Unclaimed Property Planning

The Firm assists its clients with navigating unclaimed property audits and regulatory investigations with confidence. Our services include assistance with detailed internal risk assessments to help identify potential risks and strengthen compliance positions before documents are produced in an audit or investigation.  During the audit, we work closely with the accounting and legal teams of our clients to ensure that our clients have a comprehensive understanding of their legal obligations to make informed decisions about document production. In addition, we stand firmly with our clients when legal rights need to be asserted to ensure that state agents and auditors follow all legal requirements set forth in applicable state and federal laws. When disputes arise, we have significant experience handling administrative appeals and state and federal court litigation when a client is forced to challenge the scope or methodology used in an audit to support an audit assessment.  We also frequently provide audit litigation support to national organizations that wish to participate in landmark unclaimed property litigation around the country as amicus (friend of the court).

We partner closely with our clients and accounting advocate firms to navigate the complex and often overwhelming landscape of state unclaimed property reporting laws and regulations. Our team has compiled numerous comprehensive fifty‑state surveys covering a wide range of unclaimed property issues, providing us with a deep, ready‑to‑apply knowledge base of state law exemptions and reporting requirements. Because we routinely analyze and update our internal compliance documents summarizing the statutory and regulatory frameworks across many domestic and foreign jurisdictions, we put ourselves in a position to respond quickly to our clients’ inquiries and deliver clear, practical guidance without reinventing the wheel each time a compliance-related question arises. Our ability to rely on our historical knowledge as well as our annual compliance handbooks allow us to provide succinct and timely guidance to ensure our clients confidently remain in compliance so they can keep their focus on their core business functions.

We partner closely with our clients and their accounting partners to provide unclaimed property planning guidance that helps them avoid compliance pitfalls when launching new products and services. Our team offers front-end support during the development of new offerings and business initiatives, enabling clients to build compliance models that minimize or prevent unclaimed property risk before any exposure arises.

We support clients in evaluating and managing unclaimed property exposure when acquiring or divesting businesses that lack a strong history of compliance or reporting. Our practitioners combine extensive unclaimed property experience with corporate law and M&A backgrounds, enabling us to understand the nuances of representations and warranties, indemnification structures, escrow considerations, and post‑closing obligations that shape M&A transactions. Because we already speak the language of deal teams, we integrate quickly, require minimal onboarding, and deliver clear, actionable insights that help buyers negotiate protections, avoid unexpected unclaimed property liabilities, and close with confidence that any skeletons will remain in the closet.