Best Lawyers in California, United States for Nonprofit / Charities Law
About Nonprofit / Charities Law
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Kristina A. Hancock is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law. Kristina A., who practices law in La Jolla, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristina A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Elizabeth is a partner in the private client and tax team at Withers Bergman LLP. She focuses her efforts on estate planning, planned giving and tax-exempt organizations. Elizabeth represents clients in matters related to family wealth transfers for large estates, sophisticated estate and gift tax saving techniques, charitable planned giving, and complex probate and trust administrations. She also regularly represents tax-exempt organizations in formation, organizational and operational issue...
Darryl Cluster is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law and Trusts and Estates. Darryl, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Darryl is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Erika Mayshar advises hospitals and health systems, private foundations, and other tax-exempt organizations facing complex legal and tax issues. She works closely with nonprofit leaders and philanthropists to accomplish major corporate and charitable transactions, engage in sophisticated tax planning, and maximize philanthropic impact. She also advises private equity firms, investment management firms, and closely held companies engaging in innovative business relationships with the nonprofit...
Helen is a partner in the private client and tax team at Withers Bergman LLP. She is a trusts and estates attorney who focuses on exempt organizations and international tax planning for inbound and outbound transactions. She assists clients in all aspects of estate planning, estate and trust administration and charitable planning. Helen brings a diversity of experience to her clients. After graduating from Stanford Law School, she practiced international corporate tax law in China and Califor...
Myron Sugarman concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, deferred compensation, taxation of nonprofit and charitable institutions, and family and personal tax planning. His experience extends to all areas of federal and local taxation. Prior to entering private practice, Myron served in the Office of The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army at the Pentagon. A former president of the San Francisco Tax Club, he is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the San ...
At Withers Bergman LLP, Steven focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable giving and representing tax-exempt organizations. He has designed and used computer modeling to show the economic consequences of various estate planning and charitable giving techniques. Steven is also experienced in the area of executive compensation, focusing on compensation and intermediate sanctions issues for tax-exempt organizations. Steven has represented exempt organiza...
Paul Frimmer focuses on estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, postmortem tax planning, probate litigation, art law, charitable giving, and tax issues relating to these matters. Widely regarded as one of the top estate planning attorneys in the country, Paul has received numerous accolades for his work. He’s known for taking a collaborative approach with his clients and guiding them toward the best decisions tailored to meet their individual needs. Paul has...
Stu Tobisman focuses his practice on estate and tax planning for individual clients and on the administration of estates and trusts. His clients include prominent individuals in industry, commerce and entertainment, as well as individuals, banks, and trust companies acting in fiduciary capacities. He also advises owners of closely held businesses in connection with estate and tax-planning matters. Known for his technical abilities and personable approach, Stu enjoys helping his clients identi...
Alyse Pelavin focuses her practice on estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. She also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Her clients range from young entrepreneurs and corporate executives to multigenerational family groups. Alyse works closely with clients at every stage to implement tax-efficient wealth transfer and preservation strategies t...
Leah Bishop focuses her practice on tax planning for high net worth individuals and closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. Her areas of focus cover a wide range of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, entertainment and professional services. Passionate about philanthropy, Leah also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Leah’s estate planning experience includes all matters pertaining to hig...
Jean L. Tom is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law and Tax Law. Jean L., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jean L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jill Dodd chairs the firm’s estate planning and personal representation practice, focusing on gift, estate and philanthropic planning for very-high-net-worth individuals and families. Jill counsels very-high-net-worth individuals in all aspects of gift, estate and philanthropic planning. She has extensive experience designing and implementing a variety of sophisticated structures, including family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, insurance trusts, complex grantor t...
Sara Pike is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law and Trusts and Estates. Sara, who practices law in La Jolla, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sara is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mallory Morales is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Nonprofit / Charities Law. Mallory, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mallory is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nick Warshaw is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law and Nonprofit / Charities Law. Nick, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.