Joel Heriford is a partner with the law firm of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. in Phoenix, Arizona, and is a member of the firm’s estates and trusts, and business transactions groups. Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. is a full-service law firm founded in 1970, and is dedicated to providing clients with highly skilled and efficient legal services in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate administration, business and tax planning, real estate transactions, and litigation counsel. Today, the firm boasts more than 40 attorneys accomplished in a variety of practice areas. The firm has enjoyed an exceptional reputation for more than 35 years in the Valley of the Sun. Rooted in the Arizona community, Burch & Cracchiolo has a successful history of representing a diverse client base of large corporations, small businesses and individuals.

Joel practiced with the firm from 1985 until 1991, when he returned to the Midwest to practice in Illinois and Iowa. He rejoined the firm in February 2006. Joel is also a Certified Public Accountant and practiced in the income tax group with a Big Eight accounting firm in New Orleans prior to attending law school.

Joel’s practice focuses on estate planning and estate administration, and business and tax planning for closely held businesses. Joel counsels estate planning clients in a broad range of estate planning areas including estate taxation, retirement planning for qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, wealth preservation and wealth transfer strategies, asset protection planning, and planning for non-traditional families. Joel is also experienced in the creation and administration of a wide variety of trusts including revocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, asset protection trusts and charitable remainder trusts. Joel uses a team approach in the estate planning process, working with the client's accountants, insurance professionals, financial planners and other advisors.

Joel’s business transactions practice includes income tax and business law aspects of business transactions, including the formation, operation, sale and merger of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, and Section 1031 tax-deferred exchanges. Joel also counsels privately owned businesses and their owners in business, income and estate tax, and estate planning matters. Joel also advises businesses and business owners regarding business succession planning, acquisitions, mergers, and financing.

Joel received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1985, and graduated from Illinois State University in 1979 with a B.S. in Accounting. Joel was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 1985, the Illinois Bar in 1991, and the Iowa Bar in 1992, and continues to be a member of the State Bars for Arizona, Illinois, and Iowa. Joel is also a member of Wealth Counsel LLC and The Advisors Forum, LLC.

Joel was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois along the Mississippi River, but has had the good fortune to reside in the great cities of Phoenix, New Orleans, and Chicago. During his leisure time, Joel enjoys motorcycling, boating, mountain biking, and hiking.