- About duke law firm
We represent clients in worthwhile opportunities by utilizing our knowledge, experience and expertise to make a difference.
High net worth clients choose Duke Law Firm for its knowledge, experience and network of associations. Duke Law Firm delivers unique specialized services in an ethical and compliant environment. Duke Law Firm works with loyal clients acquired strictly by professional referral (i.e., referrals from lawyers, accountants, financial planners, private banking departments and trust companies).
Duke Law Firm works with forward thinking investment managers to offer clients progressive and cutting edge, yet compliant, wealth preservation and wealth protection solutions. We work in a tightly knit international arena, allowing us to provide these solutions on a current and long-term basis to clients, including assistance to banks and investment managers.
Meet Our Team
J. Richard Duke
Principal of Duke Law Firm, P.C.
Professor J. Richard Duke is an international monetary and asset lawyer, and was named as a Leading Lawyer in Citywealth Leaders List for the years 2010-2013 in Citywealth Magazine: www.citywealthmag.com
Mr. Duke was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the practice area of Trusts and Estates. For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers® has been regarded by both the profession and the public as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States: BestLawyers.com
Named to list of "Top 100 Attorneys" in the U.S., Worth magazine, December 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (four consecutive years and for each year that Worth included this designation).
A native Alabamian, J. Richard Duke is a Birmingham lawyer whose practice is unique to Alabama. He was born and raised in Lineville, Alabama, and is the Principal of Duke Law Firm, P.C., a small niche law firm that, beginning in 1991, developed an international practice, working with clients and other professionals around the world.
Duke Law Firm represents clients in international and domestic asset protection, international and domestic tax and estate planning, and represents private banking departments of foreign banks and foreign financial institutions in providing guidance for U.S. persons who want their money managed either directly or through established foreign structures (such as foreign trusts, foreign corporations, foreign limited liability companies or foreign insurance products).
The firm ensures that clients and prospective clients, including foreign banks and foreign financial institutions, are compliant with the newly adopted USA Patriot Act, the withholding and qualified intermediary rules under U.S. regulations and "Know Your Customer" rules of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Duke Law Firm also represents clients with respect to investments into the U.S. (inbound planning), in addition to representing U.S. private clients in international estate planning, foreign business tax planning, international asset protection planning, investing through foreign banks or foreign investment management institutions, and accessing the worldwide market and international insurance products.
Duke Law Firm has also been engaged by professionals to represent clients who are being audited by the IRS with respect to international transactions.
Richard Duke shares his expertise as an Adjunct Professor of Law, "Thomas Jefferson Graduate Program," Thomas Jefferson School of Law (San Diego, CA, 2008-present) (formerly teaching at the Diamond & Diamond Program at St. Thomas University School of Law, International Taxation (LL.M.) Program, Miami, Florida (2000-2007)); and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (International Tax and Asset Protection Planning) (1983-1999); Who's Who in America, 2008 (62nd) Edition.
John M. Walker
Mr. Walker became Of Counsel to Duke Law Firm in 2007 in the area of international asset protection planning and international taxation for high net-worth private clients.
Mr. Walker received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in international taxation and financial services from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. His focus was on cross border transactions, the effective use of business trusts and structuring private equity and hedge funds.
Mr. Walker earned his J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law, at Samford University. He concentrated his studies on taxation and business planning. He was admitted to the American Journal of Trial Advocacy Law Review, and was later published in the Journal as a student on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. Mr. Walker was admitted to the Alabama Bar in 1994.
After several years advising small businesses on strategic development, he earned his Master of Science degree in electrical engineering through the IEM (Information and Engineering Management) program at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL. Through this program, Mr. Walker focused on technical entrepreneurship and dynamic business architectures. While earning this degree, he lectured in the IEM program on entity selection and business planning.
He worked with a large multinational corporation to reduce their global effective tax rate on dividends, interest payments and capital gains. His proposal reduces tax rates on dividends from the current level of 18% to 0%; leaves the tax rate on interest payments at 0%; and reduces the tax rate on capital gains from 20% to 0%. This tax efficient structure is completely tax transparent and tax compliant. Through Duke Law Firm, he is working with U.S. clients residing in the U.S. and abroad to complete their Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) applications and to create and implement tax efficient and tax transparent plans for private clients to invest outside of the U.S.
Mr. Walker has recently been published in TaxTalk magazine on the issue of tax dodging and also in Offshore Investment on the new OVDI program. He has also been invited to be a guest lecturer in the LL.M. program at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in the area of international tax planning.
Education: University of Georgia (BS); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (JD); University of Alabama at Birmingham (MSEE); Thomas Jefferson School of Law (LL.M.).
Associations: Admitted to the Alabama Bar
Deborah P. Holmes
Legal Assistant
Certified Professional Paralegal
Certified PLS
Since 1978
debby@assetlaw.com
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