<\/a>Business Planning<\/a> “We fulfill clients’ hopes, goals, aspiration and dreams…and sometimes, we get to take money from the IRS legally, ethically, appropriately and fairly and keep it in the pocket of the person that earned it – you.”<\/p>\n A Chinese proverb says if you love what you do, you\u2019ll never work a day in your life. John C. Buckley, III has never worked since 1994 when he converted his international law practice to a boutique estate planning and business planning law practice in Colorado Springs. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (BS), Webster University (MA) and Harvard Law School (JD), John owns Buckley Law, which his wife Melinda runs as the legal administrator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Buckley Law has clients who are farmers and ranchers, as well as business owners of closely-held businesses in Colorado Springs, the Western Slope, ski country (Summit County) and the Eastern Plains. John grew up in Kentucky on a horse farm and Melinda\u2019s father was a Kentucky equine veterinarian. John and Melinda love serving ranchers and farmers, and we appreciate the laid-back atmosphere of our home town of Colorado Springs. If clients are mobility challenged<\/strong>, sometimes we make house calls<\/strong> to their homes. Outside the office, dressed in a plaid flannel shirt and jeans, John\u2019s eyes light up with enthusiasm when he explains how he uses planning tools to solve problems and save money for his clients.<\/span><\/p>\n Buckley Law is a boutique practice which works with teams of professionals<\/strong> in a multi-disciplinary fashion. This futuristic practice model is primarily used by larger law and accounting firms, but has been modified by John Buckley to meet the needs of this community. Knowing his clients want to be the \u201chub\u201d of all information flow regarding their business and estate planning, John builds teams of professionals to work together transparently for the clients\u2019 benefit. These teams can include John, along with a nationally-renowned business valuation expert, an insurance professional, a financial planner and a CPA. Together, the team looks for the best available tools to maximize the client\u2019s benefit in each of these disciplines.<\/span><\/p>\n John restructures businesses to get current income tax deductions<\/strong> and save money<\/strong> on capital gains tax, estate tax and gift taxes when the owners exit the business. One of our specialties is planning a client\u2019s business exit plan<\/strong> in a tax-efficient manner. Justice Learned Hand said there are two tax systems in America \u2013 one for the educated and one for the ignorant<\/span>. John specializes in helping his clients do business in an educated manner.<\/span><\/p>\n Buckley Law doesn\u2019t do \u201cone size fits all\u201d, \u201cform document off the internet\u201d planning. Our plans are unique to you. In business plannin<\/span>g, the Firm focuses on returning the cost of your legal fees as much as possible through pre-tax savings<\/strong> when the plan is implemented. We use legal tools like carpenters use hammers and saws. John\u2019s tools include (but are not limited to) limited partnerships, tax-exempt entities, and sophisticated trust planning. If the client only needs a simple will and powers of attorney, our Firm stands ready to serve that client as well. Sometimes, we can avoid probate and transfer your assets without using a will or<\/em> a trust. It all goes to what your goals and objectives are<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n Once used only by the rich and famous, John makes sophisticated business and estate planning tools available to everyone, including charitable planning with its significant tax breaks. J. Paul Getty, who among other financial wizards used charitable (or tax-exempt) planning to live the lifestyle of a billionaire but own little, is reputed to have said: \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how much [money] you can make when you\u2019re willing to give it away\u201d. John\u2019s philosophy is that if a person is estate or income taxable at death, she or he can either give an involuntary charitable contribution to the IRS (the government is a charity under the Tax Code), or can create wealth using tax-exempt tools while taking care of his or her heirs as well.<\/span><\/p>\n To begin working together, John conducts a first meeting with potential estate planning clients at no charge. They discuss the potential client\u2019s family as well as the client\u2019s goals, dreams and aspirations. At that point (if the client wishes to work with the Firm), Buckley Law prepares and coordinates a plan that will achieve the client\u2019s immediate as well as long-term goals.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to his law practice, John is very involved with his community. Buckley Law believes in serving our community both financially and with our time. John is an active member of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs, a former President of that Club and has been on the board of directors of the Champions Foundation for local scholar athletes. He was a past President of the Peak Executive Forum, providing innovative and practical business education for CXOs in the Front Range. He served on the national board of directors of the National Lawyers Association (www.nla.org) and was a board member of Keep Colorado Springs Beautiful. He incorporated the Colorado Parkinson Foundation, Inc. and has served proudly on its Board of Directors for over 20 years. He served on the Advisory Board of the 4th Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court, as well as the Statutory Review Committee of the Colorado Bar Association. John has been very involved in drafting two major statutes in Colorado (including the Colorado Uniform Trust Code) and has also been a leader preventing the adoption of statutes that were not in the best interest of Colorado citizens. Also, John donates numerous days each year to pro bono work. He is a member of the Christian Legal Society, providing legal services through Ecumenical Services Ministries (ESM) and Northern Churches Care to the homeless and disadvantaged. This means if anyone from ESM or Northern Churches Care needs him on the days he serves, they take priority over all other clients. John\u2019s passion for kids led him to co-write a statute for a presumption of shared parenting time which went before the Colorado Legislature from 2002-2004.<\/span><\/p>\n He also conducts short seminars on business tax, charitable asset protection, and estate planning free of charge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/a>Estate Planning<\/a>
<\/a>Tax Planning
<\/a>Corporate Planning and Counsel
<\/a>Charitable Planning and Non-profit Organizations
<\/a>International Business Counsel<\/a>
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What Fires Us Up<\/h2>\n
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