreements and other disposition agreements of closely held or corporate entities.
Education and Certifications
- LL.M., Taxation, University of Florida, College of Law (2015)
- J.D., University of Idaho College of Law, Moscow, Idaho (2011)
- M.B.A., with honors, Washington State University, College of Business and Economics (2010)
- B.A., Economics, Brigham Young University, Idaho (2005)
Bar Admissions
- Nevada
- Idaho
Awards and Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America – Tax Law (2025-2026)
- Nevada Business Magazine – “Top Rank Attorneys” (2026)
- Vegas Inc. – “Top Lawyers” in Estate/Probate (2024)
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Southern Nevada Estate Planning Council
- Faculty, National Business Institute
Community Involvement
- The Nevada Office of Military Legal Assistance – Pro Bono Estate Planning Volunteer
News
Las Vegas Office “Top Rank Attorneys” 2026
McDonald Carano proudly announces that seven attorneys in our Las Vegas office are recognized as “Top Rank Attorneys” in Nevada Business Magazine’s 2026 list of “Nevada’s most respected legal professionals…
Nevada’s “Top Rank Attorneys” 2026
McDonald Carano proudly announces that 17 attorneys in our Reno and Las Vegas offices are recognized as “Top Rank Attorneys” in Nevada Business Magazine’s 2026 list of “Nevada’s most respected…
17 Las Vegas Office Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026
McDonald Carano proudly announces that 16 of our Las Vegas office lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and one…