Gregory A. MacDonald
After joining his father J. Clayton MacDonald’s law practice in 1984, Des Plaines estate planning attorney Gregory MacDonald has been practicing in Des Plaines and the surrounding suburbs for over 40 years, concentrating his practice in:
- Estate planning
- Probate, estate and trust administration
- Residential and commercial real estate
- Closely held business and corporate matters
Estate Planning. Greg has prepared estate plans ranging from simple wills and powers of attorney to trust based plans for clients with small estates or estates in excess of $30 million. He has developed estate plans for individuals and couples in need of simple or complex wills, individual or joint trusts, plans which contain family trusts, descendants trusts, disclaimer trusts, tax planning trusts, including marital trusts, QTIP trusts and credit shelter trusts, joint trusts, supplemental needs trusts (disability trusts), and pet trusts. Greg has also prepared powers of attorney for property, powers of attorney for health care as well as medical directives including living wills and HIPAA authorizations. With his extensive experience in probate and trust administration, Greg is able to design plans to reduce estate taxes, future administration delays and expenses.
Probate, estate and trust administration. Greg also has extensive experience in representing executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in probate estates, trust administrations, small estates and guardianships. He has prepared and coordinated the preparation of petitions, affidavits and related filings, notifications, inventories, accountings, receipts, distribution agreements, and related documents for compliance with the Illinois Probate Act and Illinois Trust Code. He has also prepared and coordinated the preparation of Federal Estate Tax Returns and Illinois Estate Tax Returns, estate and trust inventories and accountings, receipts and distribution agreements in connection with partial and final estate and trust distributions and also handled claims issues and related probate estate and trust administration matters.
Residential and commercial real estate. Greg has extensive experience in residential real estate transactions including contract preparation, title and survey reviews, title clearance, deed, mortgage and related real estate document preparation and has handled various closing related matters. Greg has represented buyers and sellers in residential real estate closings since 1984, represented landlords and tenants in residential and commercial lease transactions and prepared and negotiated leases for various residential and commercial properties.
Greg has represented small businesses and corporations with multiple business needs, including entity selection, incorporations, contract review and negotiations, employment law and related business matters. Greg served as “outside” general counsel for a multimillion-dollar computer consulting company for over 23 years. As outside general counsel, his responsibilities included corporate governance, contract preparation, contract negotiation, employment and human resource issues, and coordination of other corporate legal matters. Greg has prepared and negotiated software development agreements, reseller agreements, marketing and preferred vendor agreements, confidentiality agreements, technology training agreements, employee protective agreements, joint partnering agreements, subcontractor agreements, separation agreements and related consulting and business agreements. Greg represented a local park district for over 20 years, has prepared business, license, annexation and acquisition agreements for numerous properties and handled several multi-million dollar land developments and acquisitions including a public golf course, community center and recreational facility.
Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois in 1980 and worked as a bank examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago prior to entering law school. He graduated with distinction from the John Marshall Law School in 1984, where he served as lead articles editor for the John Marshall Law Review. After being admitted to the Illinois State Bar, Greg joined his father’s Des Plaines law practice, which concentrated in estate planning, probate and trust administration, real estate and business and corporate law. Greg is married with two children and is active in his church and several volunteer church ministries.
Please contact Greg today for more information about his practice and how he can serve your legal needs.
