John T. O’Shea serves as a Director of Wealth Planning Strategies for TIAA, where he provides wealth transfer, estate and tax planning services for clients with the most complex needs. His estate and tax planning knowledge allow him to provide specialized advice and sophisticated planning strategies to high net worth families on every aspect of their financial lives. John has more than 25 years’ experience in estate and tax planning.
John is located in St. Louis, and works primarily with clients in the West and Midwest.
Prior to joining TIAA in 2004, John practiced law as a Principal in the law firm of Suelthaus & Walsh, P.C. in St. Louis. During his 12 years in private practice, he focused on tax planning strategies, sophisticated estate planning, real estate, and corporate matters. He has experience with wills and trusts containing complicated tax and dispositive provisions, family limited partnerships, irrevocable life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, charitable trusts, and other planning devices.
John is active in a number of professional and civic organizations, including the Missouri Bar, Illinois Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the Estate Planning Council of St. Louis.
John is a frequent author for TIAA publications and digital content. His writing provides TIAA participants with plain-English explanations and examples of recent tax and/or law changes, as well as with more specific financial planning strategies to consider as a result of those changes.
John is also a frequent lecturer for TIAA. He speaks to staff and faculty at various universities, medical centers, and charitable organizations on a wide array of subject matter, including but not limited to executive compensation, estate planning for individuals with significant retirement plan accumulations, fiduciary duties of nonprofit officers and directors, and tax-wise strategies to consider when gifting to charity.
John is married to Cheryl, a nurse for SLUCARE’s cardiology unit, and they have three children ages (16), (16), and (14).
