Powerlist – Jennifer D’Amato – Reinhart

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Practicing estate planning was not on Jennifer D’Amato’s radar while in law school, but a case early in her career changed that.

D’Amato worked at a securities litigation boutique firm in Chicago when it selected her to handle an estate administration where a senior partner had been named a personal representative. The decedent had three adult children and a girlfriend who was 30 years younger. He left a $3 million life insurance policy to his girlfriend and another $3 million to his children.

The case, where the girlfriend received the full insurance amount while the three children ended up splitting $500,000 three ways after paying expenses and taxes, fascinated D’Amato.

“I decided estate planning was more interesting than securities fraud litigation,” she said.

D’Amato holds a master of law in tax, providing her with extra expertise to serve her clients, who are primarily business owners and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

D’Amato chairs Reinhart’s Trusts and Estates Practice and Trust Services Group and co-chairs the Fiduciary Litigation Service Group. She was also the first woman to serve on the firm’s board of directors. She is licensed to practice in both Wisconsin and Illinois.