Overview
Well Beyond the Preparation of Traditional Wills and Trusts
We view ourselves as “family advisors” whose collaboration with our clients’ accountants, investment advisors, financial planners, and life insurance professionals enables us to tailor the most appropriate and tax-effective plan for asset management, exit strategy, business succession, family philanthropy, and the transfer of wealth to subsequent generations.
We help clients to successfully navigate the complexities of state and federal legal and tax issues by advising them on all aspects of their estate planning, including individual and business tax matters, choice of business entity, business succession planning, intellectual property issues, retirement benefit planning, and insurance and real estate matters.
"Peers consider Hopkins & Carley as a strong Silicon Valley trusts and estates team [of] excellent quality."
— 2016 Chambers High Net Worth Guide
Our solutions often incorporate a variety of estate and business tools, including:
- Revocable living trusts
- Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT)
- Dynasty trusts
- Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs)
- Grantor-Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs)
- Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs)
- Charitable Trusts (CRT)
- Family limited partnerships and limited liability companies
- Private family foundations
In addition to the sophisticated tax aspects of estate planning, our attorneys assist clients with the integration of their personal, non-tax goals and objectives for estate planning and family wealth preservation, such as avoiding “trust fund baby” syndrome, integrating family wealth and family philanthropy objectives, minimizing the exposure of family assets to frivolous lawsuits and financial predators, protecting assets from loss through divorce, centralizing the management of assets, and multi-generational continuity in the transfer and use of assets by subsequent generations.
Since its inception in 2016, Chambers High Net Worth Guide has ranked Hopkins & Carley as a Top Tier law firm for Private Wealth counseling.