Skip to main content

Kurt R. Steinkrauss

Member / Chair, Closely Held Business Practice; Co-chair, Private Equity Practice

[email protected]

+1.617.832.6093

Follow:
Share:

Kurt chairs our Closely Held Business Group and co-chairs the Private Equity Practice. He has significant experience helping individuals and families develop and implement successful estate planning strategies. Clients count on his insights on evolving gift and estate tax laws to help them manage their assets effectively. Kurt also handles a variety of corporate and employment matters. He often counsels closely held businesses, start-ups, and emerging companies on corporate governance matters as well as sales, acquisitions, and M&A transactions. Kurt is an experienced speaker and lecturer, and he regularly contributes articles to national and regional business and law publications.

Kurt serves as Chair of the firm’s Closely Held Business Group and Co-chair of the Private Equity Practice. He is also a former member of the firm's Policy Committee. Kurt focuses on estate planning, general corporate matters, and employment matters.

In his estate planning practice, Kurt assists individuals and families in planning and carrying out tax-efficient transfers of wealth, asset distribution, trust administration, charitable gift planning, and business succession. In his corporate work, Kurt works closely with family businesses, start-ups, and emerging companies in a variety of sectors. He specializes in advising clients on organization and financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and succession planning. In his employment practice, Kurt advises executives on employment agreements, SEC issues, stock options, and deferred compensation matters.

He is a frequent lecturer for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, the Boston Bar Association, the Boston Security Analysts Society, and other organizations. In addition, he regularly publishes articles in publications including Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the National Law Journal, and the Boston Business Journal.

Before joining Mintz, Kurt was a tax consultant at Arthur Andersen LLP. Prior to that, he served as a law clerk for the Estate and Gift Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Service.

viewpoints

Viewpoint Thumbnail

January 1, 2025 Deadline Is Fast Approaching for Compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act

October 29, 2024 | Advisory | By Peter Miller, Kurt Steinkrauss, Alison Glover, Susan Kealy, Quinn Hetrick, Mirele A. Sagan

Read about compliance deadlines associated with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), types of entities subject to CTA reporting requirements, information required in a BOI report, and filing requirements for BOI reports.

Read more

Compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act Necessary for Many Estate Planning Clients

December 13, 2023 | Alert | By Peter Miller, Kurt Steinkrauss, Alison Glover, Susan Kealy, Quinn Hetrick, Mirele A. Sagan

In this alert, we discuss the reporting entities, information to be reported, ongoing reporting requirements, and additional considerations applicable to estate planning clients.

Read more

Estate Tax Changes Included in New Massachusetts Tax Relief Package

October 6, 2023 | Alert | By Peter Miller, Kurt Steinkrauss, Alison Glover, Susan Kealy, Quinn Hetrick, Mirele A. Sagan

Read about a Massachusetts tax relief package recently signed into law, which subjects only estate assets above $2 million to state-level estate tax and makes several changes to Massachusetts income tax laws.

Read more

Family Gift Planning — Perhaps the Best Time Is Now

October 19, 2020 | Advisory | By Peter Miller, Kurt Steinkrauss, Susan Kealy, Alison Glover, Quinn Hetrick

The lifetime federal tax exemption for gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes is scheduled to be reduced to approximately $6 million on January 1, 2026, from $11.58 million per individual or $23.16 million collectively for a married couple. Many believe, however, that the outcome of the upcoming election could accelerate the timing of this change and that the decrease could become effective as soon as January 1, 2021.
Read more

Private Equity Opportunity in Litigation Financing

April 18, 2018 | Alert | By Scott Ford, Kurt Steinkrauss

Litigation financing has quickly grown from a fledging concept into a robust industry. The concept is simple: in exchange for a share of any proceeds, a financing firm agrees to pay all or a portion of the plaintiff’s legal fees.
Read more

Favorable Changes to Estate, Gift and GST Tax Laws Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

February 1, 2018 | Advisory | By Peter Miller, Kurt Steinkrauss, Susan Kealy, Alison Glover, Quinn Hetrick

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), signed into law on December 22, 2017, significantly increased the exemption amounts for the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. These increases may present planning opportunities for individuals and families.
Read more
Read less

News & Press

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

BOSTON –  Twenty-five Mintz attorneys have been named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers list.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

BOSTON – Mintz served as legal advisor to Mama Rosie’s Company, Inc. (“Mama Rosie’s”), a second-generation family-owned frozen pasta manufacturer, in its acquisition by Mill Point Capital-backed Seviroli Foods LLC (“Seviroli”), a specialty foods importer and frozen food manufacturer.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

In its second annual edition, 28 Mintz attorneys were named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers list.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Mintz has appointed Members Gregory Fine and Matthew T. Simpson to co-lead the Private Equity practice alongside current chair, Kurt Steinkrauss. The change is effective immediately.

News Thumbnail Mintz

Members Gregory FineMatthew T. Simpson and Kurt Steinkrauss were featured in an article published by The Deal highlighting their appointment to co-lead the Firm's Private Equity practice.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Mintz attorneys in Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, closed four Private Equity transactions in the past month. Along with acquisitions for Charlesbank Capital Partners, DIF Capital Partners portfolio company Joink LLC, and Artemis Capital Partners, the firm represented the CEO and some managers of Salary.com in the sale of most of the company’s equity interests to Accel-KKR.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Mintz continues its ongoing commitment to ensuring the firm is an equitable workplace, establishing a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee that reports directly to the firm's main decision making body, the Policy Committee. The new Equity Advisory Council (EAC) will be responsible for driving equity for the firm’s attorneys, especially women, attorneys of color and LGBTQ+ attorneys.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz
As the pandemic and favorable market conditions drove record M&A and private equity dealmaking in 2021, Mintz’s Private Equity Practice handled a number of complex and impactful middle-market transactions for a growing number of private equity funds across the country spanning a variety of industries, including Charlesbank Capital Partners, DW Healthcare Partners, and Monomoy Capital Partners. In addition, the firm added several practitioners with extensive transactional knowledge to its deep bench to support private equity clients.
Press Release Thumbnail Mintz
Mintz is pleased to announce Member ​Kurt Steinkrauss has been named the recipient of the 2018 Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC) Excellence Award. The BEPC Excellence Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the estate planning profession.
Mintz advised GPB Capital on its acquisition of a majority equity stake in Westwood, Massachusetts-based Prime Motor Group. The acquisition by Capstone Automotive Group, an affiliate of GPB, expands the group’s footprint throughout New England.
Member Kurt Steinkrauss, Chair of the Closely Held Business Group and Co-chair of the Private Equity Practice, is highlighted in a Law360 article among other legal “rainmakers,” discussing his unique approach to business development and maintain strong relationships with his clients.
Press Release Thumbnail Mintz
Best Lawyers named 85 Mintz attorneys to its 2018 list of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, Mintz attorneys Matthew J. Gardella and Samuel M. Tony Starr were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Scott Ford, Chair of the Litigation Section, and Kurt Steinkrauss, Co-Chair of the Private Equity Section, authored this column on how the emerging litigation financing industry is becoming an attractive risk-reducing option – especially among PE firms.
Best Lawyers named 73 Mintz attorneys to its 2017 list of The Best Lawyers in America. Mintz attorneys selected for inclusion in this year’s list span 44 practice areas. 
Best Lawyers named 73 Mintz attorneys to its 2017 list of The Best Lawyers in America. Mintz attorneys selected for inclusion in this year’s list span 44 practice areas. 
Read less

Events & Speaking

Sep
30
2024

Sunset Planning Fall Fly-In: Boston 2024

Legacy Advisors Network (LAN)

Mission Beach House at Springhill Suites by Marriott, 400 Ocean Avenue, Revere, MA

Speaker
May
20
2024
Event Reference Image
Panelist
Jun
6
2023

Driving Transformation and Growth - Unlocking your Company's Value

How Business Owners Are Finding Success In Challenging Times

Speaker
Panelist
Panelist
Sep
14
2022

Trends in Family Office Litigation

CCC Alliance Member Meeting

Event Reference Image
Moderator
May
24
2022
Webinar Reference Image
Panelist
Moderator
May
6
2021

State of the M&A Market

Mintz & Boston Private Equity Network (BPEN)

Online Event

Webinar Reference Image
Panelist
Speaker
Panelist
Mar
26
2020
Speaker
Speaker
Oct
17
2019

BEPC Members Round Table Breakfast

University of Massachusetts Club

Speaker
Sep
18
2019

Managing Through Growth

Westin Waltham –Boston

Speaker
May
14
2019

Selling Up, Selling Out

Mintz, One Financial Center, Boston, MA

Speaker
Apr
29
2019

Latest Trends in Mergers & Acquisitions

Boston Marriott Newton Hotel

Panelist
Sep
13
2018

M&A Solutions for Privately Held Companies

Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, MA

Panelist
Jun
20
2017

DealMakers

Gray, Gray & Gray

Newton, MA

Speaker
May
10
2017

A Collaborative Process: Estate and Business Liquidity Planning

Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC)

Boston, MA

Panelist
Mar
23
2017
Read less

Kurt chairs our Closely Held Business Group and co-chairs the Private Equity Practice. He has significant experience helping individuals and families develop and implement successful estate planning strategies. Clients count on his insights on evolving gift and estate tax laws to help them manage their assets effectively. Kurt also handles a variety of corporate and employment matters. He often counsels closely held businesses, start-ups, and emerging companies on corporate governance matters as well as sales, acquisitions, and M&A transactions. Kurt is an experienced speaker and lecturer, and he regularly contributes articles to national and regional business and law publications.

Recognition & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year: Boston Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law (2017, 2022)

  • Chambers High Net Worth: Massachusetts – Private Wealth Law (2019 – 2024)

  • Best Lawyers in America: Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law (2015 – 2025); Trusts and Estates (2015 – 2025)

  • Boston Magazine Top Lawyers – Trusts and Estates (2021, 2023)

  • Boston Estate Planning Council: Excellence Award (2018)

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Rising Star – Estate Planning & Probate (2005 – 2013)

Read less

Kurt chairs our Closely Held Business Group and co-chairs the Private Equity Practice. He has significant experience helping individuals and families develop and implement successful estate planning strategies. Clients count on his insights on evolving gift and estate tax laws to help them manage their assets effectively. Kurt also handles a variety of corporate and employment matters. He often counsels closely held businesses, start-ups, and emerging companies on corporate governance matters as well as sales, acquisitions, and M&A transactions. Kurt is an experienced speaker and lecturer, and he regularly contributes articles to national and regional business and law publications.

Involvement

  • Officer, Boston Estate Planning Council
  • Member, Family Firm Institute
  • Member, Professional Advisors Committee of the Boston Foundation
  • Member, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Estate Planning Curriculum Advisory Committee
  • Participant, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston’s Future Leaders
  • Member, Boston Bar Association
  • Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Member, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
Read less

Kurt R. Steinkrauss

Member / Chair, Closely Held Business Practice; Co-chair, Private Equity Practice

Boston