Colonel F. Betz
Colonel works closely with executives, business owners, multigenerational families, and fiduciaries to create tax-efficient strategies that support financial stability and preserve legacies.
Former chair of the firm’s Trust & Estate Planning practice, Colonel Betz advises clients on estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate, trust and estate dispute resolution, and the preparation of gift and estate tax returns.
He helps clients develop robust philanthropic planning strategies, including establishing foundations, charitable trusts, and endowment agreements with educational institutions.
In keeping with the goal of preserving familial and financial legacies, Colonel provides ongoing counseling for his clients as their needs develop. He helps well-known clients and families, implementing an array of strategies, such as title-holding and trust utilization, to empower them to proceed with various transactions while maintaining privacy.
With a range of experience, Colonel assists clients from various industries, including media; sports; entertainment; and wine, breweries, and distilleries.
An active member of the legal community, Colonel is a member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Estate Planning Council of Seattle.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 1999
- University of Washington, B.A., Business Administration and Accounting, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1995
Bar and Court Admissions
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Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Related Employment
- Whatcom County Public Defenders Office, Bellingham, WA, Legal Intern, Summer 1998
- Price Waterhouse LLP, Seattle, WA, Tax Consultant, Summer 1997
- Price Waterhouse LLP, Seattle, WA, Staff Accountant, 1995-1996
Professional Recognition
Perkins Coie Washington practice ranked Band 1, in Private Wealth Law by Chambers High Net Worth (HNW), 2016-2024
Listed as a “Washington’s Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine, 2024
Selected as a “Notable Practitioner” in Private Wealth Law by Chambers High Net Worth (HNW), 2016-2020
Received the Five Star Professional Award – Overall Satisfaction, 2007-2012
Listed in Washington Law & Politics, “Rising Stars of Washington Law,” 2002-2012
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Trusts and Estates, 2009-2025
Impact
Professional Leadership
- University of Washington Estate and Gift Planning Council
- Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Estate Planning Council of Seattle
News
Professional Experience
Personal Planning
Estate Planning Documents in Context of Family Dynamics
Assisting clients in the preparation of their wills, trusts, powers of attorneys and healthcare documents with an eye to internal family dynamics and the family members' abilities to handle fiduciary and business decisions. This process often includes consideration as to whether non-family executors and trustees may benefit the estate or trust administration. These documents include: revocable living trusts for lifetime management of assets or out-of-state real property to avoid probate, as well as durable powers of attorney for financial and healthcare decisions, Durable Powers of Attorney (DPA), healthcare directives and living wills, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorizations for release of protected healthcare information, and premarital and postnuptial property status agreements that clarify status of community and separate property.
Family Office Planning
Providing ongoing consultation with active multi-functional family offices on a wide range of tax, investment management, estate planning and governance matters.
Gift Planning
Providing advice on tax efficient gifting to children and grandchildren, including drafting and implementing "Crummey" Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trusts, Residence Trusts (QPRTs), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) and Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs). We also assisted clients with education savings planning, including tax effects of 529 Plans, and provided advice on tax efficient giving to charities, including Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts (CLATs, CLUTs, CRATs and CRUTs). In addition, we prepared estate and gift tax forecasts and plans for payment of estate taxes for business succession.
Limited Liability Companies and Family Limited Partnerships
Established limited liability companies (LLCs) and family limited partnerships (FLPs) for the management of family real estate and other assets among multiple generations of the same family.
Maintaining the Privacy of Recognizable Individuals
Working with well-known clients and families to develop and implement a variety of strategies, including title-holding and fictitious name trusts, to enable them to buy, sell and hold real estate and other assets without the risk of being identified and located through searchable public records.
Mediation
Representing clients in the negotiation of mediated agreements covering a wide variety of trust and estate disputes.
Private Foundations & Charitable Trusts
Assisted clients in establishing private foundations or charitable trusts to hold family assets. These include endowment agreements with various educational or charitable institutions. Provided ongoing family foundation counseling and grant making consultation and advice.
Probate and Trust Administration
Advising clients on estate and trust administration, probate, estate and trust dispute resolution matters and the preparation of gift and estate tax returns, including:
- Representing executors or administrators (a.k.a. personal representatives) of estates and trustees of trusts in the fulfillment of fiduciary duties,
- Representing beneficiaries regarding their interests in estates and trusts, and
- Advising and drafting nonjudicial binding agreements to modify will or trust terms or to settle fiduciary disputes
Tax Representation
Preparing gift tax returns to report taxable gifts and federal and Washington estate tax returns and represented taxpayers on estate and gift tax audits.