Jennifer R. Hallos

Overview

Jennifer R. Hallos is a Principal attorney at McCarthy Lebit whose practice focuses on estate planning, business succession planning, and taxation. She represents high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners in matters involving trusts, estate and trust administration, tax research, charitable organizations, and sophisticated tax strategies for transitioning wealth. Jennifer takes a comprehensive approach to each matter, considering the personal, family, business, and financial factors that shape her clients’ legal needs.

Tax driven estate planning is the primary focus of Jennifer’s practice. She reviews and evaluates estate plans and develops strategies to help clients address their individual goals and planning needs with the primary objectives of preserving the family wealth and optimizing tax savings opportunities. Her experience includes drafting revocable trusts, life insurance trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, and countless other estate planning documents, as well as advising on the legal and tax considerations associated with the transfer and protection of assets. She helps individuals and families establish plans that reflect their wishes, provide for loved ones and beneficiaries, preserve assets, and address potential tax exposure while maintaining simplicity and practicality.

Business succession planning is another important area of Jennifer’s practice. She works with business owners to address the legal and tax considerations involved in transitioning ownership and control of a business. She helps clients evaluate succession options, address the relationship between business interests and personal wealth, and coordinate business transition strategies with their broader estate plans. Her role often involves identifying potential challenges before a transition occurs and developing solutions that support continuity for the business and those who depend on it.

Jennifer’s deep background in taxation enhances her estate planning and business advisory work. She conducts tax research and provides consulting services involving federal, state, and local tax matters, examining applicable laws and their effect on particular transactions and planning decisions. This experience enables her to bring tax analysis into broader legal planning and help clients understand the financial consequences of the choices available to them.

Approaching her practice with an emphasis on thoughtful problem-solving and creative solutions, Jennifer works to alleviate worry, safeguard assets, and minimize tax exposure while keeping legal plans understandable and manageable. Helping clients resolve difficult issues and gain peace of mind is one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.

Throughout her career, Jennifer has received recognition from The Best Lawyers in America®, a prominent legal publication that uses a peer-reviewed selection process to recognize attorneys for their professional accomplishments and work in their respective areas of practice. The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized Jennifer for her work in Tax Law and Trusts & Estates. This distinction reflects Jennifer’s experience, professional accomplishments, and contributions within the legal community and her areas of practice.

Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Kent State University. She went on to earn her Master of Taxation from the University of Akron and her Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law, where she was the recipient of the Board of Trustees’ Scholarship. In addition to practicing law, Jennifer previously taught tax and accounting courses as an adjunct professor at Hiram College.

Why McCarthy Lebit?

More Than A Firm. A Champion of Your Potential. 

When Jennifer Hallos made the decision to join McCarthy Lebit, she was at a pivotal point in her career. She was weighing a significant professional move while navigating the demands of life with a young child at home. She needed a firm that understood both sides of that equation.

“I chose McCarthy Lebit because they place value on each attorney’s unique experience, and they understood that I couldn’t compromise on what matters most. Making a career move at such an important time was not an easy decision, but the support I’ve experienced here has affirmed my decision. I’ve been able to successfully build a practice that has grown beyond what I thought was possible, and that growth started with the belief the firm placed in me from day one," shared Jennifer. 

For Jennifer, McCarthy Lebit represents more than just a career move, it’s proof that ambition and personal priorities don't have to work against each other. Here, attorneys have the support to build meaningful practices on their own terms.