Trusts & Estates Section, State Bar of California, 2021
New York, 1992
California, 2005
Desert Bar Association, 2021
Special Licenses/Certifications:
Certified as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization; 2012-2019, 2021
Honors/Awards:
Top Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. Selected every year since 2012., AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell, 2023
Avvo highest rating each year since 2012., Avvo 10.0 Superb, Avvo, 2023
Top Lawyer in Wills, Trusts & Estates. Selected as a Top Lawyer every year since Palm Springs Life started selecting Top Lawyers in 2011, Top Lawyers, Palm Springs Life, 2023
Top 1% - America's Most Honored Professionals. Selected each year since 2016., Top 1% - America's Most Honored Professionals, American Registry, 2022
Selected since inaugural year 2020., Top 1% - America's Most Honored Lawyers, American Registry, 2022
People Love Us on Yelp (2017 - ), People Love Us on Yelp, Yelp, 2020
Educational Background:
Ph.D. in Philosophy, with a concentration in Ethics, from the University of North Carolina, 1999
M.A. in Philosophy, with a concentration in Ethics, from New York University, 1993
B.A. from University of North Carolina, 1986
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
The Estate Tax Exemption Sunset and Anti-Clawback Regulations, VII Probate Department Newsletter No. 3 (2024)
Wills & Trusts and Estate Planning, University of La Verne College of Law, Adjunct Professor (Ontario, CA 2009-2015)
Distribution and Closing of the Estate & Ethics and Estate Administration: NBI Seminar – CA Estate Administration From Start to Finish (Webinar 2024)
Settlor Incapacity and Filling a Trust’s “Empty Chairs”, 29 California Trusts & Estates Quarterly No. 4 (2023)
Discussion of amendments to California Probate Code Section 15800 effective 01/01/2022., Author, Settlor Incapacity and Filling the "Empty Chair", V Probate Department Newsletter No. 2 (2022), 2022
Estate planning challenges and best practices for cryptocurrency., Author, Bequeathing Bitcoin: Crypto for the Cryptee, IV Probate Department Newsletter No. I (2021), 2021
Continuing legal education webinar on the California probate court estate administration process and alternatives to it., Speaker, California Estate Administration Process & Alternatives, NBI Seminar (Webinar 2020), Trusts & Estates; Probate, 2020
This article examines the status under state law of remote online notarization and witnessing of estate planning instruments., Author, Remote Online Notarization and California Estate Planning Instruments, III Probate Department Newsletter No. I (2020), Trusts & Estates; Real Estate, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has caused huge disruptions for businesses as well as individuals. Regardless, important transactions must carry on, including those that require notarization. In this discussion, Notarization in the Age of COVID, Eli Angote and Jeremy Ofseyer cover the various options available in this changing landscape, including remote online notarization (RON)., Speaker, Notarization in the Age of COVID, California CEB (Webinar 2020), Trusts & Estates; Real Estate, 2020
This article outlines common split-interest structures and the reasons for them, examines the pitfalls they present in blended families, suggests alternatives that can better achieve the goals of such structures in familiar situations, and suggests planning approaches and best practices to minimize the risks involved when drafting split-interest trusts and administering them, with separate discussion of split-interests in a family residence. , Author, Tips of the Trade: Pitfalls of Split-Interest Trusts for Blended Families,, 25 California Trusts & Estates Quarterly No. 4 (2019), Trusts & Estates, 2019
This article provides an overview of the rights and duties of trustees and trust beneficiaries, under California law, in handling the late trustor’s debts, when there is no decedent’s estate administration proceeding in probate court, Author, Handling Debts of a Deceased Trustor, II Probate Department Newsletter No.. II (2019), Trusts & Estates, 2019
California’s New Trust Decanting Techniques: Law Talk MCLE – Estate Planning/Probate Update (Indio, CA 2019)., Lecturer, California’s New Trust Decanting Techniques, Law Talk MCLE, Trusts & Estates, 2019
Ethics; and Probate Litigation: NBI Probate Boot Camp (Palm Desert, CA 2018), Lecturer, "Ethics" and "Probate Litigation", National Business Institute, Trusts & Estates, 2018
Ethics in Estate Administration; and Estate & Trust Contests: NBI Estate Admin. Boot Camp (Pasadena, CA 2017)., Lecturer, "Ethics in Estate Administration" and "Estate & Trust Contests", National Business Institute, Law, 2017
Six Degrees of “C.Y.A.” for Trustees: Professional Fiduciary Association of California (Indian Wells, CA 2016), Lecturer, "Six Degrees of 'C.Y.A.' for Trustees", Professional Fiduciary Association of California, Fiduciaries, 2016
Intestate Succession; and Ethics: NBI Seminar – The Probate Process from Start to Finish (Palm Desert, CA 2015)., Lecturer, "Intestate Succession" and "Ethics", National Business Institute, Trusts & Estates, 2015