
Overview
Darren Wallace is the Vice-Chair of the Private Client Department at the firm. He advises clients on estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, and probate and trust litigation. Darren regularly counsels private equity and hedge fund principals on planning opportunities related to carried interests, and advises family offices and their principals on various tax, governance, structuring, and planning matters. In addition, he provides advice to art collectors, investors, family offices, artists, and charitable organizations on issues arising from the ownership of valuable art, jewelry, and other tangible personal property.
Darren's has earned him a Band 1 ranking in the High Net Worth guide by Chambers* (Chambers and Partners) since 2016.
Darren is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and a member of its Business Planning Committee. He frequently speaks and writes on planning topics for high-net-worth individuals. He is also a member of both the Tax and the Estates and Probate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association, and has served on the executive committee of the Estates and Probate Section.
Darren lives in Fairfield, CT, with his wife Marianne and their three daughters.
* No aspect of these advertisements have been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. See Awards Methodology.
Education and Credentials
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D.
- Colgate University, B.A.
Admissions
- State of Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- State of New York
Affiliations
- Connecticut Bar Association, Estates and Probate Section, Executive Committee; Tax Section
- Fairfield County Bar Association
- Estate Planning Council of Lower Fairfield County
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow; Business Planning Committee
Recognition and Community
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See Awards Methodology.
Recognitions
Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Litigation – Trusts and Estates, 2023, 2025, Trusts and Estates, 2023-2025
Featured in AV Preeminent Top Rated Lawyers for New York Trust and Estates Law by The American Lawyer (ALM Media Properties, LLC) and Martindale-Hubbell (LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell), 2021
Chosen for inclusion in Chambers HNW Guide (Chambers & Partners) of recognized practitioners for wealthy individuals and families in Connecticut, 2016, 2018-2024
Selected to the list of Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters), 2012
Recipient of the New Leaders of the Law "Advocacy Award" presented by the Connecticut Law Tribune (ALM Media Properties, LLC), 2005
Community Involvement
PLAN of Connecticut, Inc., a nonprofit organization that assists in planning for the future of family members with disabilities and provides continuity of services for such individuals, Board of Directors, Former Member
News & Insights
Thought Leadership
- Despite SCOTUS Lifting Injunction, Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Remains Suspended , January 28, 2025
- Corporate Transparency Act Injunction Reinstated , December 30, 2024
- Corporate Transparency Act Enjoined , December 9, 2024
- Private Clients and the New Corporate Transparency Act: Is Your LLC Required to File by January 1, 2025? , November 22, 2024
- COVID-19: Massachusetts Approves Temporary Remote Notarization , May 7, 2020
Events
- Day Pitney Hosts Thought-Provoking Palm Beach Family Office Forum, May 19, 2023
- Day Pitney Hosts Annual Palm Beach Family Office Forum, May 1, 2019
- Day Pitney Hosts Annual Palm Beach Family Office Conference, March 15, 2017
News
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 18 Day Pitney Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 18, 2024
- Day Pitney Announces New Leadership Appointments, April 2, 2024
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 20 Day Pitney Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 20, 2023
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes 20 Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 26, 2021
- Chambers High Net Worth Recognizes Day Pitney and 16 Attorneys for Private Wealth Law, July 10, 2020
In The Media
Publications
- Estate Planning in the Trump Era, The Current, July 1, 2017
- Private Clients Legal & Tax Planning Answer Book 2016, PLI, April 1, 2016
Media Mentions
- Day Pitney Announces New Leadership Appointments, CityBiz, April 2, 2024
- Day Pitney Announces Leadership Changes, Law360 Pulse, April 2, 2024
- CT Day Pitney Lawyers Named to Leadership Posts, Hartford Business Journal, April 2, 2024
- Law Firms Want Their Staff's Tech Opinions-But You Can't Please Everyone, LegalTech News, December 12, 2019
- Paul Allen's $26 Billion Estate Will Take Years to Unravel, Bloomberg, October 18, 2018
- Estate Planning Post-Election: Goodbye Estate Tax?, Atlantic Trust's First Quarterly Newsletter, January 5, 2017
- Valuation discounts: what could the IRS' new proposal mean for families?, Private Asset Management Magazine, October 6, 2016
- The Role of a Will in Asset Distribution, The New York Times, May 6, 2016
- Prince's Estate: When A Rich Icon Dies With No Obvious Heir, Private Wealth, April 27, 2016
- Prince's Legendary IP Control In Doubt After Death, Law360, April 22, 2016
Speaking Engagements
- The Art of Planning for the Collector: A Guide to Estate Planning Considerations for Art Collectors, May 5, 2018
- Brad Gallant and Darren Wallace Speak at ACTEC New England Regional Meeting, September 8, 2017
- Breakfast Briefing, November 9, 2016
- Estate Planning for the Non-Specialist, February 24, 2016
- Day Pitney Co-Sponsors Exclusive Family Office Program, October 1, 2015
- Speaker, "Estate Taxes II: Spousal Transfers and Credits," NYU's Summer Institute in Taxation, New York City, July 19, 2010, July 19, 2010