Alan T.Yoshitake
Partner
Trusts and Estates
ayoshitake@seyfarth.com
Alan and his team are nationally recognized in estate planning and in the arena of estate litigation.
More About Alan
Alan's practice primarily focuses on sophisticated planning of trusts and estates, trust and probate administrations, charitable planning, family business, tax and succession planning, and trusts and estates litigation.
During his years of practice, Alan has provided advice regarding complex planning techniques including a variety of wealth transfer techniques, charitable planning and not-for-profit entity creation and compliance, management and shareholder relationships in closely held businesses, business ownership arrangements for succeeding generations of family owners, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, property division agreements, retirement income tax planning, and complex fiduciary income and estate tax matters, as well as individual income tax planning (foreign and domestic), trust administration, and probate administration. Alan also practices in the area of federal, state, and local taxation and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, US Tax Court, the California Franchise Tax Board and California State Board of Equalization.
In addition to his diverse planning practice, Alan extensively litigates and has served as an expert witness concerning trusts and estate issues. He is regularly in Court removing and defending fiduciaries, resolving disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, negotiating and settling property disputes between family members, and protecting the elderly from being financially abused.
Alan is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, United States Court of Appeal, United States Tax Court, Supreme and Appellate Courts of California and Hawaii.
During his years of practice, Alan has provided advice regarding complex planning techniques including a variety of wealth transfer techniques, charitable planning and not-for-profit entity creation and compliance, management and shareholder relationships in closely held businesses, business ownership arrangements for succeeding generations of family owners, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, property division agreements, retirement income tax planning, and complex fiduciary income and estate tax matters, as well as individual income tax planning (foreign and domestic), trust administration, and probate administration. Alan also practices in the area of federal, state, and local taxation and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, US Tax Court, the California Franchise Tax Board and California State Board of Equalization.
In addition to his diverse planning practice, Alan extensively litigates and has served as an expert witness concerning trusts and estate issues. He is regularly in Court removing and defending fiduciaries, resolving disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, negotiating and settling property disputes between family members, and protecting the elderly from being financially abused.
Alan is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, United States Court of Appeal, United States Tax Court, Supreme and Appellate Courts of California and Hawaii.
- LLM, NYU Law School
Taxation - JD, Southwestern University School of Law
- BS, University of Southern California
Legal Certifications
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization (2005-present)
- California
- Hawaii
- US Supreme Court
- US Tax Court
- California Supreme Court
- California Courts of Appeal
- Hawaii Supreme Court
- Hawaii Court of Appeals
Related Services
Alan has successfully handled several noteworthy cases, including:
- Litigating and obtaining a verdict for the largest surcharge against a fiduciary in a county’s history.
- Planning for a US Resident – Foreign Citizen with assets domestically and abroad in excess of a billion dollars.
- Recovered multi-millions of dollars in bequests for non-profit organizations throughout the United States.
- Obtaining an unprecedented multi-million dollar equitable adjustment for an income beneficiary who was shortchanged on his distributions over several prior years.
- Advising co-trustees in their administration of over thirty related family trusts with substantial assets, regarding multi-generational and multi-jurisdictional issues.
- Litigating and successfully obtaining a verdict in favor of an individual Trustee against each and every allegation of breach of trust for his administration of a multi-million dollar irrevocable trust.
- Planning and saving a family in excess of $100 million in estate taxes.
- Successfully defending and arguing the appeal of a verdict in favor of the individual Trustee against breach of trust allegations for his administration of the multi-million dollar trust (25 page unpublished opinion issued by the Court of Appeal for the State of California, Second Appellate District upholding the lower court’s ruling on every issue).
- Counseling and selling one of America’s largest Japanese American owned companies.
- Disinheriting a litigious beneficiary from a multi-million dollar inheritance.
- Securing a multi-million dollar judgment in a dispute between spouses involving a foreign jurisdiction, a Cayman Island Trust and California Community Property laws..
- Obtaining various restraining orders for people who are being harassed or are being placed in danger.
- Advising the ministers of one of the world’s largest religions about non-profit governance, corporate structure, standing and control.
- Removing a fiduciary from power and recovering most of an elderly client’s assets from the abuser.
- Planning for gay and lesbian clients to save multi-millions of dollars in transfer taxes and using creative planning techniques to protect their privacy.
- Counseling families in designing voluntary and involuntary plans to care for a mentally ill loved one.
- Litigating and successfully defending a Trustee from all allegations of multiple breach of duty claims in the administration of trusts valued in excess of $200 million.
- Designing a sophisticated pre-marital agreement for a CEO with over $400 million in assets.
- Recovering a multi-million dollar award for a spouse whose husband was hiding assets domestically and in a foreign jurisdiction.
- Removing a professional fiduciary “sua sponte” or without an evidentiary hearing for her egregious bad acts and bad judgment.
- Obtaining a no change letter for a taxpayer whose family was facing financial ruin and was being assessed a deficiency of over $1.2 million.
- Advising business owners of domestic and international closely held companies on a variety of multi-generational succession planning structures and saving billions of dollars in family wealth.
- Litigating and obtaining a verdict for surcharge against an experienced professional fiduciary for breach of trust and bad acts.
- Successfully obtaining abatement of penalties and interest, which the IRS had assessed due to corporate trustee’s late filing of Form 706-GS(T) and late payment of GST tax.
- Litigating and successfully defending nearly twenty years of trust accountings, and successfully defending against a disgruntled beneficiary’s appeal of lower court rulings (38-page unpublished opinion issued by Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals upholding the lower court’s rulings on every issue).
- Advising, resolving property disputes and maintaining the privacy of celebrity clients including actors, musicians, directors and sports figures.
- Acting as Pro Bono counsel for adopted children to unite them with their parents.
Related News & Insights
-
Seyfarth Event
Apr 26, 2024
Tax Planning and Asset Protection for Foreigners in the US
-
Legal Update
Nov 27, 2023
Year-End Estate Planning for 2023
-
Recognition
08/17/2023
210 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2024
-
Legal Update
Nov 30, 2022
Year-End Estate Planning for 2022
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Trusts and Estates (2021-2024); and Trusts and Estates (2013-2024)
- Recommended Attorney, Not-For-Profit (Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations), The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) (2021)
- Listed among California Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate (Thomson Reuters) (2005-2020)
- American Bar Association
- Los Angeles Bar Association
- Hawaii Bar Association
- Charminade University (Planning Committee Member for the Hawaii Tax Institute)
- University of Southern California (Planning Committee Member for the USC Tax Institute)
- Co-Author, "Year-End Estate Planning for 2023," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 27, 2023)
- Co-Author, "Year-End Estate Planning for 2022," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 30, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Estate Planning with 2020 Vision," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 28, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Practical Estate Planning Considerations During a Pandemic," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 10, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Tax Reform Impact on Estate Taxes," Tax Reform Management Alert Series, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 22, 2017)
- Co-Author, "Over and Back from the Fiscall Cliff - The New Tax Law," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 7, 2013)
- Contributor, "21st Century Estate Planning," Cannon Financial Institute (2006 Edition)
- "The Advantages of Creating Out-Of-State Trusts," Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine (September 2005)
- "Where Do We Go From Here? Modernizing Your Practice to Enhance the Future," San Fernando Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2015)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning (With A Special Twist)," Through the Looking Glass XI Symposium (November 2014)
- "The Sale of the Los Angeles Clipper; A Sterling Dilemma of Competency, Trust Powers and Contract Rights with the NBA," Los Angeles Estate Planning Council (October 2014); and 51st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2014)
- "The State of Estate Planning," Through the Looking Glass X Symposium (November 2013); Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council (March 2014); and San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (September 2014)
- "Estate Planning for Doctors," California Hospital Medical Center (March 2014)
- "Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Due Process Rights for Clients or Family Members with Mental Illness," 50th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2013)
- "Planning in a Low(ish) Interestrate Environment," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (September 2013)
- "Think Before You Act: The CPA As A Fiduciary," CalCPA Foundation (LA and SF) (June 2013)
- "Sorting through the Ashes: Estate Planning after the Fiscal Cliff Crisis," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2013); and California Hospital Medical Center Foundation (April 2013)
- "Recent Developments in Estate Planning for 2013 and Beyond," National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Los Angeles Chapter Agent Symposium (January 2013)
- "Is the Sky Falling?," Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council (December 2012)
- "Recent Wealth Transfer Developments," Warner Center Estate and Tax Planning Council (November 2012)
- "Financial Elder Abuse: Protecting the Aging Client from the Likely and Sometimes Unlikely Predators," 49th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2012)
- "Dealing With Elderly Clients And Their Families: Civil, Criminal, State and Federal Perspectives on Elder Abuse," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2012)
- "The Future of Estate Planning," Beverly Hills Estate Planning council (March 2012)
- "Dealing With Nearly Incapacitated Elderly Clients and Their Families," 48th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (December 2011)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning beyond 2011," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (November 2011)
- "The Past Present and Future of Estate Planning With a Look at Planned Giving," American Heart Association, Barlow Respiratory Hospital Foundation, Goodwill Industries of Southern California Union Rescue Mission (October 2011)
- "The Past, Present and Future of Estate Planning," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Counsel (September 2011)
- "Fiduciary Boundaries - Managing the Mistakes and Lessons to be Learned," 47th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2010)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning Beyond 2010," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2010)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning Beyond 2009 – Fiduciary Boundaries," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2009)
- "Beneficiary Rights – Dealing With The Realities," 46thAnnual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2009)
- "Through the Looking Glass: The Politics of Estate Tax Reform," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Counsel (2009)
- "Estate Tax Reform," Beverly Hills Bar Association (2009)
- "Current Developments in Estate Planning With A View To Washington," National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, 45th Annual Conference (November 2008)
- "When Trust Administration Becomes Trust Litigation," 45th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2008)
- "Legislative Update on Estate Planning Issues: A Look Into the Future of Estate Tax Reforms and the New Frontier of Trusts and Estates Litigation," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2008)
- "Advanced Estate Planning Techniques for Large Multi-Generation Estates," UCLA Wealth Planning Conference (2007)
- "Important Lessons For Fiduciaries and Their Advisors," 44th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2007)
- "A Look Into the Future of Estate Tax Reform," Sacramento Estate Planning Council (September 2007)
- "Washington Update: Current Trends In Estate and Gift Taxation With Practical Applications," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2007)
- "Recent Developments in Probate and Trust Litigation," Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, Estate Planner’s Day (2007)
- "Making Discretionary Distributions and Other Distributions From Trusts," 43rd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2006)
- "Using Mediation To Resolve Your Trusts and Estates Disputes," 43rd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2006)
- "Primer on Estate Planning For A $10 Million Estate," American Bar Association, National Annual Conference (August 2006)
- "Current Development in Estate Planning," Hawaii Estate Planning Council (2006)
- "Trustees and Beneficiaries – Can’t We Just Get Along," 42nd Annaul Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2005)
- "Is Your Client Going Nuts? Don’t Let Them Be Financially Abused and How It Can Affect the Estate Plan," 42nd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2005)
- "Trustees and Beneficiaries – Avoid Your Worst Nightmare," HSCPA Annual Personal Financial Planning Conference (2005)
- "Advising Trustees to Act Prudently," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "Trusts and Estates Litigation – The Defense and The Offense," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "How to Select A Trustee: Tax and Non-Tax Considerations," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "Personal, Estate and Tax Planning for the Non-Traditional Couple," 40th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2003)
Teaching
- Instructor on “Basic and Advanced Estate Planning” wealth management courses at UCLA, UC-Berkeley, and UC-San Diego
Management Positions
- National Chairperson for Trusts and Estates Practice Group
- Department Heads Committee Member
- West Coast Chairperson for Trusts and Estates Practice Group
- Intake Committee Member
- Strategic Plan Committee Member
Alan and his team are nationally recognized in estate planning and in the arena of estate litigation.
More About Alan
Alan's practice primarily focuses on sophisticated planning of trusts and estates, trust and probate administrations, charitable planning, family business, tax and succession planning, and trusts and estates litigation.
During his years of practice, Alan has provided advice regarding complex planning techniques including a variety of wealth transfer techniques, charitable planning and not-for-profit entity creation and compliance, management and shareholder relationships in closely held businesses, business ownership arrangements for succeeding generations of family owners, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, property division agreements, retirement income tax planning, and complex fiduciary income and estate tax matters, as well as individual income tax planning (foreign and domestic), trust administration, and probate administration. Alan also practices in the area of federal, state, and local taxation and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, US Tax Court, the California Franchise Tax Board and California State Board of Equalization.
In addition to his diverse planning practice, Alan extensively litigates and has served as an expert witness concerning trusts and estate issues. He is regularly in Court removing and defending fiduciaries, resolving disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, negotiating and settling property disputes between family members, and protecting the elderly from being financially abused.
Alan is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, United States Court of Appeal, United States Tax Court, Supreme and Appellate Courts of California and Hawaii.
During his years of practice, Alan has provided advice regarding complex planning techniques including a variety of wealth transfer techniques, charitable planning and not-for-profit entity creation and compliance, management and shareholder relationships in closely held businesses, business ownership arrangements for succeeding generations of family owners, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, property division agreements, retirement income tax planning, and complex fiduciary income and estate tax matters, as well as individual income tax planning (foreign and domestic), trust administration, and probate administration. Alan also practices in the area of federal, state, and local taxation and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, US Tax Court, the California Franchise Tax Board and California State Board of Equalization.
In addition to his diverse planning practice, Alan extensively litigates and has served as an expert witness concerning trusts and estate issues. He is regularly in Court removing and defending fiduciaries, resolving disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, negotiating and settling property disputes between family members, and protecting the elderly from being financially abused.
Alan is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, United States Court of Appeal, United States Tax Court, Supreme and Appellate Courts of California and Hawaii.
- LLM, NYU Law School
Taxation - JD, Southwestern University School of Law
- BS, University of Southern California
Legal Certifications
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization (2005-present)
- California
- Hawaii
- US Supreme Court
- US Tax Court
- California Supreme Court
- California Courts of Appeal
- Hawaii Supreme Court
- Hawaii Court of Appeals
Related Services
Alan has successfully handled several noteworthy cases, including:
- Litigating and obtaining a verdict for the largest surcharge against a fiduciary in a county’s history.
- Planning for a US Resident – Foreign Citizen with assets domestically and abroad in excess of a billion dollars.
- Recovered multi-millions of dollars in bequests for non-profit organizations throughout the United States.
- Obtaining an unprecedented multi-million dollar equitable adjustment for an income beneficiary who was shortchanged on his distributions over several prior years.
- Advising co-trustees in their administration of over thirty related family trusts with substantial assets, regarding multi-generational and multi-jurisdictional issues.
- Litigating and successfully obtaining a verdict in favor of an individual Trustee against each and every allegation of breach of trust for his administration of a multi-million dollar irrevocable trust.
- Planning and saving a family in excess of $100 million in estate taxes.
- Successfully defending and arguing the appeal of a verdict in favor of the individual Trustee against breach of trust allegations for his administration of the multi-million dollar trust (25 page unpublished opinion issued by the Court of Appeal for the State of California, Second Appellate District upholding the lower court’s ruling on every issue).
- Counseling and selling one of America’s largest Japanese American owned companies.
- Disinheriting a litigious beneficiary from a multi-million dollar inheritance.
- Securing a multi-million dollar judgment in a dispute between spouses involving a foreign jurisdiction, a Cayman Island Trust and California Community Property laws..
- Obtaining various restraining orders for people who are being harassed or are being placed in danger.
- Advising the ministers of one of the world’s largest religions about non-profit governance, corporate structure, standing and control.
- Removing a fiduciary from power and recovering most of an elderly client’s assets from the abuser.
- Planning for gay and lesbian clients to save multi-millions of dollars in transfer taxes and using creative planning techniques to protect their privacy.
- Counseling families in designing voluntary and involuntary plans to care for a mentally ill loved one.
- Litigating and successfully defending a Trustee from all allegations of multiple breach of duty claims in the administration of trusts valued in excess of $200 million.
- Designing a sophisticated pre-marital agreement for a CEO with over $400 million in assets.
- Recovering a multi-million dollar award for a spouse whose husband was hiding assets domestically and in a foreign jurisdiction.
- Removing a professional fiduciary “sua sponte” or without an evidentiary hearing for her egregious bad acts and bad judgment.
- Obtaining a no change letter for a taxpayer whose family was facing financial ruin and was being assessed a deficiency of over $1.2 million.
- Advising business owners of domestic and international closely held companies on a variety of multi-generational succession planning structures and saving billions of dollars in family wealth.
- Litigating and obtaining a verdict for surcharge against an experienced professional fiduciary for breach of trust and bad acts.
- Successfully obtaining abatement of penalties and interest, which the IRS had assessed due to corporate trustee’s late filing of Form 706-GS(T) and late payment of GST tax.
- Litigating and successfully defending nearly twenty years of trust accountings, and successfully defending against a disgruntled beneficiary’s appeal of lower court rulings (38-page unpublished opinion issued by Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals upholding the lower court’s rulings on every issue).
- Advising, resolving property disputes and maintaining the privacy of celebrity clients including actors, musicians, directors and sports figures.
- Acting as Pro Bono counsel for adopted children to unite them with their parents.
Related News & Insights
-
Seyfarth Event
Apr 26, 2024
Tax Planning and Asset Protection for Foreigners in the US
-
Legal Update
Nov 27, 2023
Year-End Estate Planning for 2023
-
Recognition
08/17/2023
210 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2024
-
Legal Update
Nov 30, 2022
Year-End Estate Planning for 2022
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Trusts and Estates (2021-2024); and Trusts and Estates (2013-2024)
- Recommended Attorney, Not-For-Profit (Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations), The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) (2021)
- Listed among California Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate (Thomson Reuters) (2005-2020)
- American Bar Association
- Los Angeles Bar Association
- Hawaii Bar Association
- Charminade University (Planning Committee Member for the Hawaii Tax Institute)
- University of Southern California (Planning Committee Member for the USC Tax Institute)
- Co-Author, "Year-End Estate Planning for 2023," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 27, 2023)
- Co-Author, "Year-End Estate Planning for 2022," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 30, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Estate Planning with 2020 Vision," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 28, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Practical Estate Planning Considerations During a Pandemic," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 10, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Tax Reform Impact on Estate Taxes," Tax Reform Management Alert Series, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 22, 2017)
- Co-Author, "Over and Back from the Fiscall Cliff - The New Tax Law," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 7, 2013)
- Contributor, "21st Century Estate Planning," Cannon Financial Institute (2006 Edition)
- "The Advantages of Creating Out-Of-State Trusts," Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine (September 2005)
- "Where Do We Go From Here? Modernizing Your Practice to Enhance the Future," San Fernando Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2015)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning (With A Special Twist)," Through the Looking Glass XI Symposium (November 2014)
- "The Sale of the Los Angeles Clipper; A Sterling Dilemma of Competency, Trust Powers and Contract Rights with the NBA," Los Angeles Estate Planning Council (October 2014); and 51st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2014)
- "The State of Estate Planning," Through the Looking Glass X Symposium (November 2013); Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council (March 2014); and San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (September 2014)
- "Estate Planning for Doctors," California Hospital Medical Center (March 2014)
- "Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Due Process Rights for Clients or Family Members with Mental Illness," 50th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2013)
- "Planning in a Low(ish) Interestrate Environment," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (September 2013)
- "Think Before You Act: The CPA As A Fiduciary," CalCPA Foundation (LA and SF) (June 2013)
- "Sorting through the Ashes: Estate Planning after the Fiscal Cliff Crisis," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2013); and California Hospital Medical Center Foundation (April 2013)
- "Recent Developments in Estate Planning for 2013 and Beyond," National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Los Angeles Chapter Agent Symposium (January 2013)
- "Is the Sky Falling?," Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council (December 2012)
- "Recent Wealth Transfer Developments," Warner Center Estate and Tax Planning Council (November 2012)
- "Financial Elder Abuse: Protecting the Aging Client from the Likely and Sometimes Unlikely Predators," 49th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2012)
- "Dealing With Elderly Clients And Their Families: Civil, Criminal, State and Federal Perspectives on Elder Abuse," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Council (March 2012)
- "The Future of Estate Planning," Beverly Hills Estate Planning council (March 2012)
- "Dealing With Nearly Incapacitated Elderly Clients and Their Families," 48th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (December 2011)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning beyond 2011," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (November 2011)
- "The Past Present and Future of Estate Planning With a Look at Planned Giving," American Heart Association, Barlow Respiratory Hospital Foundation, Goodwill Industries of Southern California Union Rescue Mission (October 2011)
- "The Past, Present and Future of Estate Planning," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Counsel (September 2011)
- "Fiduciary Boundaries - Managing the Mistakes and Lessons to be Learned," 47th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2010)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning Beyond 2010," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2010)
- "Recent Developments Affecting Estate Planning Beyond 2009 – Fiduciary Boundaries," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2009)
- "Beneficiary Rights – Dealing With The Realities," 46thAnnual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2009)
- "Through the Looking Glass: The Politics of Estate Tax Reform," San Gabriel Valley Estate Planning Counsel (2009)
- "Estate Tax Reform," Beverly Hills Bar Association (2009)
- "Current Developments in Estate Planning With A View To Washington," National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, 45th Annual Conference (November 2008)
- "When Trust Administration Becomes Trust Litigation," 45th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2008)
- "Legislative Update on Estate Planning Issues: A Look Into the Future of Estate Tax Reforms and the New Frontier of Trusts and Estates Litigation," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2008)
- "Advanced Estate Planning Techniques for Large Multi-Generation Estates," UCLA Wealth Planning Conference (2007)
- "Important Lessons For Fiduciaries and Their Advisors," 44th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2007)
- "A Look Into the Future of Estate Tax Reform," Sacramento Estate Planning Council (September 2007)
- "Washington Update: Current Trends In Estate and Gift Taxation With Practical Applications," St. John’s Healthcare Foundation, Symposium (2007)
- "Recent Developments in Probate and Trust Litigation," Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, Estate Planner’s Day (2007)
- "Making Discretionary Distributions and Other Distributions From Trusts," 43rd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2006)
- "Using Mediation To Resolve Your Trusts and Estates Disputes," 43rd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2006)
- "Primer on Estate Planning For A $10 Million Estate," American Bar Association, National Annual Conference (August 2006)
- "Current Development in Estate Planning," Hawaii Estate Planning Council (2006)
- "Trustees and Beneficiaries – Can’t We Just Get Along," 42nd Annaul Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2005)
- "Is Your Client Going Nuts? Don’t Let Them Be Financially Abused and How It Can Affect the Estate Plan," 42nd Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2005)
- "Trustees and Beneficiaries – Avoid Your Worst Nightmare," HSCPA Annual Personal Financial Planning Conference (2005)
- "Advising Trustees to Act Prudently," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "Trusts and Estates Litigation – The Defense and The Offense," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "How to Select A Trustee: Tax and Non-Tax Considerations," 41st Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2004)
- "Personal, Estate and Tax Planning for the Non-Traditional Couple," 40th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute (October 2003)
Teaching
- Instructor on “Basic and Advanced Estate Planning” wealth management courses at UCLA, UC-Berkeley, and UC-San Diego
Management Positions
- National Chairperson for Trusts and Estates Practice Group
- Department Heads Committee Member
- West Coast Chairperson for Trusts and Estates Practice Group
- Intake Committee Member
- Strategic Plan Committee Member