Senior Trust & Estates Counsel for Wealth Clients

First American; Santa Ana (CA); Sur place; USD 149 000 - 198 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

First American is seeking a Relationship Manager, Trust Counsel to serve as a trusted adviser on complex trust and estate matters for high-net-worth individuals and fiduciaries. You will guide estate settlement, wealth transfer strategies, and regulatory compliance while coordinating with trustees, financial professionals, and tax advisors.

The role emphasizes deep knowledge of fiduciary practices, client advisory skills, and the ability to balance objectives with risk across multiple matters in

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 7+ years of experience practicing trust and estate law, estate planning, probate, trust administration, estate settlement, fiduciary services, or a related legal field.
• Experience advising trustees, beneficiaries, executors, conservators, and other fiduciaries on trust and estate matters.
• Strong knowledge of trust administration, fiduciary principles, estate planning strategies, wealth transfer planning, and estate settlement processes.
• Experience reviewing, drafting, or interpreting estate planning documents, including trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and related fiduciary instruments.
• Ability to provide practical legal advice while balancing fiduciary responsibilities, client objectives, and business considerations.
• Experience building and managing relationships with high-net-worth clients and professional advisors preferred.
• Strong understanding of applicable trust, fiduciary, probate, and regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent communication, judgment, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to build credibility and serve as a trusted advisor to clients and business partners.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously.
• Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally with legal, trust administration, wealth management, tax, and financial professionals.

Responsabilités

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to high-net-worth individuals, families, fiduciaries, and internal business partners on trust and estate matters.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, trustees, beneficiaries, financial advisors, tax professionals, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide legal guidance on trust administration, fiduciary responsibilities, estate settlement, wealth transfer strategies, and regulatory compliance.
• Review, interpret, and advise on trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, estate planning documents, and related legal instruments.
• Counsel clients and fiduciaries regarding trust administration matters, beneficiary issues, account distributions, and fiduciary decision-making.
• Partner with internal business units to ensure trust services are delivered in accordance with fiduciary obligations, legal requirements, and organizational policies.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal, fiduciary, and regulatory risks associated with trust and estate activities.
• Support complex client situations by developing practical solutions that balance client objectives, fiduciary responsibilities, and legal risk.
• Collaborate with external attorneys, accountants, wealth advisors, and tax professionals to support client needs and long-term planning objectives.
• Monitor account activity to ensure compliance with established company policies, fiduciary standards, regulatory requirements, and completion of annual Reg. 9 reviews.
• Stay current on trust, estate, fiduciary, and wealth planning laws, regulations, and industry developments that may impact clients and trust operations.
• Maintain accurate records of client interactions, legal guidance, and account activity while ensuring confidentiality and data integrity.

Connaissances

Relationship mgmt

Regulatory knowledge

Estate planning

Fiduciary duties

Legal advice

Cross-functional

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Multi-tasking

Credibility

Attention to detail

Formation

Juris Doctor (JD)

Description du poste

First American is seeking a Relationship Manager, Trust Counsel to serve as a trusted adviser on complex trust and estate matters for high-net-worth individuals and fiduciaries. You will guide estate settlement, wealth transfer strategies, and regulatory compliance while coordinating with trustees, financial professionals, and tax advisors.

The role emphasizes deep knowledge of fiduciary practices, client advisory skills, and the ability to balance objectives with risk across multiple matters in