Scott E. Squillace, Esq., AEP®

— FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL —

Scott E. Squillace, Esq., AEP®, is a seasoned business, tax, and estate planning attorney with nearly 40 years of legal experience. He is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, New York, Washington D.C., New Hampshire, and Maine, and was also admitted to the Bar in Paris, France as an Avocat.

Scott began his legal career as a corporate attorney at Skadden Arps, where he helped open the firm’s offices in Paris and Moscow in the early 1990s. While at Skadden, he worked on a broad range of corporate and securities matters and handled international transactions across the firm’s offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Paris, Moscow, and Hong Kong.

In addition to his law firm experience, Scott held senior in-house legal roles including General Counsel for Levi Strauss & Co.’s European division based in Brussels, and the first General Counsel for Boston-based Grand Circle Travel. He also served as European Counsel for Cabot Corporation, a NYSE-listed public company. He spent a decade living and working in Europe and has extensive international experience throughout Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

Scott is the founder of Squillace & Associates, P.C., a boutique law firm started in 2007 and located in Boston’s historic Back Bay. His practice focuses on estate and business planning, with a special emphasis on tax and philanthropic planning for high-net-worth individuals and families. He regularly advises international clients, corporate executives, business owners, physicians, attorneys, and other professionals.

A dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Scott has focused a significant portion of his practice on serving same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ individuals. He authored Whether to Wed: A Legal and Tax Guide for Gay and Lesbian Couples in 2015, and in 2014, was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to serve as a Commissioner to study the needs of LGBTQ+ elders. He also founded and co-chaired the Equality Fund, an endowment for the LGBTQ+ community established at The Boston Foundation.

Scott previously served on the Board of Directors of The Boston Foundation, where he chaired the Development and Audit Committees, and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC), which honored him with its 2020 Excellence Award, its highest award.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He is also a Certified Legacy Advisor (Sunbridge Legacy Institute), a Certified Master Trustee (Independent Trustee Alliance), and holds the Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP) designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris, and earned his J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He resides in Boston, MA and Palm Springs, CA, with his husband and their two silver labs.

Podcasts

Volk, Tim (Host). (2023, December 18). Why Marriage Matters! Advanced Estate Planning for Those With Unique Circumstances [Audio podcast episode 16]. The Rainbow Bull.
Volk, Tim (Host). (2023, December 4). The Critical Importance of Estate Planning [Audio podcast episode 15]. The Rainbow Bull.
Clark, D., & O’Connor, A. (Hosts). (2021, March 3). Complex Estate Plans: Practical Strategies for Families to Consider with Impaired Beneficiaries [Audio podcast episode 12]. Beyond the Balance Sheet.

Teaching Experience

Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples and Non-Traditional Families (2025 Update), Lawline.com, December 2025.
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples and Non-Traditional Families: Looking Ahead to 2025, Lawline.com, December 2024.

Professional Accreditations & Recognitions

Best Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates (2024, 2025, 2026)
Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
The Wall Street Journal, Best Lawyers in New England (2018, 2022)
Best of the Best Attorneys, Top 10 Estate Planning Law Firm (2022)
Top-Rated Lawyer, Avvo (2021)
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Go To Lawyer (2021)
Super Lawyers Magazine, Super Lawyer (2013–2017, 2021)
BEPC Excellence Award – Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC) (2020)
Estate Planning Award – International Advisory Experts (2020)
Recommended Attorney & Firm – Premier Tax Lawyers (2019-2020)
Independent Trustee Alliance, Master Certified Independent Trustee (2019)
U.S. News & World Report, Best Lawyers in America (2018, 2019, 2020)
Lawyers of Distinction, Lawyer of Distinction (2018)
Corporate Insider, Estate Planning Law Firm of the Year – Massachusetts (2018)
Boston Magazine, Five-Star Investment Professional (2017, 2018)
Boston Magazine, Five-Star Wealth Manager (2012–2017)
Accredited Estate Planner – National Association of Estate Planning Councils (2014)
Certified Legacy Advisor and Fellow – Sunbridge Legacy Institute, Florida (2008)

Professional Memberships

Bar Association Activities
Boston Bar Association, Committee Member: Adams Benefit Committee (2017)
Boston Bar Association, Past sub-committee chair: Trusts & Estates section, T&E Fundamentals Committee Co-Chair
Massachusetts Bar Association, member
National Gay and Lesbian Bar Association, member
Massachusetts LGBT Bar Association, member

Other Professional Memberships – Current
The Legacy Project, SAGE, Advisory Board member
Fellow, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
American Inn of Court, The Greater Boston Fiduciary Law Section
Independent Trustee Alliance, Master Certified Independent Trustee
Pride Planners, member
Purposeful Planning Institute, Founding member
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), member
Wealth Counsel, member

Other Professional Memberships – Previous
Member of Board of Directors of Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC)
Association of Corporate Counsel, past president of Europe and New England chapters
Sunbridge Legacy Institute, Fellow (2007-2014)

Community Involvement

Current
Board of Advisors – Eastern Bank, Member of Board’s Trust Committee

Previous
Trustee, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)
Board of Directors, The Boston Foundation (Chair of Audit Committee, Member of Executive Committee)
Co-Chair & Founder, Equality Fund (an endowment for the LGBTQ+ community at The Boston Foundation)
Board of Overseers, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Board member and Past Chair, Fenway Community Health Center (largest provider of care to those with HIV & AIDS in New England and the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the U.S.)
Board member and Past Treasurer, MassEquality (established to lobby for and secure equal marriage rights in MA following Goodridge decision in 2004)
Board member and Past Treasurer, Stonewall Communities, Inc. (established to provide housing and education to elderly LGBT community)
Board member, Charlestown Preservation Society
Incorporator – Eastern Bank (MA)
Member, Boston University Board of Advisors for School of Management
Member, New England Legal Foundation, Board of Advisors
Member – Professional Advisors Committee at The Boston Foundation
Member – Advisory Board of South Africa Partners
Trustee, Algonquin Club Foundation, Boston, MA
Commissioner, LGBT+ Commission on Aging (appointed by Governor Deval Patrick, March 2014)
Member of Episcopal Diocesan Finance and Investment Committee for Eastern Diocese of Massachusetts

Publications

Books

1. Author, Whether to Wed: A Legal and Tax Guide for Gay and Lesbian Couples (2014) 

Articles

1. Author, Removal of A Nutrient Feeding Tube and the Need for A Living Will, 3 J. Contemp. Health L. & Pol’y 253 (1987).
2. Co-Author with Brian C. Olson, Establishing a Presence, ACCA Docket 19, no.2 (2001): 32-47
3. Author, Executives of US Companies Can Be Surprised: US Estate Taxes May Apply, Offshore Investement.com, Issue 188, July/Aug. 2008, at 33.
4. Author, GRITs for Gays and Other Unique Planning Opportunities for Same-Sex Couples, J. Prac. Est. Plan. (CCH), Oct.–Nov. 2009, at 33.
5. Author, 2010: Estate Tax Repeal – Blessing or Curse?, J. Prac. Est. Plan. (CCH), April–May 2010, at 9.
6. Author, Executives 10 Tips to Motivate Clients to Incorporate Philanthropies Into Their Estate Plans, J. Prac. Est. Plan. (CCH), Aug.–Sep. 2010, at 11.
7. Co-Author with Carol Sneider Glick, Whether to Wed? Interesting State Estate Tax Issues for Gay Couples, J. Prac. Est. Plan. (CCH), Advanced Planning Strategies, Dec. 2010–Jan. 2011, at 11.
8. Author, Planning for Your Pet, CCH – re-print CCH Estate Planning Review — the Journal.(2011)
9. Author, Whether to Wed: Estate Planning, Boston Spirit, January 2012.
10. Author, College Financial Aid Disclosure for Families Headed by Same-Sex Couples, CCH Estate Planning Review — the Journal. Feb. 16, 2012, at 29.
11. Co-Author, Defending Your Assets from Creditors: State Protections for 529 Plans, CCH Estate Planning Review – the Journal. Feb. 20, 2014, at 3.
12. Author, “Planning for Same-Sex Couples in a Marriage Equality World,” Wealth Counsel Quarterly, May 2016.
13. Author, “Planning for Same-Sex Couples in a Marriage Equality World,” Wealth Counsel Quarterly, July 2016.
14. Lawyer Monthly, Scott Squillace, “Estate Planning,” September 2016 Edition.
15. Co-Author, “Strategies for Protecting the Business After an Owner’s Death,” Wealth Counsel Quarterly, October 2017.

Chapters Written

1. Author, Planning for Unmarried and Same-Sex Couples, The Family Estate Planning & Elder Law Guide (Chapter 5), Daniel P. Stuenzi, JD, (2019).
2. Author, Inheritance and Estate Planning Issues for Adoptive and Reproductive Technology Assisted Families (Chapter 13), MCLE, (2018).
3. Author, Trust Termination, Drafting Wills and Trusts in Massachusetts (Chapter 19.08), MCLE, (2012).
4. Author, Incapacity Documents, Drafting Wills and Trusts in Massachusetts (Chapter 24), MCLE, (2012).

Media Interviews (where quoted as an expert)

1. Think Advisor, Jane Wollman Rusoff, “Biden’s Billionaire Tax Plan Is Doomed, Estate Lawyer Says,” February 23, 2023.
2. Investment News, Darla Mercado, “Declining Marriage Rates Present a Planning Conundrum for Long-Term Couples,” February 9, 2015.
3. Instinct Magazine, John Hobbs, “Should We or Shouldn’t We?” April/May 2014.
4. Investment News, Darla Mercado, “LGBT Married Clients Weather Complicated Tax Season,” April 16, 2014.
5. Think Advisor, Jane Wollman Rusoff, “More Money, More (Tax) Problems: How NHWs Can Reduce Their Tax Bills,” April 4, 2014.
6. Huffington Post, Charlotte Robinson, “Scott Squillace, Attorney and Author, Talks Whether to Wed: A Legal and Tax Guide for Gay and Lesbian Couples,” March 30, 2014.
7. Wall Street Cheat Sheet, Dan Ritter, “Whether to Wed: 5 Tax Issues Facing Same-Sex Couples,” March 23, 2014.
8. Investment News, Darla Mercado, “A New Financial Planning Frontier for Same-Sex Marriage,” February 2, 2014.
9. Echelon Magazine, Michael Lamb, “For Same Sex Couples, It’s Not As Simple As Saying ‘I Do’,” November 15, 2013.
10. The Art Newspaper, Martha Lufkin, “Married Gay Couples to get Art Tax Breaks,” October 2013.
11. Investment News, Darla Mercado and Trevor Hunnicutt, “Retirement Benefits No Longer at Risk for Same-Sex Couples,” September 2013.
12. New York Times, Tara Siegel Bernard, “Gay and Married Couples in New Land of Taxation,” August 30, 2013.
13. The Wall Street Journal, Kelly Green, “Dealing with a Brave New Financial World,” June 29, 2013.
14. Bloomberg Business Week, John Tozzi, “The DOMA Ruling’s Implications for Employers Expanded,” June 28, 2013.
15. Boston Business Journal, Hannah Fingerhut, “Supreme Court’s DOMA Ruling Already Keeping Local Law Firms Busy,” June 28, 2013.
16. Boston Herald, Jordan Graham, “Myriad Benefits Will Have to Be Defined,” June 28, 2013.
17. Reuters, Jennifer Hoyt Cummings, “How to Live Up to Your LGBT Marketing,” June 28, 2013.
18. CNN Money, Blake Ellis, “What’s next after the Same-Sex Marriage Rulings?” June 27, 2013.
19. National Law Journal, Tony Mauro, “Justices Strike Down DOMA in Landmark Ruling,” June 26, 2013.
20. Bloomberg Business Week, Benjamin Steverman, “You’re a Gay Couple. Now What do You do?” June 26, 2013.
21. Boston Globe, Gail Waterhouse, “Among Things, Taxes Just Got Easier for Same-Sex Couples,” June 26, 2013.
22. Boston Globe, Yvonne Abraham, “Equality Means No Room for Abridgement on Equality,” June 26, 2013.
23. Associated Press, David Crary, “For Nationwide Gay Marriage, More Battles Ahead,” June 26, 2013.
24. Market Watch, Jonnelle Marte, “Same-Sex Couples: Celebrate, then Call a CPA,” June 26, 2013.
25. NECN, “Attorney: Supreme Court Rulings are a Great Beginning,” June 26, 2013.
26. NECN, “Gay Rights Supporters ‘Ecstatic’ Over Supreme Court Ruling,” June 26, 2013.
27. Politico, MJ Lee & Kate Davidson, “Wall Street Watching DOMA Decision,” June 24, 2013.
28. The Edge Boston, Antoinette Weil, “Striking Down DOMA & Prop 8 Inevitable,” June 16, 2013.
29. National Law Journal, Tony Mauro, “Court Likely to Dump DOMA, Punt on Prop. 8,” April 4, 2013.
30. Huffington Post, Scott Squillace, “SCOTUS Hearings on Gay Marriage Day Two: Good News, Bad News and Really Good News,” March 28, 2013.