John K. Vreeland Attorney At Law

John focuses his practice in estate planning, including estate and trust administration. John has extensive experience in assisting clients with all aspects of estate planning and family wealth transfers, including the preparation and funding of revocable trusts; trusts for minors; charitable trusts and other deferred charitable gifting plans; generation-skipping trusts; the use of life insurance products and irrevocable life insurance trusts to provide needed estate liquidity and reduce estate taxes; planning for distributions from qualified retirement plans and IRAs; and the use of family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, buy-sell agreements and leveraged gifting techniques to ensure cost-effective transfer of family-owned businesses to children and other family members with minimal estate and gift taxes. John has represented numerous individuals and corporate personal representatives and trustees in the successful administration of taxable and nontaxable estates of all sizes and degrees of complexity, including resolution of various tax and nontax issues.

• Background

  John earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Florida in 1968 and his juris doctor degree with honors from the University of Florida in 1971. After graduation from law school, John served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps as a trial counsel and assistant judge advocate general for four years and was the most distinguished military graduate in his class. Following his military service, John moved to Lakeland, Florida, where he practiced law for more than 25 years with Lane, Trohn, Bertrand and Vreeland, P.A., before its merger with GrayRobinson.

• Education
  • University of Florida, B.A. (1968)
  • University of Florida, J.D. (honors, 1971)
• Admissions
  • Florida
• Professional Associations and Memberships
  • The Florida Bar
    • Real Property, Probate, Trust Law and Tax Sections
  • Polk County Estate Planning Council, Member
• Awards and Recognitions
  • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 2006-2024
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2007-2019
  • University of Florida Foundation Lifetime/Annual Volunteer Award, 2012
  • Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland, Legacy of Philanthropy Award, 2012 , , , 2012
  • Tampa "Top Rated Lawyer," Wealth Transfer, 2013
  • Florida Trend, "Legal Elite," 2004-2006
• Civic
  • Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland, Inc., Board of Directors 
  • University of Florida Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors
  • University of Florida Law Center Association, Trustee Emeritus