Carl D. Holborn - O'Neil Cannon

Trusted Advisor

Whether he is working with clients to create and administer an estate plan, solving complicated business problems, negotiating with the IRS, or helping to transition a family owned business to the next generation, Carl prides himself on being a trusted advisor to his clients. With a Master’s Degree in Taxation, Carl possesses unique skills to assist his clients in solving legal issues in a tax efficient manner. A clear thinker and easy to talk to, Carl distills complex legal issues into understandable ones that allow his clients to make effective decisions. Carl’s clients are individuals and businesses in a wide variety of occupations and industries that value a trusted advisor as their lawyer.

Carl Assists Clients With

Structuring estate plans for affluent individuals and families to maximize wealth preservation from one generation to the next
Representation for corporate and individual fiduciaries, as well as beneficiaries in probate and trust administration matters
Business succession planning
Representation of taxpayers in dealing with tax controversies involving state and federal taxing authorities
Planning and structuring charitable donations for both individuals and charitable organizations

Forms Library

Estate Planning Inventory and Questionnaire

Experience/Representative Client Work

Preparation and implementation of estate plan for clients with net worth in excess of $75 million
Successful preparation and implementation of complex estate plan for client with real estate holdings worth in excess of $25 million
Represented a charity in an estate dispute, preserving the full charitable distribution indicated in the original trust documents, an amount that was over $1 million more than the trustee intended to distribute
Probate administration of deceased owner of manufacturing firm with a net worth in excess of $7 million
Preserved a client’s family farm valued at more than $3 million through successful representation during an estate dispute
Negotiated with Internal Revenue Service in a dispute involving complex estate tax issues

Awards/Distinctions

Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™–AV Preeminent, reflecting an attorney who has reached the height of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity
Rated a 10.0 out of 10.0 by Avvo, a national attorney rating service which uses a mathematical model to rate attorneys based on experience, professional achievements, industry recognition, and professional conduct
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®–Trusts and Estates in 2012–2024
Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers in 2005–2023, Law and Politics and Milwaukee Magazine
Editor, Wisconsin Law Review
Beta Gamma Sigma, National Honor Society for Graduate Business Students
Judicial Intern, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Articles/Presentations

Carl frequently lectures at continuing legal education seminars on various estate and tax issues

Community Involvement

Board Member and Co-Chair of Land Trust Committee, Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network
Past Chairman, State of Wisconsin Elections Board
Fellow, Wisconsin Law Foundation
Member, Kenosha Area Business Alliance
Past Board Member, Kenosha County Civil Service Commission
Past President, Society of Financial Service Professionals, Milwaukee Chapter
Past Board Member and Board Counsel, Women and Children’s Horizons
Past Board Member, Kenosha Historical Society
Past Board Member, All Saints Catholic School
Past Board Chair, Hyslop Foundation Inc.

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