Victor J. Ferguson
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- The University of Akron School of Law, J.D., 1998, magna cum laude
University of Akron Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, 1997–1998University of Akron Tax Journal, Editor-in-Chief, 1997-1998 - Wittenberg University, B.A., 1994
Bar & Court Admissions
Vic is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the probate and tax group. He practices in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, litigation involving estates and trusts, and representation of tax-exempt organizations.
Career highlights include:
- Extensive experience formulating and implementing estate plans designed to minimize estate taxes and most efficiently manage family wealth
- Counseling business owners, executives, physicians, professionals, and their families in designing comprehensive estate and business succession plans
- Serving as counsel to fiduciaries for a large number of estates, trusts, and guardianships
- Representing both beneficiaries and individual and corporate fiduciaries in a wide variety of litigation involving estates and trusts
- Organizing numerous nonprofit corporations and qualifying them for tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service
- Regularly counseling tax exempt organizations, including hospitals and hospital systems, private foundations, colleges, universities, community/charter schools, trade associations and social welfare organizations, regarding structuring mergers and reorganizations, qualification for tax exemption, joint ventures of nonprofit and for profit entities, nonprofit governance issues, compliance with private foundation rules, unrelated business income planning, fundraising programs, charitable solicitations, charitable sales promotions, for profit subsidiary planning, public charity qualification and use of supporting organizations
Vic received his J.D. magna cum laude from The University of Akron School of Law where he was the editor-in-chief of the University of Akron Law Review and the University of Akron Tax Journal. He received his B.A. from Wittenberg University in 1994.
Professional and Community Activities
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Columbus Bar Association
- The Columbus Foundation, Professional Council
- Worthington Estate Planning Council
- Leadership Columbus, 2010 Graduate
Honors & Awards
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2015-2016
- Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Estate Planning and Probate, 2005-2007
- The Best Lawyers in America, Trust and Estates, 2018-2022
News
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 10/27/2016Vorys announced that Vic Ferguson, a partner in the firm’s Columbus office, has been inducted into the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
- 6/16/2015Vic Ferguson, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the trusts and estates group, was quoted in a Columbus C.E.O. story titled “Cleaning Hou$e.”
- 1/10/2014Victor Ferguson, a partner in the Columbus office and member of the probate and tax group, was quoted throughout a Columbus C.E.O. story about the choice wealthy families have between establishing private foundations or donor-advised funds held within a community foundation.
- 3/18/2011
- 6/26/2007
Events
- 6/21/2016Vorys attorneys Vic Ferguson and Lisa Forbes were speakers at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section’s Hot Topics for Estate Planners program on June 21, 2016.
- 5/17/2016Vorys attorneys Ilya Batikov and Vic Ferguson were speakers at the 2016 Probate Law Institute hosted by the Columbus Bar Association on May 17, 2016.
- 3/10/2015Vorys Partner Vic Ferguson was a speaker at a CFA Society Columbus event on March 10, 2015.
- 11/14/2014Vorys attorneys Victor Ferguson and David Swift presented at the John L. Sauter Estate Planning Seminar hosted by the Catholic Foundation on November 14, 2014.
- 5/2/2014Vorys partner Victor Ferguson moderated an Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Update at the Ohio State Bar Association Annual Convention on May 2, 2014.
- 6/22/2012Vorys partner Vic Ferguson spoke at the Ohio State Bar Association’s 23rd Annual Conference on Wealth Transfer on June 22.
- 5/5/2011
Insights
- 9/28/2021The U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee recently released a new tax proposal known as the “Build Back Better” Act. The proposal, if signed into law, would significantly change the current estate and gift tax exemption amount and the grantor trust rules.
- 8/30/2021Changes to the federal tax laws could be coming as soon as January 1…..2021.
- 4/26/2021For some clients, estate planning can be relatively straightforward.
- 10/27/2020The transfer tax system (estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes) taxes transfers during lifetime and at death, which, in effect, exceed a set exemption amount.
- 6/2/2020During life, parents can generally broker and manage the use of the vacation home among their children and extended family with ease – or at least with a sense of clear control and geniality. But what about when mom and dad are gone?
- 5/6/2020Regardless of how higher education institutions decide to proceed with classes this fall, it is clear that this pandemic has caused many parents to consider certain legal aspects relating to their adult, college-bound children.
- 4/17/2020Various relief efforts have been enacted to benefit tax-exempt organizations, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act).
- 4/13/2020The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the due date for certain taxpayers filing Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, and/or making payments of federal estate and generation skipping transfer tax is automatically extended until July 15, 2020.
- 4/3/2020Current economic conditions now provide a unique opportunity to avoid the payment of federal gift and estate taxes on asset transfers to children, grandchildren or other beneficiaries.
- 4/3/2020The IRS has announced that the due date for filing Form 709, United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, and making payments of federal gift and generation-skipping transfer tax is automatically postponed to July 15, 2020.
- 1/27/2020In late December, 2019, the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act,” or the “SECURE Act,” was enacted.
- 11/22/2019The Section 7520 rate is used in connection with the valuation of long-term or future property interests, such as annuities, life estates, remainder interests, and reversionary interests.
- 6/3/2019Whether you’re planning early for your child’s future or contemplating how your youngest grandchild’s education will be covered after you’re gone, there are several tax-favorable mechanisms for funding growing education expenses.
- 4/16/2019Generally, a trustee is required to provide certain information and accountings to the beneficiary of an irrevocable trust.
- 1/22/2019If you’ve recently updated your estate plan, there may be outstanding tasks that require your attention.
- 12/20/2018In the 2017 Tax Act, the “basic exclusion amount” was doubled from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000.
- 11/15/2018The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law at the end of 2017 made sweeping changes to many laws affecting donors.
- 11/12/2018The significant increase in the federal estate/gift/GST tax exemption amount to $5,000,000 in 2011, which was made permanent in 2013, and then again increased to $11,180,000 in 2017, has substantially changed the focus of estate planning for many clients.
- 10/1/2018Gone are the days of going on vacation to get away. As technology continues to advance, society has not only become increasingly dependent on the ability to remotely handle routine tasks, but also on the capability to deal with more complicated tasks such as reviewing and signing involved legal documents.
- 6/18/2018
- 4/18/2018The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and made sweeping changes to many laws affecting tax-exempt organizations.
- 4/16/2018Family office investment vehicles often are organized as limited partnerships or LLCs treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes.
- 1/29/2018If you have not looked at your estate plan recently, it’s time to do so.
- 1/24/2018While tax reform garnered much attention at the end of 2017, the IRS also released a proposal relating to donor-advised funds that will significantly impact donors and charities.
- 1/18/2018Vorys is pleased to announce it has become an Advisor Member of Family Office Exchange (FOX).
- 12/28/2017On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (referred to herein as TCJA or the Act). Although the most discussed provisions of the Act concern income tax changes, the new tax law also contains provisions that directly or indirectly affect estate planning.
- 11/20/2017The U.S. Tax Court recently determined that the IRS can re-examine the deceased spouse’s estate tax return that reported the unused exclusion, without regard to any statute of limitations.
- 11/9/2017The latest and growing trend for high net worth families involves the formation of a Family Office.
- 10/12/2017It is very satisfying to finally complete your estate plan. Looking over the binder containing copies of your Will, Trust(s), Power of Attorney and ancillary documents, you feel quite accomplished.
- 9/15/2017After years of anticipation, sponsors of 403(b) plans have finally received guidance from the IRS regarding preapproved 403(b) prototype and volume submitter documents.
- 8/21/2017One of the many reasons that clients consider trusts in their estate planning is to protect assets from the creditors of their beneficiaries.
- 7/6/2017Last Fall, Ohio joined several other states in enacting legislation that permits high net worth families to form their own family trust company, commonly referred to as a private trust company (PTC).
- 5/31/2017Recently, the Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 432, which became effective on April 6, 2017.
- 5/16/2017Cause marketing has become ubiquitous in bringing charities and for-profit companies together to mutually benefit each other and their communities. Cause marketing comes in many varieties. Sometimes a portion of sale proceeds is donated to charity, or other point-of-sale transactions permit customers at check-out to either donate a dollar or round-up their purchase to the next dollar with a donation. Campaigns often involve social media, and sometimes sharing or liking a message results in a corporate donation. An example of cause marketing is the Yoplait “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign, in which Yoplait donates ten cents for every pink lid that is returned to it to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Also, the Whole Foods Nickels for Nonprofits campaign allows customers to either receive or donate five cents for each reusable bag they provide.
- 3/14/2017Last week, the Tenth District Court of Appeals upheld summary judgment in favor of an institutional trustee where trust beneficiaries sued the trustee—after executing a release of the trustee for actions taken in administration of the trust— for negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.
- 1/12/2017President-elect Donald Trump has promised major tax reform in 2017. With Republicans retaining majorities in both houses of Congress, there is now a real possibility that the federal estate tax and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax may be repealed.
- 12/19/2016Last week, Governor Kasich signed into law Senate Bill 232, which makes changes to Ohio’s statutes on intestacy, wills, and trusts.
- 12/6/2016Choosing a trustee is one of the most important and, often times, the most difficult decision for clients when creating a trust.
- 10/6/2016IRA charitable rollovers, which first became available in 2006, were made permanent by federal legislation in late 2015.
- 7/18/2016What happens to your Facebook and Pinterest accounts when you die? What about all those photos and documents stored on the Cloud and Google Drive? How about all of your electronic passwords to access your bank accounts, investment accounts and retirement accounts? What about your YouTube channel, iTunes and Bitcoin accounts?
- 5/16/2016Many parents across the country will soon be preparing to take their adult child to college.
- 3/21/2016It is important to regularly review asset titling and ensure such titling is consistent with one’s estate plan.
- 3/21/2016Mr. Smith, a widower, died survived by his three children. At the time of his death, Mr. Smith had the following assets: Residence (valued at $250,000), Checking/Savings Accounts (valued at $50,000) and Investment Account (valued at $600,000).
- 1/19/2016There are several ways in which a disgruntled beneficiary or disinherited heir can challenge a last will and testament or a trust.
- 11/18/2015There are three federal wealth transfer taxes: (1) the estate tax; (2) the gift tax; and (3) the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax.
- 9/21/2015There are three federal wealth transfer taxes: (1) the estate tax; (2) the gift tax; and (3) the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax.
- 7/16/2015
- 5/18/2015Blending of families and the handling of the financial assets brought into a new marriage require estate planning solutions specially tailored to meet the unique circumstances inherent in such situations.
- May/June 2015Vic Ferguson and Rich Seils, attorneys in the Columbus office and members of the trusts, estates and wealth transfer group, co-authored an article titled “Keeping the (Potential) Disgruntled Beneficiary at Bay – the Current Effectiveness of “No Contest” Clauses in Ohio.”
- 3/17/2015For decades, estate planners have been using trusts to help their clients save estate taxes.
- 1/26/2015As the new year is in full swing, you may or may not have ditched your resolutions by now.
- 1/21/2015We hope you and your family enjoyed a happy holiday season. We’re writing to introduce you to a new e-newsletter we will begin publishing next week.
- 3/18/2013Asset protection planners in Ohio will soon have one more arrow in their quivers. Effective March 27, 2013, Ohio law will permit the creation and funding of a domestic asset protection trust.
- 2/8/2013The new year has brought with it several permanent changes to the state and federal estate tax laws. These changes will have a major impact on estates and the terms of estate planning documents on a going forward basis.
- 11/4/2011
- 1/28/2011
- 4/8/2010
- 1/14/2010The federal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes were repealed effective Jan. 1, 2010.
- 9/1/2009
- 12/5/2006
- 5/1/2006
- 5/1/2006