In this episode of Pro Bono with Ed Nahhat, Ed sits down with his colleague Brian Jenney, a partner at Kemp Klein who focuses on estate planning, trusts, tax matters, probate, and special needs planning. The conversation mixes professional insight with personal stories, giving listeners a better sense of who Brian is beyond his legal work. Ed frames the episode around trust, both in the legal sense and in the personal sense, especially through Brian’s work with families and his role as a captain on a racing sailboat.

Brian explains that trust is central to his practice. He works with families during sensitive and long-term planning situations, especially when special needs planning is involved. That work often includes estate planning, probate court, guardianship issues, and helping families understand state and federal benefits. He also handles everything from basic estate planning for families to more complex taxable estates. His additional tax training gives him a broader view of how tax issues affect estate planning decisions.

The episode also explores Brian’s background before law. He studied fisheries and wildlife and once worked tracking and tagging grouse in northern Michigan. Ed connects that early care for living systems to Brian’s current care for families navigating complicated legal and personal situations. Brian also talks about the influence of longtime mentor Earle Endelman, who helped shape his understanding of tax law and IRS code.

A lighter part of the conversation focuses on Brian’s family. He and his wife have four children: two sets of twins. Ed jokes about Brian being a “twin maker” because the two often show up at the office dressed alike. The episode also touches on Brian’s dedication to his children, his sailing life, and the way leadership on a boat mirrors leadership with clients.

The strongest practical takeaway is Brian’s emphasis on communication. He says lawyers need to keep clients updated, return calls promptly, and respond to emails in a reasonable time. The episode closes with a discussion about Zoom court hearings, how they have changed access to the courts, and the challenges lawyers and judges now face when managing online dockets.

More info on the Kemp Klein Law Firm can be found at https://kkue.com/

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