Robert Armstrong joined McDonald Carano in 1980 where he founded, developed and continues to grow the Trust & Estates Practice. He is internationally recognized for his representation of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, closely held and family businesses, and private foundations. His practice focuses on federal and state income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; advanced estate planning; administration of sophisticated trusts and estates; and the formation, licensure, operation, and governance of family trust and retail trust companies. He has more than forty years of legal experience serving clients as an attorney, and as a non-practicing certified public accountant. Armstrong’s career is featured in an interview titled “Highly Regarded T&E Veteran Serves Thriving Nevada Market” published in the November 2024 issue of Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report.
Armstrong’s expertise includes complex, multi-jurisdictional matters involving estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, asset protection, business succession, and international estate issues for cross-border families. He is highly regarded for designing and implementing comprehensive estate plans tailored to ultra-high-net-worth clients, including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, dynasty trusts, and specialized vehicles such as SLATs, ILITs, and GRATs. Armstrong also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving, tax-exempt organizations, and state and local taxation, including the Nevada Commerce Tax.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The Inaugural Lawdragon 100 Leading Global Wealth Lawyers | 2026 | Ultra High-Net Worth, Tax & Estate Planning |
Armstrong monitors and interprets evolving tax laws and regulations to proactively counsel clients on opportunities and risks. He has drafted progressive trust statutes and contributes to thought leadership in the field. Armstrong is frequently called upon to lecture on topics such as Nevada trust law, family trust companies, and tax matters at national and local seminars and forums.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Armstrong is a Certified Public Accountant and earned a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Nevada and the District of Columbia.