Kerry O’Rourke Perri

Partner, New York

Biography

“Kerry O’Rourke Perri provides advice that couples deep legal and technical knowledge with a practical, cost-conscious mindset. She is highly intelligent, creative and smart about tapping the resources within White & Case to deliver excellent solutions and advice.”
Chambers High Net Worth

Overview

Kerry O'Rourke Perri leads the Private Wealth & Family Offices practice at White & Case. Her clients include domestic and cross-border individuals and families, fiduciaries, family offices, financial institutions and tax-exempt organizations.

As part of her comprehensive practice, Kerry advises on estate, succession and pre-liquidity event planning, the creation and administration of private trust companies, family offices and trusts, asset protection, pre-immigration planning, charitable giving, the formation and administration of tax-exempt organizations, trust- and estate-related litigation, issues involving special assets such as art and closely held businesses, and related transactional matters.

Clients benefit from Kerry's distinctive experience acquired both during her 18-month secondment to the wealth management division of one of the world's largest banks and prior to attending law school. Kerry previously worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, where she advised health care companies on M&A and capital markets transactions, and at Accenture in the Office of the CFO, where she evaluated and executed strategic corporate transactions and financial projects.

Kerry is a frequent writer and speaker. She is recognized in Chambers and Partners' High Net Worth guide for New York Private Wealth Law and has been shortlisted for Euromoney Legal Media Group's Women in Business Law "Best in Wealth Management" Award. Kerry has been also been quoted in leading industry publications, including the The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, on tax and wealth management issues.

Bars and Courts
New York
Florida
US Tax Court
Education
JD
Columbia Law School
AB
Harvard University
Languages
English

Experience

Speaking Engagements

Virtual (speaker), "Implications of the Corporate Transparency Act for US Special Purpose Vehicles, Wealth Structuring and Other Arrangements", WealthCounsel LLC, April 21

Virtual (speaker), ITR Women in Tax Forum – Global Tax Transparency Panel (East Coast), March 3-4

Panelist, "Models for Change:  Legal Architectures for Sustainable Fundraising Around Art & Activism," October 15, 2020, New York County Lawyer’s Association 12th Art Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Institute, New York, NY

Panelist, "Pre-Liquidity Planning," September 10-11, 2019, Morgan Stanley Healthcare conference, New York, NY

Panelist, "Smart Women Plan Ahead," Multiple dates in 2018 and 2019, New York, NY

Panelist, "Estate Planning Update on US Tax Reform," February 7, 2018, New York, NY

"Private Trust Company Formation," October 27, 2017, NYU 76th Institute on Federal Taxation, San Francisco, CA

Panelist, "Planning for a Rising Interest Rate Environment," April 21, 2017, ABA Real Property, Trusts and Estates Committee Spring Symposia, Denver, CO

Publications

Corporate Transparency Act and New Implications for US Special Purpose Vehicles, Wealth Structuring and Other Arrangements, White & Case, January 2021

Lending a Helping Hand: non-profit benefits under the CARES Act, White & Case, April 2020

Co-author, "Misconceptions Regarding Private Non-Operating Foundations," Trusts & Estates, July 2020

Historic US Disaster Relief Legislation in Response to COVID-19 Crisis Will Have a Significant Impact on Companies and Their Employees Through Changes in the Tax Code and Related Provisions, White & Case, March 2020

Current Conditions Present Historic Gifting Opportunities; Time to Review Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designations, White & Case, March 2020

INSIGHT: Historic CARES Act Will Have Significant Impact on Companies, Individuals, Bloomberg Law, April 2020

Estate Planning for Art Collectors and Artists, December 2018/January 2019, Practical Law The Journal

Co-author, "Estate Planning in a Rising Interest Rate Environment: Part II," Trusts & Estates, June 2018

Co-author, "Estate Planning in a Rising Interest Rate Environment: Part I," Trusts & Estates, June 2018 

Expert Q&A: The Impact of Tax Reform on Estate Planning, Practical Law The Journal, April 2018

US Tax Reform—Changes Impacting High Net Worth Individuals, White & Case, 2018

"Understanding Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts," Practice Note, Practical Law Trusts & Estates, first published 2017 (maintained source)

States Pass "Digital Assets" Legislation, White & Case, 2016

Proposed Treasury Regulations on Valuation Discounts for Family-Controlled Entities, White & Case, 2016

Awards and Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America 2023 for Trust and Estates

Band 4, Private Wealth Law – New York, Chambers High Net Worth, 2023

Up & Coming, Private Wealth Law – New York, Chambers High Net Worth, 2019-2020

Shortlist nominee, Best in Wealth Management, Euromoney Legal Media Group, Americas Women in Business Law, 2019

Shortlist nominee, Rising Star: Tax, Euromoney Legal Media Group, Americas Women in Business Law, 2017-2018