AREAS OF EXPERTISE


 Areas of expertise include:

  • Federal and California Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Planning and Tax Controversy Work

  • Trust, Probate, Conservatorships and Probate & Trust Litigation

  • Business and Real Estate Transactional and Litigation Matters.

  • Business Law (Corporate, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, Limited Partnerships & Limited Liability Partnerships)

  • Tax Exempt Organizations and Administrative Law

 
The following is a brief description of the major areas of the firm's practice and expertise within these areas:

ESTATE PLANNING & TRUSTS

Alperstein, Simon, Farkas, Gillin & Scott, LLP encourages the creative use of revocable living Trusts to satisfy family and personal objectives, including the avoidance of probate and probate expenses, the elimination or substantial reduction of federal estate taxes and the avoidance of conservatorship proceedings. The Firm has extensive experience in the areas of estate, gift and post mortem tax planning including marital deduction and generation-skipping transfer planning, sophisticated gift planning, the use of so-called "estate freeze" techniques, including the use of family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, grantor retained income trusts ("GRITS"), charitable remainder and charitable lead trusts, and irrevocable gift trusts (including so-called "crummey" trusts, generation skipping trusts and life insurance trusts). The firm is also experienced in handling probate, testamentary trusts and LPS and probate conservatorships.

PROBATE & LPS CONSERVATORSHIPS - ELDER ABUSE

Conservatorship/Elder Abuse Matters: The firm has the capacity to engage in every legal aspect of representing clients in both probate conservatorship and Department 95A of the Los Angeles Superior Court in connection with LPS Conservatorship matters (including representing clients in jury trials). Additionally, the Firm has extensive experience making court appearances in general probate and probate conservatorship matters and vindicating the rights of the gravely disabled and persons subjected to elder abuse, and making errant trustees account for their bad acts.

FEDERAL AND CALIFORNIA INCOME, GIFT, ESTATE AND
BUSINESS TAX AUDITS AND LITIGATION

The Firm provides a complete range of counseling, representation and tax compliance assistance in matters involving federal and state estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, post mortem tax, and real property tax matters, including audit, appeal and tax court litigation relating thereto.

CORPORATE, PARTNERSHIP AND BUSINESS LAW

The Firm provides quality representation concerning all forms of business organizations, including corporations, limited liability companies, general and limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint ventures and sole proprietorships. Respecting such representations, the estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer planning programs developed for each client are taken into account and recommendations are made that take into account the overall tax impact relating thereto.

The Firm possesses expertise in the purchase and sale of real estate and business interests, representing clients in the formation, reorganization, merger or liquidation of businesses, as well as all commercial aspects of daily business operations.

The Firm also conducts scheduled annual reviews of corporate and business activities, preparing pertinent updated legal documentation such as minutes and "buy/sell" agreements.

REAL ESTATE

The Firm counsels clients in all phases of real estate including the acquisition, exchange, development, disposition, financing, and utilization of commercial, industrial and residential real property. The Firm has considerable expertise in applying advantageous tax planning techniques in the negotiation of real estate transactions and the preparation of supporting legal documentation.

The Firm also is experienced in the negotiation and preparation of complex leases and the resolution of landlord/tenant disputes.

BUSINESS AND REAL ESTATE LITIGATION

The Firm's litigation department has extensive trial experience in State and Federal Courts. Its practice embraces every area of commercial and contract litigation, corporate shareholder and partnership disputes, employer/employee relations, unfair competition claims, including appropriate restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. While the focus of the firm's litigation work is necessarily on preparing and trying cases, the Firm works closely with clients and opposing counsel in attempting to resolve disputes out of court.

Fees

The highest quality professional service is provided on an hourly fee basis, or in certain prearranged circumstances upon an agreed fixed fee basis. Fees are based upon the time expended by the Firm's legal, paralegal and secretarial staff, each of whom has a prescribed hourly rate for such person's services. The assigned hourly rate of each billing person (based upon that person's qualifications, experience, and many other performance assessments) are available upon request. Every effort is made to ensure that the fees are fair and equitable given the highest quality of practice with which the Firm prides itself.

Itemized statements for services rendered and expenses incurred are issued monthly.