John Woodrow serves individuals, as well as estate, trust, and business clients, with a myriad of legal matters including estate and tax planning, probate and trust administration, business and real estate transactions, and probate litigation.
“I listen to those I am helping until I fully understand their questions, concerns, and desires. Then, after careful deliberation and a thorough discussion of the issues and available options, I employ my 35-plus years of experience and hard-won expertise to help them achieve a common-sense and cost-effective solution.”
John Woodrow has had the privilege of working with hundreds of long-term clients throughout generations of their families and evolutions of their businesses. He is fascinated by his clients’ stories, respects their history, and cares deeply about their well-being. John has a unique ability to simplify. He can break into easily understood components complicated legal problems which he efficiently solves, thereby gaining the trust of those he serves. He also has an engaging, friendly, far from stuffy approach – exemplified by his oft-repeated view on the three good uses of one’s money: to take care of yourself in your old age; to educate; and to put a smile on your face.
John and his wife employed the second and third uses as they educated their daughters through Stanford and Duke, indeed bringing a smile to their faces. When John is not working, he bicycles 75 miles a week, snow skis, boogie boards, and enjoys traveling with his family. A long-time Arizonan, John is a graduate of Scottsdale High School, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University College of Law. Fascinated by local lore, his representation of long-time Arizona cotton growers and business owners continually feeds his hobby of learning as much as he can about our state’s history.
Specific areas of John’s law practice include the following:
Estate Planning
From individual wills to sophisticated estate tax planning strategies, John has the expertise and experience to protect and maximize your assets while ensuring your desired distributions are accomplished. Pourover wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, financial, medical, and mental healthcare powers of attorney, and living wills are all tools he uses to ensure his clients’ needs are met. John regularly assists in establishing and maintaining family limited partnerships focused on estate tax savings. He works as a close advisor with many family partnerships which he has guided for three decades from the partnership’s establishment to now representing the grandchildren of the original partners.
John’s undergraduate degree in accounting allows him to effectively handle his clients’ tax issues. It also enables him to work well with his clients' team of financial and healthcare experts, thereby ensuring that the clients' estate, gift and income tax and well-being strategies are thorough, cutting edge, and comprehensive.
Probate and Trust Administration
John regularly files and handles through completion both informal and formal probate proceedings. He routinely consults with Personal Representatives and Trustees about all aspects of estate, trust and conservator administration and distribution. John emphasizes the trust funding processes to avoid the costs of probate. He also assists clients with non-probate transfers of personal and real property via Affidavits of Collection.
Closely Held Business Law
Assisting business owners with the formation and continuing operation of all types of closely held businesses is another area of John’s expertise. He regularly offers advice to limited liability companies, C corporations, S corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships.
John also guides closely held business owners through the purchase and sale of businesses, the negotiation and documentation of real property leases and transactions, shareholder buy-sell agreements and all aspects of corporate governance.
In addition, John frequently assists families with their closely held business succession planning.
Probate Litigation
John represents clients both in pursuing and defending estate and trust litigation. For more than ten years, he has co-counseled with the experienced litigation attorneys at Schneider & Onofry in complex probate litigation matters.
Community Involvement
• All Saints’ Episcopal Day School: Member, Board of Trustees, 2015-present
Professional Memberships
• State Bar of Arizona
• Central Arizona Estate Planning Council
