Partner
Estate Planning, Trusts + Wealth Transfer
Steve leads one of the most sophisticated estate planning practices in Northern California. He works closely with high net worth clients and families to develop and orchestrate innovative solutions around wealth transfer, philanthropic giving and multifaceted estate planning needs. He also counsels nonprofit organizations in all aspects of sophisticated planned giving.
Drawing upon more than 25 years’ practice experience, Steve has designed and implemented virtually every type of estate planning mechanism. Steve’s understanding of each of his client’s unique needs, combined with the responsiveness that he demands of himself and his team, make him an invaluable counselor to families, their businesses and foundations as well as charitable organizations.
He is the Past President of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council, and served on their Board of Directors for six years.
Special Expertise
- Complex charitable split interest trusts
- Counsel nonprofit organizations in planned giving
- Family business succession including partnerships, LLCs and closely-held corporations
- Intergenerational dynastic trust planning for high net worth individuals
- Intricate split-interest residence and grantor-retained annuity trusts
- Transfer tax advocacy before the IRS Estate & Gift Tax Division
- Family transactional work involving co-tenancies and entity discount planning
- Mixed property will and revocable trust planning for U.S. citizens and resident aliens
- Irrevocable lifetime grantor trust planning
Academic Credentials
- J.D., University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall)
Associate Editor, International Tax and Business Lawyer - B.A., magna cum laude, University of California, Berkeley
Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Chapter - State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law
Experience and Affiliations
