Jeffrey M. Gad

Experience 

Jeffrey M. Gad is a partner at Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP whose practice focuses on trusts and estates, tax, and business law. He advises individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, business succession, probate and trust administration, and tax matters that often sit at the intersection of personal, corporate, and fiduciary concerns.

Over time, Jeffrey built a practice that reflects the way real client problems actually present themselves. He regularly works across estate planning, probate and trust administration, fiduciary litigation, and business planning, allowing him to see how decisions made in one area can create consequences in another. That perspective shapes how he drafts estate plans, structures business arrangements, and counsels clients on disputes and administrative issues.

Jeffrey represents small business owners, investment businesses, and individuals whose estate plans are closely tied to business interests. He is frequently engaged in planning for business sales, succession issues, and post-mortem tax strategies. Clients value his ability to integrate technical tax analysis with practical advice, particularly in matters involving estate and gift tax audits, valuation disputes, and complex trust administration.

He is known for his attention to detail, collaborative approach, and ability to guide clients through complex planning and litigation matters in a way that feels manageable rather than overwhelming.

Representative Matters

• Probate and Trust Litigation Support: Provides litigation support in probate and trust disputes, including matters involving homestead issues, beneficiary disputes, capacity challenges, and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Estate and Trust Administration: Represents taxable and non-taxable estates and trusts in all phases of administration, including court filings, tax questions, and will and trust interpretation issues.
• Post-Mortem Planning Strategies: Advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries on post-death planning opportunities, including trust reformations, disclaimers, and the preparation of federal estate tax returns.
• Asset Protection and Entity Structuring: Assists clients with asset protection and business planning using corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies, as well as counseling clients on Florida exemptions such as homestead and tenancy by the entireties.
• Closely Held Business and Succession Planning: Advises business owners on buy-sell agreements, liquidity planning, transfer tax considerations, and the structuring of business purchases and sales in alignment with long-term family and estate planning objectives.
• Tax Planning and Controversy: Advises clients on estate, gift, and income tax planning and represents clients in IRS audits and examinations, including matters resulting in reduced liabilities and refunds.

Bar Admissions:

• Florida

Education:

• New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2000
• Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, 1999
• University of Florida, B.S., Business Administration, 1994

Awards & Recognition:

• Best Lawyers in America® Trusts and Estates; Tax Law, 2013 – Present
• Super Lawyers® Estate and Probate, 2021 – Present
• Florida Trends’ Legal Elite, Wills, Trust and Estates Law, 2015 – Present

Community & Professional Organizations

• The Florida Bar, Tax and Real Property and Probate Sections – Member
• Hillsborough County Bar Association, Real Property and Probate Division – Member
• Congregation Kol Ami – Former Vice President and Member of the Board of Trustees
• JNF of Tampa Bay – Former Board Member
• JCRC of Tampa Bay – Former Committee Member
• Hillsborough Education Foundation, Past School Enrichment – Former Committee Member

Outside the Office

Outside of work, Jeffrey is also a devoted husband and proud father of two terrific children. He enjoys spending time with his family and staying grounded in pursuits that allow him to recharge. He is an enthusiastic gardener and particularly enjoys growing fruit trees, a hobby he never expected to take up but one he finds both challenging and rewarding.

He follows sports closely, particularly the New York Jets and the Florida Gators, a loyalty that requires remarkable patience and a very high tolerance for pain. Among family and friends, he is also known for his sense of humor. While his brother is a well-known comedic actor, Jeffrey maintains that he is the funniest member of the family—an assertion he readily concedes may be influenced by middle child syndrome. Either way, there is no disputing Jeffrey’s easygoing demeanor outside the office.