By Adam L. Engel, Esq. | Estate & Probate Attorney | Shin Law Office
McLean VA Business Succession Planning | Protect High-Value Companies
I work with business owners in McLean every day, and one truth stands out: building wealth and protecting it are two very different challenges.
McLean is home to some of the most successful businesses in Northern Virginia, companies with millions in assets, long-term contracts, and a reputation that took decades to earn. But here’s the hard reality I’ve seen play out: without a succession plan, all that wealth is at risk.
Success Without a Plan Is Still a Risk
Many McLean business owners believe their company’s size or financial success insulates them from collapse.
But when an owner passes away or becomes incapacitated, the very size of the business can make it a bigger target.
Creditors, courts, and the IRS don’t care how hard you worked. If your estate isn’t structured, they’ll claim what they can—and they’ll do it quickly.
The High-Value Trap
Here’s the problem: the higher the value of your business, the greater the exposure.
- Creditors see opportunity in unsettled estates and move fast.
- Courts step in when no one is named to take control, often appointing someone who has no experience with your company.
- The IRS imposes estate taxes that can reach up to 40% of the value of your estate. For cash-poor, asset-rich businesses, that often means forced sales at a fraction of true value.
I’ve sat with families in McLean who thought they were inheriting a thriving business, only to discover they were inheriting debt, lawsuits, and a tax bill they couldn’t pay.
What Collapse Looks Like in McLean
Collapse doesn’t happen in a dramatic courtroom moment—it happens quietly. Payroll goes unpaid.
Vendors start asking questions. Long-term clients look for stability elsewhere.
Employees, uncertain about the future, leave for competitors. Within months, a company that once seemed untouchable is gone.
Why Wealthy Businesses Need Succession Plans Most
The irony is that the more successful your business becomes, the more fragile it is without planning.
A neighborhood shop might be able to weather probate delays, but a multimillion-dollar company in McLean cannot.
Your company’s scale makes continuity planning urgent, not optional.
Tools That Keep Your Wealth From Becoming a Target
Fortunately, this risk is entirely preventable. With the right estate planning tools, you can protect your company, your family, and your legacy:
- Trusts to hold business interests and pass control seamlessly.
- Buy-sell agreements to give partners or heirs a clear, funded path to ownership.
- Operating agreements updated to name successors and clarify authority.
- Tax strategies that minimize estate tax exposure and prevent forced sales.
- Corporate resolutions to ensure banks and vendors recognize successor authority immediately.
From My Desk in McLean
I’ve seen wealth built over a lifetime vanish in less than a year—all because the owner thought succession planning could wait.
If you’ve worked hard to build a high-value business in McLean, don’t leave it vulnerable to courts, creditors, or the IRS. Protect it now, while you still have control.
Your wealth should be your family’s security, not their burden.
Let’s build the plan that keeps your business standing strong long after you’re gone.
Call Shin Law Office today at 571-445-6565 or use our online contact form to schedule a consultation with me.
— Adam L. Engel, Esq.
Attorney | Shin Law Office
Call 571-445-6565 or book a consultation online today.
