Graduating magna cum laude from Loyola University of the South Law School in 1986 while serving as Managing Editor of the Loyola Law Review, then adding an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University, then working for two years as a Certified Public Accountant in New Orleans before the law firm was established — David Lukinovich built a credential set that is unusually dense even by the standards of tax and estate planning specialists. The result is a Metairie, Louisiana firm that carries three attorneys with Board Certifications from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in either Tax or Estate Planning and Administration, and that has appeared on the Super Lawyers list every year from 2008 through 2024.
Overview
Lukinovich Law (also Lukinovich, A.P.L.C.) has operated in Louisiana since David Lukinovich founded it following his 1986 graduation from Loyola Law School. The firm has two offices: the primary location in Metairie and a second office in Baton Rouge. It employs six attorneys and is oriented entirely around tax and estate planning for individuals, families, and closely held businesses.
The firm’s client base skews toward high-net-worth individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, retirees, and multigenerational families who need sophisticated planning for wealth conservation, succession, and transfer. Three attorneys — David Lukinovich, Carl Servat, and Kathryn Garitty — hold Board Certifications from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, which is a peer-reviewed designation requiring demonstrated expertise in a specific practice area. A fourth attorney, Carla Sibille, is also Board Certified in Estate Planning and Administration. This concentration of certified specialists is not standard even among estate planning boutiques.
David Lukinovich has taught as an adjunct professor of taxation and probate procedure at Loyola University School of Law and has served on the planning committee for the annual Loyola Estate Planning Conference since its inception.
Practice Areas
Wills and Trusts. The firm prepares the full range of testamentary and inter vivos instruments: wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, and specialized trust vehicles for specific planning objectives. Louisiana’s civil law heritage — distinct from the common law tradition of most states — requires familiarity with the state’s unique rules on forced heirship, usufruct, and naked ownership that affects how estate plans are structured for Louisiana residents. The firm’s attorneys work within that framework.
Successions and Probate. When a Louisiana resident dies, their estate typically passes through a succession proceeding. The firm handles both testate and intestate successions, administers estates, and guides heirs and legatees through the process of securing their inheritance.
Tax and Wealth Conservation Planning for Individuals. David Lukinovich’s dual Board Certifications in both Tax and Estate Planning and Administration — a combination described as rare — make the firm capable of addressing federal and state tax consequences of transfers, ownership structures, and inheritance on an integrated basis. The firm develops wealth conservation plans designed to minimize estate and gift tax exposure within the boundaries of current law.
Tax and Business Planning for Closely Held Businesses. Business owners who want to structure their enterprises tax efficiently, whether for operational reasons or in anticipation of an eventual transfer or sale, work with the firm on entity structure, ownership arrangements, and tax planning strategies. The firm’s accounting background — David Lukinovich practiced as a CPA before entering law — informs this work.
Exit Planning and Business Succession. For business owners approaching retirement or planning for a transition of ownership, the firm provides exit planning and succession planning services. This includes structuring transfers to family members, management, or outside buyers in ways that minimize tax costs and reflect the owner’s goals for the business and their family.
Charitable Planning. The firm handles charitable giving arrangements including charitable trusts and related instruments for clients who want to include philanthropic goals as part of their overall estate plan.
Family Limited Liability Companies. Kathryn Garitty’s practice includes family limited liability companies, which are used in estate planning to consolidate family assets, provide valuation discounts for transfer tax purposes, and maintain centralized management of family wealth across generations.
Attorney Profiles
David J. Lukinovich is the founder. He graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University of the South Law School in 1986, where he served as Managing Editor of the Loyola Law Review. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University. Before founding his law firm, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant in New Orleans. He holds dual Board Certifications from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in both Tax Law and Estate Planning and Administration Law. He has been recognized on the Super Lawyers list continuously from 2008 through 2024. He teaches as an adjunct professor at Loyola University School of Law (taxation and probate procedure) and has served on the planning committee for the annual Loyola Estate Planning Conference since its inception. He sits on the boards of various businesses and charitable foundations. He is admitted to the Louisiana and Texas bars.
Carl Servat is a Senior Attorney. He holds Board Certifications from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in both Tax Law and Estate Planning and Administration Law. His practice serves high-net-worth business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, retirees, and families. Admitted to the Louisiana bar.
Kathryn Garitty is an attorney whose practice focuses on multi-generational estate planning, family limited liability companies, trusts, wills, powers of attorney, charitable gifting, and federal estate and gift taxation. She holds Board Certification from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning and Administration Law. Admitted to the Louisiana bar.
Carla Sibille is an attorney whose practice centers on wealth conservation plans for high-net-worth families. She holds Board Certification from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning and Administration Law. Admitted to the Louisiana bar.
Daniel H. Bruni is an attorney who handles estate planning, general business, and tax planning. He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the New Orleans Estate Planning Council (NOEPC). Admitted to Louisiana and Montana bars.
Amanda Sigur is an attorney who handles succession administration, probate, and multi-generational estate planning. Admitted to the Louisiana bar.
Location and Service Area
Lukinovich Law’s Metairie office is located at 4415 Shores Drive, Suite 200, Metairie, LA 70006. Phone: (504) 818-0401. The Baton Rouge office is at 717 Highlandia Drive, Suite 201, Baton Rouge, LA 70810; phone (225) 756-5454. The website is lukinovichlaw.com/
The firm primarily serves Louisiana clients from its Metairie and Baton Rouge offices. David Lukinovich is also licensed in Texas and has consulted with clients throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and beyond.
Client Focus
The firm’s primary clients are high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, closely held business owners, entrepreneurs, and retirees who need comprehensive tax and estate planning. The combination of Board Certified tax specialists and Board Certified estate planning specialists makes the firm capable of addressing complex planning scenarios where tax and succession considerations overlap. Business owners approaching exit or transfer of their companies form a distinct segment of the client base. The firm also serves individuals who need straightforward estate planning — wills, trusts, and powers of attorney — though the firm’s particular depth is at the more complex end of the planning spectrum.
FAQ
What does it mean that multiple attorneys at the firm are Board Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization?
The Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization awards certification to attorneys who demonstrate substantial involvement in a practice area, pass a written examination, obtain favorable peer evaluations, and complete continuing education requirements. Four attorneys at Lukinovich Law hold these designations — three in Estate Planning and Administration, two in Tax Law (including one who holds both). This concentration of certified specialists in a boutique tax and estate planning firm is uncommon.
David Lukinovich was a CPA before becoming an attorney — how does that affect the firm’s practice?
Two years of practice as a Certified Public Accountant in New Orleans before entering law means that David Lukinovich approaches tax consequences from a working knowledge of accounting principles, not just legal doctrine. That background is directly relevant to business planning, tax projections, and the financial structures underlying complex estate plans.
What is the firm’s approach to business succession planning?
Business succession planning involves deciding who will own and run a business after the founder or current owner steps away, and structuring the transition to minimize tax costs and reflect the owner’s goals. The firm addresses both the transfer mechanics — entities, buy-sell agreements, installment sales, family transfers — and the tax consequences of each approach. The goal is a transition that accomplishes the owner’s objectives without creating avoidable tax liabilities.
Can the firm handle estate planning for both Louisiana residents and clients in other states?
David Lukinovich is admitted in both Louisiana and Texas. The firm has consulted with clients nationally and in Puerto Rico for planning that touches Louisiana law. Clients with assets or legal issues in multiple states should discuss their specific situation directly with the firm.
What is the annual Loyola Estate Planning Conference, and why does it matter?
The Loyola Estate Planning Conference is a professional education program for tax and estate planning attorneys. David Lukinovich has served on its planning committee since the conference’s inception, which reflects sustained engagement with the professional community and with the evolving state of the law in this area.
Closing
Four Board Certified specialists, an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU, an accounting background that predates the law career, and seventeen consecutive years on the Super Lawyers list form an unusual combination even in Louisiana’s estate planning bar. Lukinovich Law is built for the complexity end of tax and estate planning — for clients whose wealth, business interests, or family circumstances require attorneys who have spent their careers developing the credentials to navigate that complexity.