Carianne S. Staudt

Overview

Carianne Staudt is a Principal attorney and a member of the firm’s Business & Corporate, Taxation, Trusts & Estates, and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups. Her practice focuses on the intersection of business, tax, and estate planning, where she assists businesses, families, entrepreneurs, closely held business owners, and high-net-worth individuals in making confident, strategic decisions about their financial and legal futures. She brings a well-rounded perspective that bridges the gap between complex legal issues and real-world client goals.

With deep experience in corporate tax and business planning and individual estate planning, Carianne works closely with her clients to develop practical, forward-thinking strategies that protect wealth, minimize tax exposure, and promote long-term financial stability. She is particularly known for her work with closely held business owners and high-net-worth individuals, helping navigate the multifaceted considerations that arise across business, tax, and personal legacy planning.

Carianne’s historic tax practice experience includes the preparation of federal, state, and local tax returns (including Federal Forms 1040, 1041, 1120, 1120S, and 1065) and collaborating with accountants, financial advisors, and other professionals on complex transactional matters. She also represents clients in disputes with taxing authorities, including the Internal Revenue Service, handling matters ranging from audits to administrative and judicial proceedings.

In the business realm, Carianne advises clients on tax-efficient business structures, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic tax planning designed to support long-term growth and operational sustainability. She works closely with business owners to help them understand how tax strategy impacts every aspect of their operations, including entity selection, transactions, and compliance. Such practice includes the preparation of business formation documents, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, joint venture agreements, deferred compensation agreements, tax-free reorganization documents, purchase agreements, equity incentives, phantom equity plans, etc.

On the estate planning side of her practice, Carianne partners with families and business owners to develop customized estate plans that reflect their values, protect their loved ones, and preserve wealth for future generations. Her experience includes traditional estate planning and revocable trusts, sophisticated wealth transfer strategies using irrevocable trusts and tax-favored vehicles, charitable planning, taxable estate planning, and addressing gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax concerns.

Carianne attended Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Carianne went on to earn undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and English from Purdue University, graduating magna cum laude with University Honors while competing as a Division I athlete on the Purdue Women’s Soccer Team. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law.