Senior Private Client Attorney – Estate Planning & Wealth

Nutter; Orinda (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Bonus eligibility

Benefits package

Mentorship and career path

Job summary

Nutter McClennen & Fish is seeking a mid to senior-level associate to join our Private Client Group in Orinda, California. This role focuses on estate planning, wealth transfer, and trust administration for individuals, families, and closely held businesses.

You will manage a diverse client workload, mentor junior attorneys, and help grow the practice with early client contact. The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of estate planning and trust administration experience, strong technical drafting

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school with excellent academic credentials.
• Minimum of 5–8 years of experience in estate planning and estate and trust administration.
• Knowledge of relevant state and federal income and wealth transfer tax laws.
• Extensive technical experience, including drafting complex estate plans and preparing estate and gift tax returns.
• Excellent client service, writing and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage matters independently and meet billable targets.

Responsibilities

• Counsel clients on estate and trust and wealth transfer tax planning, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, and tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies.
• Advise on California-specific issues, including change in ownership property tax issues, community property, and trust funding.
• Manage trust and estate administrations from start to finish, including notices, tax filings and distributions, and handle California probate proceedings.
• Draft and review complex documents, from trust instruments and funding memoranda to petitions and correspondence.
• Coordinate with firm colleagues in tax, real estate, corporate, and litigation to deliver integrated advice.
• Lead client meetings and maintain strong relationships with clients, CPAs, financial advisors and other professional referral sources.
• Participate in business development: speaking engagements, community involvement, and pitch support.
• Supervise paralegals and mentor junior attorneys as the group grows.

Skills

Estate planning

Trust & estate administration

California law

Tax knowledge

Client relationship management

Billable targets

Education

J.D.

Bar admission: California (preferred)

LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning (preferred)

Job description

Nutter McClennen & Fish is seeking a mid to senior-level associate to join our Private Client Group in Orinda, California. This role focuses on estate planning, wealth transfer, and trust administration for individuals, families, and closely held businesses.

You will manage a diverse client workload, mentor junior attorneys, and help grow the practice with early client contact. The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of estate planning and trust administration experience, strong technical drafting