Stephen T. Dyer

Stephen Dyer is an esteemed estate planning attorney who centers his practice on guiding clients through asset transfer and business succession strategies. Dyer is spoken highly of by various market insiders:

"He is top of his game and has been for a long time."

"Stephen Dyer is a star; he is very smart and has great judgment."

"Stephen is a very highly regarded tax attorney who works with high net worth clients to put in place complex strategies."

"Stephen Dyer is very technically astute."

Chambers High Net Worth 2024

"He is a very strong planner, one of the best I've worked with."

Chambers High Net Worth 2023

Stephen Dyer is the chair of the private clients section of the tax department at Baker Botts. His practice emphasizes estate and business planning for extraordinarily high net worth individuals (many of whom have family-owned businesses) and representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate and trust administration. The principal focus of his practice is the design, implementation and defense of advanced asset transfer and business succession strategies. He also advises clients in divorce cases (along with lead divorce counsel) when substantial trusts and family entities are involved.

Mr. Dyer is widely recognized for his work representing clients in Texas and throughout the country in transfers of hard-to-value assets, family limited partnerships, business valuation issues and family business succession planning.

Mr. Dyer is ranked as Band 1 in Texas: Private Wealth Law for Chambers High Net Worth (2016-2024) and is also recognized in Private Wealth: Central Region for Chambers High Net Worth (2016-2024). He is also listed in Best Lawyers in America (2007-2023, Woodward White, Inc.) and Texas Super Lawyers (2004-2023, Thomson Reuters). Chambers High Net Worth (2023) quoted a market commentator saying that he is “very responsive” and “the best in the business.”

 

Mr. Dyer's educational background was focused on business and finance. Before becoming an attorney, he worked as an investment banker in mergers and acquisitions for Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc.

• Founding entrepreneurs – assistance to founders of businesses, both privately and publicly owned, worth anywhere from $25 million to over $1 billion, in all aspects of restructurings and transition of ownership to subsequent generations or charity, including those businesses involved in a variety of industries such as oil and gas exploration and production, oilfield services and equipment, petrochemicals and related products, timber, various types of manufacturing, real estate (retail, multifamily, hotels, office buildings), technology (equipment and services), distribution (heavy equipment, beverages, warehousing), retailing (cars, grocery, clothing, furniture), insurance, banking, import/export, farming and ranching, tourism and services of all kinds
• Wealthy heirs and their fiduciaries – representation of trust and estate fiduciaries and beneficiaries in dealing with each other generally and in the handling of substantial long-term family wealth and complex trust and estate administrations, including advice on how to exercise powers over trusts and estates, how to deal with financial advisors of all kinds (accountants, money managers, insurance providers), resolving conflicts among beneficiaries and resolving conflicts between beneficiaries and fiduciaries
• Wealthy individuals – representation in all aspects of their estate planning, from traditional wills, trusts, estates, and marital property issues to the creation of family limited partnerships and other entities, the implementation of advanced transfer tax avoidance strategies and charitable giving
• Professionals and executives – representation of wealthy corporate executives, doctors, lawyers, investment bankers and others in connection with wills, trusts and estates, employee benefits as they relate to estate planning, the creation of family limited partnerships, marital property issues and other matters
• Divorcing couples – in conjunction with lead divorce counsel, representation of a party in connection solely with advisory work (not expert testimony) pertaining to high net worth estate planning issues implicated by a divorce, including changes to family limited partnerships and trusts, and related income, estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues
• Charities and their donors – assistance in the creation of private foundations, family funds at community foundations, charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts, as well as specific purpose charitable gifts, naming rights gifts and other concerns; representation of prominent local charities in connection with the receipt of gifts, structuring of planned giving programs, estate administration and related matters

Recognized for Private Wealth Law by Chambers High Net Worth, 2016-2024

Recognized for Wealth Management by Chambers USA, 2015 & 2016

Listed in Best Lawyers in America, (Woodward/White Inc.), 2007-2023

Recognized as a Top 100-Houston Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2018-2021

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2004-2023

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer-Rising Star (Thomson Reuters), 2004

The University of Texas at Austin, Development Board, 2013-present

The University of Texas School of Law Alumni Association Executive Committee, 2014-2019

The University of Texas System, Chancellor's Council 2013-present; Executive Committee 2015-present

Texas Alternatives Foundation, Advisory Board

DePelchin Children's Center, Planned Giving Task Force, 2003; Planned Giving Advisory Council, 2006-2007; Board of Directors, 2006-2011, 2013-2018

The Kinkaid Investments Foundation, Board of Directors, 2023-present; The Kinkaid School, Advancement Committee, 2012-2017; Alumni Association Board of Directors, 2009-2014; Vice President, 2011-2012; President, 2012-2013

Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow

J.D., The University of Texas School of Law 1994
with honors
Order of the Coif
Chancellors

M.B.A., The University of Texas 1994

B.B.A., Business Honors Program & Finance, The University of Texas 1989
with highest honors

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow, 2008-present; Business Planning Committee, 2011-2015; Estate and Gift Tax Committee, 2011-present

Cambridge Forum on Private Wealth Law, 2018-present; Co-Chair of Inaugural Steering Committee, 2018; Co-Chair of Steering Committee, 2018-2022

Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2002-present

American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, 1994-present

State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section, 1994-present

Houston Bar Association, Probate, Trusts and Estates Section, 1994-present; Council Member, 2008-2018; Officer Rotation, 2013-2017; Chairman, 2017-2018

Houston Business and Estate Planning Council, 2002-present

Houston Estate and Financial Forum, 1995-present

Estate Forum - The Next Generation, 1998-present