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HOFFMAN, SABBAN & WATENMAKER
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION

LAWYERS

Paul's PhotoPaul Gordon Hoffman practices tax and estate planning and charitable planning. He has been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Los Angeles by “Superlawyers”.  He is a former Chairperson of the Tax Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has taught taxation at UCLA School of Law. Among the many organizations to which Mr. Hoffman has spoken are the American Bar Association Tax Section, AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, USC Tax Institute, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, USC Probate and Trust Conference, Practicing Law Institute, California Continuing Education of the Bar and the NYU Tax Institute. He can be reached at paul@hswlaw.com.

Mr. Hoffman's Biography
 

Nina's PhotoNina Madden Sabban devotes her practice to estate planning and trust administration and the taxation of trusts and estates. She has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Probate and Trust Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and served as Chairperson of its Estate Tax Subcommittee, and is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Ms. Sabban has lectured for many charitable and professional groups, including California Continuing Education of the Bar, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, USC Probate and Trust Conference and the NYU Tax Institute. She is a member of the Boards of Directors of several national charitable organizations. Ms. Sabban can be reached at nsabban@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Sabban's Biography
 

Alan's PhotoAlan S. Watenmakeris a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law*. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a past member of the Executive Committee of the Probate and Trust Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Watenmaker is a contributing author to Volume III and is the author of the supplements to Volumes I and II of the CEB treatise California Decedent Estate Practice. Mr. Watenmaker has been a speaker for many organizations including the USC Probate and Trust Conference, USC Tax Institute, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute and the California Continuing Education of the Bar. He can be reached at alan@hswlaw.com.

Mr. Watenmaker's Biography
   
   

Chang's PhotoChang H. Chae practices estate planning, probate and trust administration.  He has been published in California Trusts and Estates Quarterly and has given lectures to professional and lay audiences on estate planning and charitable giving.  He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for a community college foundation, as chairperson of a planned giving committee and as a professional advisor to a community foundation.  Mr. Chae remains active in various other civic, charitable and church organizations.
 Mr. Chae can be reached at cchae@hswlaw.com.

Mr. Chae's Biography
 

Geri's PhotoGeraldine A. Wyle practices fiduciary litigation, probate law and trust law. Her practice encompasses complex trust, estate, conservatorship and guardianship litigation, and in particular, challenging fiduciary and inter-generational family disputes and their resolution.  An experienced trial lawyer, her representative matters include trust disputes involving major real estate companies and vineyards, business owners, entertainers and professionals, frequently including several generations of family members and multiple areas of dispute. Ms. Wyle often resolves these matters informally in a tax-sensitive manner. The conservatorship matters in which she is involved include the most sensitive and high-profile matters in the Los Angeles court system, requiring her proven ability to manage the many challenging legal and business components these matters frequently require. Ms. Wyle has extensive appellate experience, including two published successful appeals, and has frequently appeared as a lecturer and panelist regarding appellate and ethical issues, as well as a range of probate matters. She has also served on the Probate and Trust Legislative Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Ms. Wyle can be reached at gwyle@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Wyle's Biography
 
 

Jeryll's PhotoJeryll S. Cohen practices in the fields of fiduciary litigation, and trust and estate planning and administration. Her practice includes sophisticated estate, business succession and tax planning, complex estate tax dispute resolution, as well as probate, trust and conservatorship administration. She has done succession planning for major real estate companies, prominent vineyard owners, businessmen, entertainers and professionals. Her conservatorship experience includes the most sensitive and high-profile matters in the Los Angeles court system. Ms. Cohen can be reached at jcohen@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Cohen's Biography
 


Erin's PhotoErin L. Prouty is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law*.  She concentrates her practice in estate planning, probate and trust administration, and income tax matters.  She holds a Master of Laws degree in taxation from Boston University.  Ms. Prouty has lectured for many charitable and professional groups, including the USC Probate and Trust Conference, UCLA’s Anderson School of Business, Pepperdine University, the Jewish Community Foundation, the National Business Institute and the San Fernando Valley Estate Planning Council.  In addition to her law practice, Ms. Prouty plays flute and piccolo in the Beach Cities Symphony and the Brentwood/Westwood Symphony, and is a former professional beach volleyball player.  She can be reached at prouty@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Prouty's Biography
  

Mary's PhotoMary K. Ramsden is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law*. She has lectured for the California Continuing Education of the Bar and other organizations on estate planning and probate topics and has written articles on those topics for the California State Bar and other publications. Ms. Ramsden was previously an officer of the Orange County Bar Association Probate, Estate and Trust Section and served on the Orange County Probate Policy Memorandum Revision Commission. She has also served on the Probate and Trust Legislative Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Ms. Ramsden can be reached at mkramsden@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Ramsden's Biography
 
 

Loretta's PhotoLoretta Siciliano concentrates her practice in income tax and related matters, with emphasis on tax controversies and international tax problems.  She has extensive experience in establishing nonprofits, applying for and obtaining their federal and California tax exempt status, and advising on legal issues unique to nonprofits.  She has created and worked with private foundations, supporting organizations, and public charities on a variety of issues, including unrelated business taxable income and property tax exemptions for nonprofits.  She holds a Master of Laws degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. Ms. Siciliano is also a member of the Tax Compliance Procedure and Litigation Subcommittee Task Force of the Tax Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She can be reached at loretta@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Siciliano's Biography
 
  

Danielle's PhotoDanielle E. Miller practices estate planning, probate and trust administration.  She is a past member of the Executive Committee of the Trusts & Estates Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and has lectured on estate planning topics to professional organizations.  Ms. Miller can be reached at demiller@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Miller's Biography

 

Joelle's PhotoJoelle M. Drucker practices estate planning, probate and trust administration. She has been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer. Ms. Drucker has been actively involved in the Beverly Hills Bar Association as a member of the Board of Governors and as Chair of the Trusts & Estates Section. Ms. Drucker has also been actively involved in the Taxation Section of the State Bar of California as Chair of the Estate & Gift Tax Committee and Editor of its publication TIPS: Tax Information Perspectives. She has taught estate planning at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. Ms. Drucker can be reached at jdrucker@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Drucker's Biography

Michelle's PhotoMichelle Correll practices fiduciary litigation.   Her experience includes a broad range of civil litigation matters at both the trial and appellate levels.   Ms. Correll can be reached at mcorrell@hswlaw.com.

Ms. Correll's Biography

Ken's PhotoKenneth S. Wolf, Of Counsel maintains a practice limited to probate, trusts and estate planning, with special emphasis in litigation and dispute resolution involving estates, wills and trusts.  He serves as a mediator on the Los Angeles County Probate Court Mediation Panel and has handled more than 100 mediations of litigated trust and estate matters, with settlements in more than 95% of the matters.  Mr. Wolf is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (since 1983) and is a Certified Specialist In Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law* (since 1993).  He served on Executive Committee of the Probate and Trust Section of the California State Bar for six years.  Mr. Wolf was a founding member of, and since 1993 has chaired, the planning committee of the University of Southern California Probate and Trust Conference, now in its 35th year.  He has been listed for the past ten years in “The Best Lawyers in America”, and recognized as a “Super Lawyer” for Los Angeles County in Estate Planning and Trusts in each year from 2004 to the present. Mr. Wolf can be reached at kwolf@hswlaw.com.

Mr. Wolf's Biography

 
 

* Specialties in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law are certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

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Last Updated on March 3, 2010