Private Client and Tax Division The Role This role will sit in our San Francisco office. We are seeking senior trust & estates paralegal to join our Private Client & Tax team in San Francisco. This role is designed for an experienced and highly capable professional who is comfortable managing substantive workstreams in sophisticated and complex estate planning, trust/probate administration, real estate, and other related matters, with appropriate attorney supervision.
The role will focus primarily on trust and estate administration, with related support for real estate, entity, and nonprofit matters that frequently arise in high-net-worth private client work.
This is a hybrid opportunity with an expectation of two to three days a week in the San Francisco office.
Trust & Estate Administration - Manage substantial portions of complex estate and trust administrations
- Prepare asset inventories and assist with valuation, retitling, and distribution of assets
- Assist with the preparation and coordination of federal estate and gift tax returns, including gathering information, preparing schedules and exhibits, tracking valuations, and coordinating with accountants and attorneys.
- Identify and analyze estate, gift, income, and property tax issues in collaboration with attorneys
- Support trust funding and ongoing trust administration
- Prepare documentation for asset transfers and beneficiary distributions, including deeds, assignments, receipts, and releases
- Draft probate and court filings
- Assist in the preparation and review of fiduciary accountings
- Coordinate directly with clients, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, accountants, appraisers, financial institutions, title companies, and other advisors
- Maintain matter timelines, task lists, document checklists, and status trackers to help ensure deadlines, filings, distributions, and follow-up items are completed accurately and efficiently
Real Estate Matters - Assist with real estate matters that arise in connection with estate planning, trust administration, probate administration, and related private client matters.
- Prepare and coordinate deeds, affidavits, deeds of trust, and related real property transfer documents.
- Review title documents and help identify vesting and title issues.
- Understand and implement recording requirements across jurisdictions.
- Assist with property tax reassessment-related filings, including gathering information, analysis, preparing related filings, and tracking submission deadlines.
- Maintain organized records of real property assets, transfer steps, recording information, and follow-up items.
Entity & Nonprofit Support - Assist with entity-related matters that arise in connection with estate planning, trust administration, family office, closely held business, and philanthropic planning.
- Prepare and coordinate formation, governance, maintenance, and dissolution documents for corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and nonprofit entities across jurisdictions.
- Prepare organizational documents, resolutions, consents, ownership records, and related entity materials.
- Coordinate government filings, registered agent matters, compliance deadlines, and entity records.
- Assist with entity restructuring, ownership transfers, charitable planning, and related items.
- Coordinate with clients, fiduciaries, accountants, registered agents, and other advisors to keep entity matters organized and current.
This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.
Key Skills and Experience - You will have regular interaction with attorneys, senior paralegals, and clients, as well as outside advisors including accountants, appraisers, and fiduciaries. 7+ years of experience as a trust and estates paralegal.
- Compliance with California Business and Professions Code 6450 required; Bachelor's Degree preferred.
- Strong working knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word, and Outlook; experience with Visio and document management systems (iManage/FileSite preferred).
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple active matters, deadlines, and workstreams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- High attention to detail with sound judgment in identifying and escalating issues appropriately
- Ability to work both independently while keeping attorneys and team members appropriately informed.
- Comfort working directly with clients, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, accountants, appraisers, financial institutions, title companies, and other outside advisors.
- Comfort taking ownership of substantive workstreams while also collaborating across the team to maintain quality, timing, and client service at a high level.
Compensation For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $125,000 and $150,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law
What Makes This Role Different: - Ownership: You will take the lead on discrete components of complex matters - not just assist
- Exposure: Direct interaction with senior attorneys, clients, and advisors
- Growth: Opportunity to deepen technical expertise while developing judgment and project management skills
- Impact: A central role in keeping matters organized, moving, and aligned across the team
