Melinda Merk
PrincipalMelinda focuses on providing holistic multi-generational income andย wealth transfer tax planning advice and estate and trust services to high net worth individuals, families, and business owners.ย She brings a unique and diverse perspective from her work in private law practice, Big Four accounting firms, and private banking/trust services.
Melinda has over two decades of experienceย advising clients with regard to domestic and foreign trusts, family limited partnerships and LLCs, grantor retained annuity trusts, dynasty trusts and other wealth transfer strategies, asset protection planning, business succession and pre-sale planning, and charitable giving.ย She also advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries on probate and estate and trust administration, and serves as a technical expert working closely with the firmโs Litigation group on estate and trust litigation matters.
As a seasoned tax and estates and trusts attorney, Melinda enjoys working with a wide range of clients to successfully protect and preserve their wealth. She has represented business owners, real estate developers, private equity partners, physicians, executives, young couples, retirees, international/expat clients and their families.
Melinda started her career at a boutique trusts and estates firm in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she developed a strong foundation in estate planning and estate and trust administration.
After completing her LL.M. in Taxation at the Georgetown University Law Center, Melinda joined the National Tax Department (Personal Financial Services) at Ernst & Young in Washington, DC, where she consulted with clients on a nationwide and global basis as a Subject Matter Specialist in the areas of income and wealth transfer tax planning.
Melinda then returned to the practice of law as a Senior Counsel in the Private Wealth Services group at Holland & Knight in its Northern Virginia office, with a primary focus on pre-sale planning for business owners, income and estate tax planning for international clients, and asset protection planning.
She later joined PwC as a Tax Director in the Private Company Services group, working closely with business owners and private equity firm partners on their individual income tax and estate planning.
Prior to returning to private practice, Melinda was a Senior Vice President and Regional Trust Advisor at SunTrust (now Truist) Private Wealth Management for the Greater Washington Region, where she served as a resource to clients on trust and estate planning, and handled the administration and risk management of trust accounts over $5 million.
Given her diverse background, Melinda is distinctively collaborative when working with her clients and their other advisors, and highly respected among her peers through her involvement in various professional and community organizations. She received the Accredited Estate Plannerยฎ (AEPยฎ) designation by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, which distinguishes designees for their dedication to being a collaborative advisor and is awarded only to estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation and character.
Melinda often views her role as a โtranslatorโ by carefully listening to her clients, analyzing their situation and helping them to understand their planning options and solutions in โplain Englishโ big picture terms. Melinda notes, โI enjoy helping clients to navigate the process and design a customized solution that is flexible, practical and understandable.โ
Melinda is listed among theย Washingtonianโsย andย Northern Virginia Magazineโs Top Trusts/Estates/Tax Lawyers, as well asย Virginia Business Magazineโs โLegal Elite.โย She is active in the estate planning community on a local and national level, and has served on the Board of the Northern Virginia Estate Planning Council and the Washington DC Estate Planning Council. Melinda is also a member of the Wills, Trusts & Estates Legislative Committee for the Virginia Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker and writer on estate and trust planning. ย In addition, she is an honoree of the 2024 Class of โLeaders in the Lawโ by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
On a personal level, Melinda is a strong supporter of local philanthropy and the arts in Northern Virginia, and is a past Board member of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.ย She is also a past Board Member of Goodwin Living Foundation, and a long-time supporter and serial adopter of Lab Rescue and other animal welfare organizations.
Melinda is originally from Pittsburgh,ย and is an avid Steelers fan. She currentlyย resides in Reston, Virginia.
Melinda is listed among the Washingtonianโs and Northern Virginia Magazineโs Top Trusts/Estates/Tax Lawyers, as well as Virginia Business Magazineโs โLegal Elite.โย She is also recognized among the Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ 2024 (Trust & Estates; Litigation – Trusts & Estates; Tax Law), and is an honoree of the 2024 Class of โLeaders in the Lawโ by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
Melinda is a frequent speaker and writer on estate and trust planning, and has attained the Accredited Estate Plannerยฎ (AEPยฎ) designation by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils which distinguishes her as a collaborative advisor and is awarded only to estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation and character.
Melinda is featured in the Profiles in Success book series published by Gordon J. Bernhardt, which includes profiles of over 600 successful and inspirational men and women in and around the greater Washington D.C. area.
She was also awarded the John S. Nolan Fellowship by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, which recognizes tax lawyers who are actively involved in the Section and have demonstrated leadership qualities and a commitment to the Sectionโs mission.
- Washington DC Estate Planning Council (Past Board Member)
- Northern Virginia Estate Planning Council (Past Board Member)
- Community Foundation of Northern Virginia (Past Board Member; Business Womenโs Giving Circle)
- Goodwin Living Foundation (Past Board Member)
- XPX (Exit Planning Exchange), DC Metro Chapter
- American Bar Association Section of Taxation (Nolan Fellow; Estate and Gift Tax Committee; Fiduciary Income Tax Committee)
- American Bar Associationย Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law (Income and Transfer Tax Planning Group; Business Planning Group)
- Virginia Bar Association, Wills, Trusts and Estates Section (Legislative Committee)
- Fairfax County Bar Association, Wills Trust and Estates Section (Co-Chair)
- Maryland Bar Association, Estates and Trusts Section
- Financial Planning Association, National Capital Area Chapter
- Shepherd University Foundation (Past Board Member; Joseph P. McMurran Society)
- โWhy Estate Planning is Critically Important, Regardless of the Tax Laws,โ Fairfax Bar Association Journal (Winter 2023)
- โAdvance Care Planning: Making Your Wishes Known,โ McCandlish Lillard Webinar (April 2023)
- โTop Ten Estate Planning Mistakesโ webinar (March 2021)
- Profiles in Success – an interview with Melinda Merk that is part of a series profiling successful and inspirational men and women in and around the Greater Washington D.C. area (2021)
- โEthical Quagmires and COVID-19: Adapting to the New Normal During the Pandemic and Post-Pandemic World,โ Conner-Zaritsky 42nd Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Administration Seminar (April 2021)
- โPost-Election Estate Planning and Tax Mitigation Strategies,โ McCandlish Webinar (November 2020)
- โAdvising Aging Clients and Their Families: How To Plan Now To Avoid Crisis Later,โ McCandlish Webinar (July 2020)
- ย โSimple Steps to Estate Planning,โ McCandlish Webinar (June 2020)
- โDonโt Forget About Digital Assets as Part of Your Estate Planโ (May 2020)
- โEstate Planning Simplified,โ podcast (2020)
- โMaking an Impact with Donor Advised Funds and International Giving,โ Northern Virginia Estate Planning Council (April 2019)
- โEstate Planning Under the New Tax Law,โ Northern Chapter of the Virginia Society of CPAs (2018)
- โEstate Planning Under the New Tax Law,โ Washington DC Estate Planning Council (2018)
- โHidden Risks and Mistakes to Avoid in Estate and Long-Term Care Planning,โ Lansdowne Woods Wellness Expo (2017)
- โJoint Revocable Trusts in Common Law Property States,โ Maryland State Bar Association, Estates and Trusts Study Group (2017)
- โTop Ten Income Tax Tenets for Estate Planners,โ DCย Bar Taxation Section (2016)
- โโJoint Trusts: Call Me Maybe?โ, Virginia State Bar Trusts and Estates Section (2015)
- โYou Give Trusts a Bad Name: Planning and Pitfalls with Joint Trusts,โ Virginia CLE 33rd Annual Trusts and Estates Conference (2014)
- โIncome and Wealth Transfer Tax Aspects of Joint Trusts in Community Property and Common Law Jurisdictions,โย ABA Section of Taxation, Fiduciary Income Tax Committeeย (2014)
- โNew Legislation Makes Trusts More Attractive in Virginia,โ Washington DC Estate Planning Council (2013)
- โTurbocharging the Estate Plan,โย ABA Section of Taxation, Fiduciary Income Tax Committee (2013)
- โJoint Revocable Trusts Update,โ DCย Bar Taxation Sectionย (2012)
- โOptions for Managing Trust Transfer Risk,โ Delaware Bankers Association Delaware Trust Conference (2011)
- โEstate Tax Limbo: Three Steps To Take Now,โ Forbesย (2010)
- โTop Ten International Compliance Issues for US Persons with Foreign Investments,โ Leimberg Estate Planning Newsletter #1432 (2009)
- โEstate Planning for the International Private Client,โ Holland & Knight PWS Newsletter (2007)
- โTop Ten Planning and Investment Considerations for GRATs,โ DCย Bar Taxation Section (2006)
- โPost-Mortem Expenses: The Hubert Case โ An Update,โ ABA Tax Section (2006)
- โSupporting Organizations: Do They Have Our Support?โ ABA Tax Section (2004)
- โInstallment Sales To Grantor Trusts,โ ABA Tax Section (2003)
- โJoint Revocable Trusts for Married Couples Domiciled in Common-Law Property States,โ 32 Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal 345 (1997)
Education
- B.S. (cum laude), Political Science and Business Administration, Shepherd University
- J.D., Duquesne University School of Law
- LL.M. in Taxation (with distinction), Georgetown University Law Center
Practice Areas
Admissions
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Accredited Estate Plannerยฎ
- Certified Financial Plannerโข
Awards
Noteworthy Updates
News & Highlights
ALL ML LAWYERS NAMED TO LEGAL ELITE FOR 2023
MELINDA MERK ATTAINS ACCREDITED ESTATE PLANNERยฎ DESIGNATION
MELINDA MERK TO JOIN MCCANDLISHโS WILLS, TRUST & ESTATES PRACTICE
MELINDA MERK NAMED TO 2024 โLEADERS IN THE LAWโ
2024 TOP LAWYERS BY NORTHERN VIRGINIA MAGAZINE
ALL ML ATTORNEYS ONCE AGAIN NAMED TO LEGAL ELITE FOR 2024
Client Testimonials
What Our Clients Are Saying
We hired Melinda to update the wills and POA’s for my aging parents. She was amazing to work with! She walked them through all of the myriad forms that were needed, answered any question they had and throughout the process, she communicated that this was to keep them safe and protected, and that is how they felt. If you are looking to have a partner work with those you hold most dear, I highly recommend Melinda Merk!
We hired Melinda to update the wills and POA’s for my aging parents… Melinda Merk is an outstanding attorney! I was referred to her by a large institution that we work with, and they suggested that she is one of the best in the D.C. area when it comes to all the legal aspects of estate planning, and she is. From the first meeting, she made the process simple yet exacting. There was no confusion about what was needed to meet my goals, and when there were options and choices, she made each clear so that I could make the final decision. Melinda is professional, intelligent and completely knowledgeable about estate planning and the legal ramifications in every step of the plan. I continue to call Melinda if questions come up and recommend her for anyone looking for an attorney to assist in making certain they have an estate plan, or that their current plan is accurate and up to date.
Melinda Merk is an outstanding attorney… Melinda was very effective on the estate filings we did on our father’s estate tax return. She knew the work well and made it easier to deal with than I thought possible. With her accounting and law experience made for a well thought out plan, that delivered great results. I would highly suggest that if doing complicated estate planning you consider her help.
Melinda was very effective on the estate filings…