ALAN S. WATENMAKER

Alan S. Watenmaker is the managing member of the Firm. He practices in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust administration and probate, and charitable planning.

Mr. Watenmaker has twice been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Southern California by “Super Lawyers” and has been selected as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” every year since 2004, when the list was first determined.  He has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America every year since 1995. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Probate and Trust Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Mr. Watenmaker is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization).

Among the many organizations to which Mr. Watenmaker has spoken are the USC Tax Institute, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, USC Probate and Trust Conference and California Continuing Education of the Bar. He is a member of the planning committee of the USC Trust and Estate Conference (formerly known as the USC Probate and Trust Conference).

Mr. Watenmaker has published numerous articles in the field of estate planning and post-mortem estate administration, including the following articles:

Author:

• “Supplement to California Decedent Estate Practice 1 & 2,” 1994

Co-Author:

• “Post-Mortem Tax Planning Checklist,” 20th Annual USC Probate and Trust Conference, 1994
• “Death of a Spouse ‘Now What Do I Do . . . ?’ Selected Tax Issues for the Surviving Spouse,” 47th Annual Institute on Federal Taxation, USC Tax Institute 1995
• “Power to the People! (An Exploration of the Use of Powers of Appointment in Estate Planning),” Estate Planning, 2008 (30th Annual UCLA-CEB Estate Planning Institute)
• “Give Me My Money — Now! (Having Second Thoughts on the Wisdom of an Outdated Plan),” 64 Major Tax Planning, 2012

Contributing Author:

• “California Decedent Estate Practice 3,” California Continuing Education of the Bar

Mr. Watenmaker graduated from U.C. Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. Prior to that, he earned both a B.S. and M.S. at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, both degrees with a specialty in the field of accounting. Among his academic honors, Mr. Watenmaker was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma, and was awarded the Order of Coif upon graduation from Boalt Hall.

Among his charitable and civic endeavors, Mr. Watenmaker is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.