Clay R. Stevens is a Partner based out of the firm’s Orange County and Los Angeles offices, but also meets with clients regularly in the San Francisco office. Mr. Stevens is one of the two original founders of the firm.
Mr. Stevens specializes in complex estate planning, income tax planning, charitable giving, and insurance matters. He has extensive experience serving ultra affluent clients with complex estate planning, income tax, philanthropy and insurance problems and has served as the primary estate planning adviser for clients throughout the country with net worths between $5M and $500M. Mr. Stevens has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Chapman University Law School.
In Mr. Stevens’ own words, he really enjoys his role “not because I simply like to help people pay less taxes, but because it allows me to help our hard working clients who have spent their lifetimes building up their wealth to minimize the estate tax burden and intentionally decide where the funds will go – whether that allows them to give more to family, spend more on themselves, or give more to charity.”
Mr. Stevens and his wife take great pride in raising their two fantastic girls for whom they have the highest expectations in whatever they decide to pursue.
Experience
Mr. Stevens previously spent several years as a tax attorney with the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and more recently directed the estate and trust services department at myCFO for their Orange County office.
Publications
- The Reverse Defective Grantor Trust (“Trusts & Estates” – October 2012)
- To Bypass or Not to Bypass, That is the Question: Using a Formula General Power of Appointment Clause to Address New Estate Planning Uncertainties (“California Trusts and Estates Quarterly” – Spring 2011)
- Using a Personal Residence DGT to Capitalize on Reduced Property Values (“Practical Tax Strategies/Taxation for Accountants” – June 2010)
- The Family Charitable Remainder Trust: Achieving Wealth Transfer and Charitable Goals in an Income Tax-Efficient Manner (“Taxes-The Tax Magazine” – May 2010)
Speaking Engagements
- FPA Norcal Conference
- Orange County Bar Association
- University of California Irvine School of Business
- National Business Institute
Media/Press Releases
- Los Angeles Times
- Business Week
- Trusts & Estates
- California Trusts & Estates Quarterly
- Taxes – The Tax Magazine
- Practical Tax Strategies
- Bloomberg.com
- Financial Advisor Magazine
- CNBC.com
Notable Accomplishments
- AV-rated attorney from Martindale-Hubbell
