Austin Bramwell

Primary Focus & Experience

Mr. Bramwell advises entrepreneurs, business owners, private equity and hedge fund principals, technology founders and executives, and other high net worth individuals and families in all aspects of their domestic and international tax and estate planning. His practice encompasses the formation, structuring, and operation of family offices, the succession of closely-owned businesses, and the structuring and implementation of nonprofit ventures. Mr. Bramwell also advises a number of leading tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations and public charities, on tax, compliance, best practices, and organization, as well as strategic matters, such as the design of charitable programs and the acquisition and de-accessioning of artwork. Mr. Bramwell represents corporate and individual fiduciaries in trust and estate administration matters, including in litigations. In addition, he represents taxpayers in contested proceedings with the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities.

Recognition & Accomplishments

Mr. Bramwell is the author of numerous articles in the tax and estate planning area and a frequent lecturer on estate planning topics, including for the Internal Revenue Service's Chief Counsel's Office, the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the New York City Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Notre Dame Tax and Estate and Planning Institute, the University of Miami Heckerling Institute, the Duke University Estate Planning Conference, and the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. Mr. Bramwell is also frequently quoted in Tax Notes Today, the leading publication for tax professionals, and in Bloomberg. In 2017 and 2018, he served in the US Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy, where he helped craft the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and worked on important tax regulatory projects within the Treasury Department. Mr. Bramwell is an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, where he teaches income taxation of trusts and estates, and co-chair, estates and trusts, of the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association Tax Section and he is the primary author of five major Tax Section reports and a substantial contributor to others. He is a Fellow of The American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, where he serves on the Washington Affairs Committee, and is an Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law.

Mr. Bramwell is ranked Band 1 for 2024 in Chambers HNW Private Wealth Law – USA Nationwide and Band 1 in Chambers HNW Private Wealth Law – New York. In 2019, he was named “Trusts & Estates Rising Star of the Year” by Chambers HNW Awards.  Chambers HNW has described him as “a thought leader,” “absolutely amazing and dynamic,” and “super smart, super personable and such a delight,” and the 2023 edition notes that “Austin's attention to detail, focus, depth of understanding and ability to arrive at a solution are nothing short of outstanding. His understanding of law, seeing around corners, and brainstorming have helped us arrive at exceptional outcomes.”

Mr. Bramwell earned his J.D. cum laude from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude with distinction in Philosophy, from Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut. He clerked for the Hon. Timothy M. Tymkovich, past Chief Judge of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.