Practical legal counsel for your family and your business.

The Law Office of Christopher D. Ryan provides practical legal counsel to families and closely held businesses. With offices in Costa Mesa, California and Deerfield, Illinois, the firm advises business owners and their families on estate planning, business succession, tax planning, and asset protection, with a focus on plans that work in practice as well as on paper.

Many of our clients own small and mid-sized companies, and their business and personal planning are closely connected. We help them choose and form the right entities, structure tax-free reorganizations, plan the transition of a business to the next generation or to a buyer, and build estate plans that protect their families and preserve what they have built. Because tax drives so many of these decisions, tax analysis is part of every engagement. We also prepare tax returns, so planning and compliance stay aligned year after year.

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For families whose wealth has grown beyond the business, often after a sale or as a new generation becomes involved, the firm also provides family office planning. We design the legal structure that holds and manages the family's wealth, including trusts, investment and real estate entities, governance documents, and succession plans for the next generation. We then serve as ongoing counsel, working alongside the family's investment advisors, accountants, and other professionals to keep the structure current and coordinated.

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The firm is led by Christopher D. Ryan, who holds an LL.M. in Taxation with honors and a J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, and a B.S. in Materials Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He is admitted to practice in California, Illinois, and Kentucky, and before the United States Tax Court. His engineering background shapes his approach to the law: careful analysis, clear explanations, and plans built to hold up over time.

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Whether you are starting a business, planning for its future, or putting your family's affairs in order, we will take the time to understand your goals and give you clear, practical advice. Contact our Costa Mesa or Deerfield office to schedule a consultation.