Robert C. Lawrence 

Senior Counsel – New York
T.+1 212 504 6211
robert.lawrence@cwt.com
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281 V-CARD

Bob Lawrence, former chair of the Private Client Group, is a leading authority in international and domestic tax, trust, succession, and personal planning matters. He advises high net worth individuals and families regarding tax-efficient structures for their U.S. and global holdings, with emphasis on the minimization of taxation, the governance and succession of their holdings, and their transfer to family members, entities, trusts and/or charities. In addition, he assists with dispute resolution among and between families, family members, and fiduciaries. Bob was partner with the firm from 1974-2012.

In recognition of his substantial experience and many professional accomplishments, Bob has been named a leading international private client and wealth management attorney by numerous independent publications and organizations, including Chambers High Net Worth, which ranks him as a “Star Individual” and recently referred to him as “one of the founders of the modern international private client profession." He has also been ranked by Chambers GlobalChambers USAThe Best Lawyers in AmericaCitywealth's Top 100 Wealth Advisors and Managers in North America, Euromoney's Top U.S. Tax Lawyers, Who's Who in LawWho's Who in America and Private Client Global Elite.

Bob is a prolific author, including a seminal treatise, International Tax and Estate Planning: A Practical Guide for Multinational Investors, (PLI 4th ed). His articles have been published by, among others, the American Bar Association, Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., Heckerling Institute, Practising Law Institute, and in Trusts and Estates Magazine.

In addition to writing, Bob is a frequent lecturer on international tax and estate planning issues, and has addressed foreign and international groups, including the Institute for International Research, IBC Legal Studies and Services, International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, International Tax Planners Association, The Private Client Legal Forum, The Bahamian Bankers Association, Cayman Bankers Association, Family Wealth Management and The Bank of Bermuda; as well as domestic organizations, such as the American Bar Association, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, American Law Institute, University of Miami Law Center's Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, The Archdiocese of New York, Foundation for Accounting Education, Institute for International Research, Institute of Private Investors, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., The Museum of Modern Art, New York State Bar Association, NYU School of Continuing Legal Education, Practising Law Institute, Strategic Investors, The Templeton Fund, UCLA-CEB, University of Denver College of Law, U.S. Treasury Department-Office of International Tax Counsel, Washington State Bar Association, World Trade Institute, and many others. He also has spoken to leading financial advisory institutions, such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and UBS PaineWebber.

He is a member and past president of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (TIAETL); and a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC); the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Bar Association of New Jersey and The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Bob is a former Chairman of the International Estate Planning Subcommittee of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association Committee on Recruitment of Lawyers.

Bob graduated with a B.A. from Cornell University, and received his LL.B. and LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. In addition, he was honorably discharged from active duty from the U.S. Army where he served as First Lieutenant and Company Commander; and served as Mayor of Shrewsbury, NJ from 1969 through 1974. He joined Cadwalader in 1966. He is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York and District of New Jersey, the U.S. Tax Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

NEWS

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RESOURCES

Books

  • International Personal Tax Planning Encyclopaedia

    Edited by Robert Lawrence, this book provides an overview of multinational personal tax planning by examining the gift and death tax property regimes of a number of countries.

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Robert C. Lawrence 

Admissions

  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
  • New York
  • New Jersey

Education

  • New York University School of Law
    LL.M., 1966
  • New York University School of Law
    LL.B., 1963
  • Cornell University
    B.A., 1960