Brian W. Monnich

Partner

Brian Monnich provides clients with sophisticated guidance on a broad array of wealth management matters, helping them to grow and protect their multi-generational estates. He takes a personal approach in advising clients of diverse ages and nationalities and across various industries, developing and implementing estate planning strategies designed to minimize taxes and preserve family wealth.

As his judgement and experience are highly valued by his clients, Brian is often chosen to be trustee for his clients.

Recognition

  • Boston Magazine Top Lawyer 2021
  • Chambers High Net Worth (2019-2024)
  • Best Lawyers in America (2015-2025)
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers

Representative Engagements

  • Designed sophisticated wealth transfer strategy to enable owners of private company to transfer significant portion of economic value of company to trusts for descendants free of tax.
  • Serves as Trustee of charitable foundation that has developed innovative grantmaking program to fund research for cure of Parkinson’s Disease.
  • Advised non-U.S. institutional trustee in connection with restructuring of foreign trust to minimize U.S. tax liabilities.
  • Assisted family with development of governance structure meant to facilitate management of family wealth over multiple generations.
  • Counsels numerous clients in formulating customized trust provisions intended to offer economic benefits and protection to children without affecting their motivation to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

Publications and Presentations

  • “A Client Gifts Her Estate from Overseas,” featured, Wall Street Journal

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Member, The Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP)
  • Active Volunteer, Trustees of Reservations
  • Former Co-Chair, Choate's Wealth Management Practice
  • Former foreign language teacher at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts and the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland

Education & Credentials

Boston College Law School
JD, 2001, magna cum laude
Boston College Law Review
Georgetown University
BA, 1995, magna cum laude

Admissions

Massachusetts

Brian's Insights

Publications 11.07.2024

IRS Releases Annual Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2025

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released annual inflation adjustments for 2025. They include increased gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemptions and annual gift tax exclusions, and new income tax brackets.

Publications 09.10.2024

Donors Take Care: How to Avoid Charitable Giving Scams

The Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of 10 states filed a lawsuit in federal court against Cancer Recovery Foundation International (aka Women’s Cancer Fund or the “Fund”), and its president, Gregory Anderson, alleging that they raised $18 million over a five-year period from donors who wanted to help cancer patients, but that only 1% of the money went to help the patients.

Announcements 08.15.2024

Choate Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers in America® 2025

The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 44 Choate attorneys in its 2025 edition. Recognition in Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer review and is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor.

Announcements 07.18.2024

Choate Wealth Given Top Ranking in Chambers High Net Worth 2024

Choate Wealth is ranked as a Band 1 Massachusetts Private Wealth Law practice in the 2024 edition of Chambers High Net Worth (HNW), along with nine partners receiving local and national rankings.

Publications 12.20.2023

Save Your Receipts! How to document your charitable contributions to claim a tax deduction

In addition to helping nonprofit organizations perform important work, charitable contributions can be a great way to lower your income tax bill. To make sure that you can claim a tax deduction, it is important to follow several recordkeeping rules required by the IRS.

Publications 12.14.2023

Corporate Transparency Act:
LLCs and Other Entities Required to Report Ownership and Control Information to the Federal Government, Deadlines Vary

The new federal disclosure requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) will come into effect on January 1, 2024, although only certain entities (those formed in 2024) will need to report next year.  For entities formed before 2024, the deadline for reporting will be later, on January 1, 2025.

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