Redwood City, Calif., Sept. 25, 2023 – Hopkins & Carley is pleased to announce that three seasoned estate planning attorneys — Suzanne C. Farley, Jill K. Ernst, and Joanne J. Lue — have joined its Family Wealth & Tax Planning practice. Farley joins as of counsel, and Ernst and Lue join as associates. Collectively, the trio brings nearly 50 years of experience to the firm’s highly regarded estate planning team.
“We are so pleased to welcome Jill, Suzanne, and Joanne to our trusts and estates team, each with their distinct skillset and renowned practice,” said Martin Behn, shareholder and practice co-chair. “I am proud that our team continues to expand and attract such high-caliber practitioners in line with the growing demand for these services. It will be a privilege to serve our clients alongside this powerhouse trio of women, and I know our client base will benefit from their deep-rooted experience.”
Before joining Hopkins & Carley, Farley, Ernst, and Lue practiced at Thompson Welch Soroko & Gilbert LLP. Prior to that, Farley and Lue practiced together at the San Francisco office of Venable LLP. They will be based in the firm’s growing Redwood City office, however, will spend substantial time also practicing in San Francisco where many of their clients are based.
“It’s an honor to be joining Hopkins & Carley’s Family Wealth & Tax Planning practice,” Farley said. “The firm is well known in Northern California for its leadership and cutting-edge trusts and estates counsel. We look forward to maintaining the same level of tailored service our clients are accustomed to, while also now broadening their access to the other specialized realms of counsel that Hopkins & Carley provides, such as real estate, tax, and M&A.”
Farley handles estate planning and tax matters for high net worth clients, with a particular emphasis on family wealth transfers, audits of estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns, business succession planning, and complex trust and estate administration. Farley is a member of both the Taxation and Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate sections of the State Bar of California. Additionally, she belongs to the San Francisco Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Probate sections, and Marin County Bar Association. She earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, an LL.M in Taxation from Golden Gate University, and a B.F.A. from City University of New York.
Ernst focuses her estate planning practice on family wealth transfers, trust administration, probate law, and business transactions. She also has significant experience in commercial litigation. She is a member of the Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Section of the State Bar of California and serves on the South Placer County Estate Planning Council Executive Board. Ernst earned her J.D. from the University of California at Davis and B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Lue provides high net worth individuals and families with sophisticated estate plans and wealth transfer strategies, and counsels clients through trust and estate administrations. Lue has been named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America every year since 2021. She is a member of the State Bar of California and San Mateo County’s Estate Planning Section. Lue, who is fluent in Mandarin, earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, LL.M in Taxation from the University of San Francisco, and B.A. from the University of California, San Diego.
Hopkins & Carley has the largest full-service Trusts & Estates practice in Northern California, with a team of more than 20 professionals who offer holistic, integrated solutions for family wealth transfers, business succession, and exit strategy planning.
The firm just recently marked the one-year anniversary of its Redwood City office opening, after relocating from Palo Alto in order to increase capabilities, expand reach, and improve accessibility on the Peninsula. The firm occupies 15,000 square feet in a state-of-the art office building featuring a modern conference center, outdoor amenities, and ample client parking.