Carol A. Johnston

Carol Johnston works with individual clients to develop sophisticated planning techniques for the preservation and protection of family wealth. Her advice covers an array of estate and tax planning issues, and she represents fiduciaries and handles administration of estates and trusts. Widely recognized in legal industry publications as a leading lawyer for trusts and estates, Carol is praised by peers as "knowledgeable" and someone who "works well with others." Carol is recognized as a leading trusts and estates lawyer by the Chambers High Net Worth guide. One interview told Chambers: "[Carol] is amazing. She has a great bedside manner – she is very, very smart and is able to translate clients' rambling ideas into tight plans. I refer clients to her often because she is such a fine lawyer." Carol has been certified as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.Carol's experience includes planning and drafting revocable and irrevocable trusts including dynasty trusts, life insurance planning, premarital planning, and charitable gift planning, including both charitable trusts and the formation of private foundations and public charities. Carol also has extensive experience in the administration of high value estates with complex assets, estate tax return preparation, estate tax audits, and all aspects of trust administration and probate procedures. Carol lectures annually on current developments in estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax to other attorneys for Continuing Education of the Bar. She also serves as chair of the board of trustees for Hollenbeck Palms, Inc., a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides assisted living and skilled nursing care to seniors. Carol is on the Board of Directors of Women's Alzheimer's Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about women's increased risk for Alzheimer's, funding women-based scientific research and educating the public about brain health.