CDM_Law-8

DONALD G. DOUGHERTY, JR

Don works with a wide variety of individuals and families to assist with their personal wealth management and estate planning needs and goals. During his 33 years in practice in Northern California, Don has worked with clients from all ends of the wealth spectrum.  However, his experience has led him to often represent high-net worth families in the implementation of wealth transfer, tax reduction and intra-family asset transfers.  And, in many cases, planning is centered around the succession of power and management with family businesses and assets from older to younger generations. The tools used in these complex gift and estate planning matters include grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs), life insurance trusts, dynasty trusts, charitable remainder trusts and generation-skipping transfer tax planning.

Don and his firm represent individuals and families in the transfer of assets necessitated upon the death of a client or a family member.  While often these are relatively administrative in nature, Don’s experience in the field can be especially helpful in the more complex probate or trust administrations.

Finally, in addition to estate planning and post-death estate administration, Don’s practice includes business formation, planning and transfers.  He can assist clients in the formation of business entities (corporations, limited liability companies, etc.) as well as provide representation in the ongoing activities of the business and any sales of the business itself.  Oftentimes, this expertise is crucial in counseling family-owned businesses that often are the focal point of the client’s estate planning process.

Don graduated from the University of Santa Clara in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  After also obtaining a law degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1980, Don received a Masters in Business Taxation from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 1981.  Don is certified by the State Bar of California as a specialist in Taxation.  Don has two daughters, one of whom is a lawyer and the other who is a staff accountant at a Big 4 CPA firm. Don’s son is currently attending the University of Oregon.