McDermott Will & Schulte

259 Best Lawyers awards

McDermott Will & Schulte logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Trusts and Estates

Biography

David A. Herpe is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, based in the Firm’s Chicago office. As a member of the Private Client Group, he counsels families, business owners, executives and individuals on all aspects of sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning and related matters, including the preparation, administration and construction of wills and trusts, fiduciary income taxation, federal estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes, charitable gift planning, formation and operation of private foundations, formation and reorganization of closely held corporations and partnerships, family-owned business succession and family office formation and administration. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, and a 1975 graduate of the University of Illinois-Urbana. Mr. Herpe is a frequent author and speaker on estate and wealth planning topics. He is a past President of the Chicago Estate Planning Council (2000-2001) and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, an international association of lawyers who have been recognized as outstanding practitioners in the field. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law, and was selected by his peers for listing in The Best Lawyers in America, Illinois Leading Lawyers and Illinois Super Lawyers.
McDermott Will & Schulte

259 Best Lawyers awards

McDermott Will & Schulte logo

Overview

  • University of Chicago, J.D., graduated 1978
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, BA, graduated 1975

  • Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association

  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel - Fellow
  • Chicago Estate Planning Council - Past President
  • Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel - Fellow
  • Chicago Estate Planning Council - Past President
  • University of Chicago, J.D., graduated 1978
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, BA, graduated 1975

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Trusts and Estates

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