The Margolius Firm, LLC is a consulting firm consisting of the expertise of Philip N. Margolius and Alan M. Margolius. This family-oriented consulting team combines their skills and knowledge in business ventures, real estate, trust administration and management of private charitable foundations.
Trust Administration:
Acting as either Trustees or consultants to the Trustees, the Margolius Firm, LLC provides hands-on administration in the following areas:
- Grantor Trusts – Grantor trusts are trusts where the grantor has a reversionary interest greater than five percent of the trust assets at the time of transfer of assets to the trust. If a trust is considered a grantor trust, the income from the trust will be taxed to the grantor, not to the trust itself. These trusts are very flexible and vary widely in asset amount, construction and management.
- Investment Vehicle Trusts – these trusts are created so that a group of individuals (or parties) can invest together under one unified vehicle controlled by the trustee of the trust.
- Testamentary Trusts – These trusts are created under an individual’s last will and testament. These trusts are very flexible and vary widely in asset amount, construction and management.
- Life Insurance Trusts – these trusts are used in cases where an estate will be taxable or liquidity is paramount to ease of administration to an estate. A properly drafted and administered life insurance trust will not be includible in the estate of the trust’s creator.
- Supplemental Needs Trusts – Supplemental needs trusts are compliant with provisions of US state and federal law and are designed to provide benefits to, and protect the assets of, individuals with physical, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities, and still allow such persons to be qualified for and receive governmental benefit and health care benefits, especially long-term nursing care benefits, under the Medicaid welfare program. Supplemental or Special Needs Trusts are frequently used to receive an inheritance or personal injury litigation proceeds on behalf of an individual with a disability, in order to allow the person to continue qualify for Medicaid benefits and other governmental benefits and assistance.
Private Family Foundations:
- The Margolius Firm, LLC handles full back-office supports for the daily administration of private family foundations.
- Maintaining its mission.
- Compliance with Complex Family Foundation Tax Rules.
- Maintenance and upkeep of all corporate requirements.
- Preparation of and meetings for family foundation board and trustee meetings.
- Back Office Bookkeeping.
- Grantee due diligence, correspondence, scheduling and payment.
- Investment Company interaction and vetting.
Consulting:
We consult and handle all aspects of trust administration, corporate governance, contracts, management and operation many types of closely held businesses and entities for clients in a variety of business areas of entertainment, travel, medical entities, employment, commercial real estate and real estate development, non-profits and family foundations and more.
Philip N. Margolius, Co-Managing Member has been practicing law for over 50 years. A native Washingtonian, Phil graduated from Coolidge High School and went on the attend Dartmouth for his undergraduate studies and graduated with an LLB from Yale Law School. Phil was a senior partner for almost forty years at Margolius Mallios et al. In 2002, he started a smaller version of his firm, where he could dedicate his time and take the utmost care in providing his services to his clients in a more personal setting.
Phil has been recognized as one of the District’s best and top Real Estate lawyers and also as a preeminent Estate and Trust Lawyer. Phil has been the long time trusted legal, investment, trust and foundation advisor for local families.
Phil was married to his wife Phyllis for 46 years. Phyllis passed away February 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer. They have three children, David, Kenny and Jennifer. They are also fortunate to be grandparents of 5, Ma’ayan, Ro’i, No’a, Jocelyn and Jesse.
Phil is well known for his philanthropy. He has served as president of numerous Washington D.C. Jewish charitable organizations including Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the United Jewish Endowment Fund and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. He established the Phyllis Margolius Family Foundation in 2014 and currently serves as its president.
Practice Areas
- Business & Corporate
- Estate & Trust Administration
- Estate Planning
- Non-Profit
- Real Estate
- Contracts
Bar Admissions
- Maryland, 1978
- District of Columbia, 1966
Education
- Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, 1965, LL.B.
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1962, B.A.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- The Bar Association of the District of Columbia Probate and Real Property Section Member
Classes/Seminars Taught
- The American University Washington College of Law, Estate Planning and Drafting Adjunct Professor, 1999 – 2000
Honors and Awards
- Named Expert Attorney in Estate Planning and Real Estate Washingtonian Magazine
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate
- Elected to Membership in the Cosmos Club, 1999
Pro Bono Activities
- United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Washington, Past President, 1991 – 1993
- United Jewish Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Past President, 1995 – 1997
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Past President, 1983 – 1985
- Jewish Community Centers Association, Member of Board of Directors
Alan M. Margolius, Vice President of Project & Business Development
Alan was a hotel and real estate developer/operator for 50 years. Alan, a native Washingtonian, attended Montgomery Blair High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, majoring in Economics. Upon graduation in 1971, Alan began his hospitality career at the soon to be opened Holiday Inn located in Bethesda, Maryland which was operated by Mardeck, Ltd. After a lengthy apprenticeship, learning all phases of hotel operations at the Holiday Inn, he became a principal of Mardeck, Ltd. and he served as the General Manager of the Holiday Inn of Bethesda for two years. In 1975, he transferred and served directly for the Mardeck corporate office. At that time, Mardeck operated seven hotels. Alan was involved in all areas of the management company, including operations of the existing hotels, financing, new hotel development and rehabilitation of the existing hotels. He was a critical player in the development of the world’s first Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rockville, Maryland consisting of mixed-use development, a 318 room full-service hotel and a 160,000 square foot office building. In 2009, when Mardeck Ltd. divested itself of all of its hotels, Alan joined Phil and Jennifer as Vice President of Project Development. Alan has helped expand the Margolius Firm’s land and business development departments. Alan handles the day-to-day management of the Firm’s land development projects and supports expansion for future business opportunities. Currently, Alan manages office space and lot development, including hands-on management of The BurnBrae Companies, a real estate company that currently is developing over 600 residential lots in Maryland, Delaware and Florida.
Alan is married to Denese. Between them, they have four children. In 2014, Alan became a grandfather to Max.
Education
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 1970, B.S.
Committee Appointments
- Reservation Committee for the International Association of Holiday Inns
- Advertising and Marketing Committee for the International Association of Holiday Inns
- Inn Pac Committee for the International Associations of Holiday Inns
- Food and Beverage Committee for the International Association of Holiday Inns
- National Chairman for Easter Seals for Holiday Inn Hotels
- Budget Committee for the United Jewish Appeal of Greater Washington DC
- Hospitality, Food and Beverage Committee for Israel Bonds of Washington, DC