Senior Counsel

Peter A. Arntson, for many years a principal with the firm and its predecessors, and now a Senior Counsel, has over 45 years of legal experience. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in history and after two years in the Army, one year of which was in France, he attended the University of Virginia School of Law where he obtained his L.L.B. (now J.D.). He later obtained an L.L.M. in taxation from Georgetown National Law Center. He began his practice in Arlington with Philips, Kendrick, Gearhardt & Aylor in 1965, becoming a partner in 1970. In 1975 he became a partner in this firm.

Mr. Arntson's practice is devoted primarily to estate planning and administration with a particular emphasis on the taxation of trusts and estates. His practice also includes forming and advising partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, closely held businesses, private foundations and public charitable organizations.

Mr. Arntson often has been selected by Virginia Business, based on a statewide survey of practicing attorneys, as one of the 300 best business attorneys in Virginia, one of the “Virginia Legal Elite.” The practice area for which he was selected is Taxes, Estates and Trusts. He also is a Fellow of the Virginia Bar Foundation.

Mr. Arntson has given numerous Continuing Legal Education programs for the Virginia State Bar and other organizations and has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Tax Section of the Virginia State Bar. He has also published law review articles on the Virginia Land Trust and on Individual Retirement Accounts. Mr. Arntson serves, and has served, on the boards of numerous charitable and nonprofit organizations. These include the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Heart Association, of which he was the Chairman, the Northern Virginia Community Foundation, the Arlington Community Foundation, the National Capital Area Boy Scouts of America, the Benedictine School for Exceptional Children, The Sheltered Occupational Center in Arlington, and the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.  In addition, Mr. Arntson served as Deputy Commissioner of Accounts for Fairfax County for 13 years. He is a retired Colonel in the United States Army Reserves and a graduate of the Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Arntson can be reached by direct dial at (703) 934-1160 and by e-mail care of pphelps@mccandlaw.com.

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