Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Tax, Employee Benefits and Private Client

Partner - Corporate and Finance Transactions

Douglas (Doug) Stanley counsels and advises clients, including high net-worth individuals, professionals and entrepreneurs, on a wide range of sophisticated estate planning, tax and fiduciary matters. His broad practice includes estate planning and administration as well as income tax planning, with a particular emphasis in the areas of wealth transfer tax planning and wealth transfer strategies. Doug has experience in individual estate administration, closely-held business succession planning, asset protection and tax financial planning.

As co-leader of the firm’s Fiduciary Disputes Team, a significant portion of Doug’s practice is dedicated to fiduciary conflict resolution and tax controversy work, including representation of clients in trust and estate administration disputes in local courts, during IRS audits and in the U.S. Tax Court. He is frequently called upon to speak on fiduciary topics throughout the United States and has been quoted or featured in various world-renowned publications. Doug is currently an adjunct professor in Tax at Washington University School of Law and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Doug has developed many detailed and specialized estate plans which have included revocable trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, irrevocable defective grantor trusts, and private annuities. Additionally, he has experience with life insurance trusts, retirement account analysis, planning for non-U.S. citizens, charitable trusts, foundations and other charitable planning. Doug routinely negotiates and prepares premarital and postmarital agreements to coordinate with an individual’s estate planning goals. Doug is also a highly notarized individual and is ranked in the Chambers USA High Net Worth Guide in the area of Private Wealth Law and in Best Lawyers of America for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Trust and Estates and Litigation-Trusts and Estates.

Prior to law school, Doug practiced as a CPA with a global accounting firm.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT & HONORS St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts - Former Member, Board of Directors Washington University School of Law - Adjunct Professor, LL.M. in Taxation program since 2001 Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Webster Groves, Missouri, Member St. Louis Children’s Hospital - Member and former Chairman, Children’s Legacy Advisors Leadership Board St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation - Member, Board of Directors YouthBridge Community Foundation - former Member, Board of Directors The Best Lawyers in America®, 2018-2024 Ranked in 2023 Chambers USA - High Net Worth Guide in the area of Private Wealth Law Top 10 Missouri Private Wealth Law Lawyers Transforming the Industry 2023 PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow ACTEC - Fiduciary Administration Committee ACTEC – Program Committee ACTEC - State Laws Committee American Bar Association Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis – Probate and Trust Law Steering Committee, former Member and past Chair Estate Planning Council of St. Louis Inactive CPA designation