Nina Dow is an attorney in the firm’s Estate, Financial & Tax Planning practice area. Extremely passionate about her work, she strives to empower clients by helping them understand the law. Nina is a practical minded problem solver with a preference for simplicity whenever feasible. She focuses her practice on planning to minimize transfer taxes, including estate and tax planning that involves charitable giving, business succession planning, the representation of corporate and individual fiduciaries, and planning for individuals with special needs.
In addition to helping clients create an estate plan, Nina’s tax practice involves working closely with families to prepare state and federal estate tax returns following the death of a loved one. Her creative and strategic approach to estate taxation brings the best results possible for estate and trust beneficiaries. Nina also thrives on handling the complexity of estate administration in a timely fashion. Sensitive to the experience related to the loss of a family member, she settles the deceased’s affairs in a way that prevents added stress for clients.
Besides work
Nina enjoys spending time with family and friends, always trying out the newest restaurants and traveling overseas. She can also be found on the beach, tennis court or running with her sister on any rail trail in Massachusetts. Nina is a fluent Arabic speaker, specifically the Lebanese dialect.
Affiliations
- Co-Founder, Board Member, and Mentorship Committee, Arab American Bar Association of Massachusetts (AABAM)
- Co-Chair of the Tax, Trusts and Estates Section, Worcester County Bar Association
- Member, Alumnae Committee and Marketing and Development Committee, Notre Dame Academy
- Member, American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce of New England
- Member, Tax Law Section, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Committee Member, Estate and Business Planning Council of Worcester County
- Member, Professional Advisory Committee, Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts
- Member, Worcester Economic Club
- Member, Trusts & Estates Consortium
- Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- Member, Women’s Bar Association
Previous
- Leadership Worcester, Class of 2021
- Board Member, Colony Retirement Homes
- Trustee, Worcester Public Library Foundation
Honors
- Emerging Women Leaders in the Law Honoree, Women’s Bar Association, 2024
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2019-2022
Articles + Talks
Articles
- “The Hide and Seek of Creditors & Debtors: Examining the Effectiveness of Domestic Asset Protection Trusts for the Massachusetts Settlor,” 27:2 QUINNIPIAC PROB. L. J. 169 (2014)
Talks
- Voices in Law: Middle Eastern Attorneys Panel, Middle Eastern Law Students Association, Boston College Law School, 2024
- Legacy Conversations – Planning for Impact, Abby’s House, 2024
- Bouncing Back: Overcoming Setbacks and Building Resilience, Boston Bar Association Senior Associates Forum Network, New Lawyers Forum Network and Women of Color Attorneys’ Leadership Forum, 2024
- Peace of Mind: The Best Gift of 2024, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2024
- Massachusetts Estate Tax Law, Worcester Estate Planning Business Council, 2024
- Presented to executives of publicly-traded retailer on irrevocable trusts, selling a business or transferring a business to a child, and transferring wealth to future generations. 2023.
- Script Your Family’s Future: Why You Need an Estate Plan, Edward Jones, 2023
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
Education
- LL.M., Master of Laws in Taxation, Boston University School of Law
- J.D., cum laude, Suffolk University Law School
- B.S., Emerson College
- Drafts estate plans intended to eliminate or minimize Massachusetts and federal estate taxes
- Optimizes clients’ estate tax exemption with value freezing techniques such as qualified personal residence trusts while transferring assets to the next generation
- Helps clients create educational and gifting trusts for minors with no gift tax implications
- Protects clients’ assets from creditors, including Medicaid, through the use of irrevocable trusts and other transfer techniques
- Protects inheritance and other windfalls for clients with special needs while maintaining eligibility to receive public benefits
- Assists clients with modifying irrevocable trusts created by previous generations without court approval by using nonjudicial settlement agreements
- Appoints clients as Personal Representatives of estates and counsels them to settle the affairs of decedents in a timely manner
Events + Recordings
-
Nina Dow Spoke at Boston College Law School’s Middle Eastern Law Students Association Program
-
Nina Dow Presented “Legacy Conversations – Planning for Impact” at Abby’s House
-
Nina Dow Spoke at Boston Bar Association Program “Bouncing Back: Overcoming Setbacks and Building Resilience”
-
Nina Dow Spoke at WBA/AABAM Event “A Conversation on Culture and Caregiving: The Unique Challenges of Arab Women in Law”
News
-
Press Release: Women’s Bar Association Honors Nina T. Dow as Emerging Woman Leader in the Law
-
Nina Dow Named Co-chair of the Worcester County Bar Association’s Tax, Trusts and Estates Section
-
Press Release: Bowditch Honored with Second Empowering Women Award
-
Nina Dow Named to Board of Directors of Colony Retirement Homes
