Duke law firm, P.C.
Our vision
Duke Law Firm serves as the key to unlock the complexities of today's wealth protection and asset protection world. We facilitate and implement the proper solutions for clients on a worldwide basis through trusts and/or entities and working directly with custodial banks/foreign asset managers, trusts companies, chartered accountants and certified public accountants.
- Monetary and Asset* Law Firm Providing Wealth Protection Services - Business Planning
- Working with asset managers who understand current market crisis - International tax compliance
- International and domestic estate and asset protection planning - Inbound Planning
- Compliance: due diligence and anti-money laundering
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
Videos
Austrian Economics & Asset Protection Planning
INTERNATIONAL
Offshore Voluntary Disclosure
Coming clean with IRS for offshore unreported accounts
International Estate and Asset Protection Planning
Foreign Trusts
Limited Liability Companies
Foreign Corporations
Expatriation
Offshore Life Insurance and Annuities
International Tax Compliance
Advice Regarding Tax Compliance and Reporting Requirements
Assistance With IRS International Tax Audit
Inbound Planning
Nonresidents of the U.S. Investing in the U.S.
Nonresidents of the U.S. Engaged in Active Businesses in the U.S.
Assistance to Banks, Asset Managers and Financial Institutions
Compliance
Due Diligence
"Know Your Customer"
Determining "Beneficial Ownership"
Identifying Potential Clients/Customers Engaging in Tax Crimes/Money Laundering
DOMESTIC
Domestic Estate and Asset Protection Planning
Domestic Asset Protection Trusts
Limited Liability Companies
Limited Partnerships
Corporations
Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
Wills and Powers of Attorney
Private Foundations and Other Charitable Entities/Trusts
BUSINESS PLANNING
Source of income rules, controlled foreign corporations, subpart F income taxation and obtaining a credit for foreign taxes paid*
International Corporate Reorganizations
Foreign trade or business tax planning
* These areas are the most complex in the entire Internal Revenue Code that requires extensive research and analysis, resulting in higher retainers and higher fees, when compared to other types of sophisticated tax work.
Publications
Duke Law Firm P.C. Newsletters
FATCA Book Now Available! Richard Duke and John Walker contributed to writing and editing various chapters of a new 25-chapter book about the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) published by LexisNexis. Order Here
Exempting foreign pension benefits from offshore voluntary disclosure programme penalties, by John M. Walker, Offshore Investment(April 2013)
Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Programme Reopened--An opportunity lost or found, by J. Richard Duke and John M. Walker, Offshore Investment (Feb. 2012)
Heads They Win;Tails We Lose--Is Owning Intellectual Property in a Jurisdiction Other Than Where it Was Developed Smart Business or Tax Dodging? by John M. Walker, TaxTalk magazine, 28-30 (Nov/Dec 2011)
Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, by J. Richard Duke, Offshore Investment (July/Aug. 2011)
Fiat Money and the Federal Reserve, by J. Richard Duke, EDGE Magazine, CitiTrust International, Inc. (2nd Quarter 2011)
Avoiding Loss of What You are Saving; Due Diligence on Domestic and Foreign Investment Advisors and Systems. How an Asset Protection Lawyer Protects Clients from Theft and Insolvency, by J. Richard Duke, The Florida Bar Conference, Annual Wealth Protection 2011: Crisis Management Using Asset Protection Techniques (May 13, 2011, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
Dubai Digest: Entity Structuring in Dubai: Part II, by J. Richard Duke, Offshore Investment(Sept. 2008)
Comment: IRS Targeting of Offshore Promoters, by J. Richard Duke, and Dubai Digest: Entity Structuring in Dubai, by J. Richard Duke, Offshore Investment(July/Aug.2008)
Qualified intermediary and withholding rules, by J. Richard Duke, April 2007, Vol. 15, Issue 4, STEP Journal.
Offshore, Legitimately, by J. Richard Duke, Trusts & Estates, a PRIMEDIA Publication (New York, NY) (Nov. 2006).
Superfluous supervision? by J. Richard Duke, December 2006, STEP Journal. This article was first published in the STEP Journal, the magazine of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, with a readership of over 24,500 practitioners and key regulatory, government and industry figures. To find a STEP practitioner, please go towww.step.org or call +44 (0)20 7838 4885. To subscribe to the STEP Journal, please go towww.step.org/subscribe or call +44(0)1423 85 11 50
The American Way, by J. Richard Duke, November 2006, Trusts and Estates Law & Tax Journal, published by Legalease Ltd.www.legalease.co.uk To subscribe, call +020 7396 9292 or Fax +020 7396 9300.
Offshore Lawyers Have "Trials" Too, by J. Richard Duke, Offshore Investment(December 2005/January 2006):
U.S. Uniform Trust Code, by J. Richard Duke, Global Assets, Finance Publications Offshore Ltd. (St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands) vol. 3, no. 4 (Autumn 2005). This article has not been updated to reflect additional U.S. states that have adopted the Uniform Trust Code.
J. Richard Duke authored two chapters, "Tax Compliance and Reporting For Offshore Trusts" and "Uses of Foreign Life Insurance in International Estate Planning," in the book Asset Protection Strategies: Planning with Domestic and Offshore Entities(The American Bar Association, 2002)
Using the Foreign Nongrantor Trust in Offshore Testamentary Estate Planning, by J. Richard Duke, Sovereign Tax Journal(2002)
conferences
SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES
2013
Austrian Economics Research Conference 2013 (formerly Austrian Scholars Conference)
Mises Institute, March 21-23, 2013, Auburn, Alabama
Richard and others will be speaking during the 2:45-4:14 session on Friday afternoon, March 22nd. Richard’s topic is “Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Programme Reopened.”
Click here for more information
2011
International Business (Do's and Don'ts)
Alabama Power Supplier Relations & Diversity Minority Business Seminar, July 26, Birmingham, Alabama
Avoiding Loss of What You Are Saving; Due Diligence on Domestic and Foreign Investment Advisors and Systems. How an asset protection lawyer protects clients from theft and insolvency.
Florida Bar Annual Wealth Protection 2011, "Crisis Management Using Asset Protection Techniques," May 13, Miami, Florida
2010
WHERE DOES THE MONEY TRAIL LEAD? AND WHY DON'T THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW?
AALS 2010 Fall Meeting and Education Conference, Hampton Inn and Suites, September 18, 2010, Birmingham, Alabama
International Tax Issues from a U.S. Perspective
Asia Offshore Association (AOA) Beijing Conference, March 7-10, Beijing, China
2008
Investment Regulation: How U.S. Tax Law Impacts Secret Management Accounts; Securitisation and the International Credit Crisis: Asset Planning in the Face of the Current Market Volatility; What do Western Wealth Managers Need to Know about Islamic Investments?
Conservative investments and Asset-Backed Bonds
Offshore Investment World Offshore Convention 2008, October 21-22, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Domestic and International Asset Protection Planning
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 4th Annual Great Lakes Federal Tax Institute, May 15-16, Cleveland, Ohio
2007
The Use of Trusts in Asset Protection Planning
National Business Institute, Demystifying Asset Protection Vehicles, July 9, Birmingham, Alabama
Offshore Asset Protection Trusts, Offshore Trust Cases, Tax Compliance and Reporting, Penalties Relating to Foreign Trusts, and Planning for Foreign Nongrantor Trusts
BSII Executive Education, Chartered Wealth Manager and Certified Trust and Estate Practitioner, April 24-26, Key Largo, Florida
Tax and Practical Issues Relating to Foreign Investment in U.S. Real Estate & Their Challenges for Attorneys and Other Professionals
Pratfalls, Pitfalls and Profits of Foreign Investors in U.S. Real Estate, The International Law Committee of the Orange County Bar Association and Orlando International Council, February 14, Orlando, Florida
2006
Offshore Asset Protection Trusts; Offshore Trust Cases; Tax Compliance and Reporting; Penalties Relating to Foreign Trusts; Planning for Foreign Nongrantor Trusts
BSII Executive Education, Chartered Wealth Manager and Certified Trust and Estate Practitioner (October 10-11, Annapolis, Maryland) and (November 7-8, Scottsdale, Arizona)
Analysis of IRS Attacks on Certain Offshore Structuring
The Offshore Institute and the American International Depository & Trust, The Offshore Institute 2006 Roundtable: Your Passport to Greater Knowledge of New Trends and Developments in the Offshore Finance Industry, April 20, Denver, Colorado
2005
U.S. Update
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) 12th Annual International Trust Conference, November 25, Jersey, Channel Islands
Asset Protection
Rochdale Offshore Investment Management, Asset Protection: How to Protect and Preserve Your Personal Assets and Family Wealth Through Offshore Planning and Investing Strategies, October 18, Charlotte, Nortth Carolina
Comparison Between Bahamian, BVI and Delaware Companies; Corporate Ownership of Real Estate in the U.S.; Case Study
Legalease, Practical Issues in Company Administration and Practical Issues in Trust Administration, September. 22-23, The Bahamas
Dealing With Beneficiaries in the UK and the USA -- A Comparison; Case Study
Legalease, Practical Issues in Trust Administration and Practical Issues in Company Administration, Sept. 19-20, Grand Cayman
Structuring Nongrantor Trusts
Euromoney Seminars, 2nd Annual International Trust, Tax Planning & Compliance Forum, March 17-18, Miami, Florida
What, Why, When, How and Where
The Florida Bar Annual Wealth Protection Conference, Creating a Successful Wealth Protection Practice, May 13, Miami, Florida
2004
The Advantages Versus Disadvantages of Domestic and Foreign Asset Protection Trusts
The Florida Bar, Florida Bar Annual Wealth Protection Conference, May 14, Miami, Florida
Global Estate Planning Techniques" and "Tax Reduction Strategies
Royal Society of Fellows, Global Financial Strategies Summit: Serving the Client, Protecting Yourself, March 25-26, Miami, Florida
Anti-Money Laundering; Update on Trusts and Companies (Including LLCs) and Other "Tools" Available to You and the Clients That You Serve
Nevis International Financial Services Industry, 2nd Nevis International Financial Services Industry Conference, August 26-27 Nevis, West Indies
2003
Offshore Trusts: View of the U.S. Courts and a Practitioner's Response
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Annual Jersey Conference, November 21, Jersey, Channel Islands
USA Patriot Act; Money Laundering; Asset Protection and Recent U.S. Jurisprudence
3rd Annual Congress - Offshore Tax Planning, Anti-Money Laundering, Banking Compliance, The University of Floridas College of Laws Center for International Financial Crimes Studies, St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami, Florida), The Bahamas Bar Association, and Society of Fellows, June 4-6, Grand Cayman
Tax Aspects of Going Offshore
Offshore Press (Vernon Jacobs), Offshore Tax Boot Camp Seminar, February 13-16, Las Vegas, Nevada
Drop Us A Note
TELEPHONE: 205.823.3900
FAX: 205.823.2630
E-MAIL: debby@assetlaw.com
*Duke Law Firm works with asset managers and banks on behalf of clients but provides no asset management and no investment advice.
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