Beth D. Tractenberg

Beth Tractenberg, chair of Steptoe's Transactions and Tax Group, guides high-net-worth individuals, families, and fiduciaries in international and domestic estate planning, contested matters, estate administration, the creation and advising of exempt organizations, and drafting and negotiating prenuptial agreements.

Beth, who also heads Steptoe’s Private Clients practice, provides comprehensive tax, personal, and business advice to families, working closely with their family offices and other advisers. Drawing on her tax and trusts and estates experience, Beth serves clients as a personal and family adviser on numerous business, management, and related personal issues, including issues involving real estate and business holdings in the United States and abroad. Beth has extensive experience advising international clients on cross-border and pre-immigration planning, gifting, estate planning, and other tax issues. She frequently assists in resolving business disputes and sensitively guides succession planning across generations of family members. Clients value her ability to successfully balance intra-family dynamics with efficient tax planning, and The National Law Journal named her to its "Trailblazers in Divorce, Trusts & Estates" list.

Beth also counsels private equity and hedge fund managers on estate planning issues and has significant experience advising clients on estate planning opportunities that arise in connection with both the formation and sale of closely held businesses. Beth served for eight years as a board member of a client's multibillion-dollar closely held business before its partial sale in 2017. She led the Steptoe team that advised the client on a subsequent IPO on the Hong Kong exchange.

Beth has created scores of nonprofit entities, obtaining tax-exempt status for each. As a board member of numerous nonprofits, Beth applies her wealth of insight to advise charitable entities on matters such as compliance and fundraising.

Beth is recognized as a thought leader in the realm of estate planning, and is frequently called on to present to groups such as STEP Israel, STEP Canada, the New York Estate Planning Counsel, American Law Institute, Practising Law Institute, National Financial Partners, and the New York Society of Securities Analysts. Additionally, she co-chairs the annual PLI International Estate Planning program.