Trusts & Estates Associate

Withers; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 205,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Withers seeks an experienced Private Client & Tax associate in San Diego or San Francisco. The role focuses on sophisticated estate planning and administration for high‑net‑worth clients, including cross‑border matters and charitable planning. You will work closely with partners, paralegals, and peers to manage matters end‑to‑end.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years within a trusts & estates practice, a JD, and CA bar admission; a Tax LL.M. is a plus.

Qualifications

• J.D. required; Tax LL.M. a plus.
• 3–5 years experience in a law firm Trusts & Estates group.
• California bar membership is required.
• Proven ability to manage a busy practice with deadlines and ownership of projects.
• Mentorship of junior team members and process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Serve as independent contributor and coordinator driving matters forward.
• Bridge day-to-day execution with strategic work on complex estates.
• Structure and draft revocable and irrevocable estate plans.
• Prepare and review estate and gift tax returns; interact with ultra-high-net-worth clients.
• Manage post-mortem trust administration and prudent fiduciary guidance.
• Engage in business development and relationship building with private wealth contacts.

Skills

Time management

Mentorship

Client relations

Problem solving

Education

J.D. / JD

Tax LL.M. a plus

California Bar admission

Job description

Private Client and Tax Division

Today, we are the only truly global law firm dedicated to the personal and private capital needs of high-net-worth individuals and families.

Private Client and Tax Division

Today, we are the only truly global law firm dedicated to the personal and private capital needs of high-net-worth individuals and families. Many of our clients are international families with interests in a number of locations. In a fast-moving and increasingly compliance-focused world, the need for integrated advice that reaches across borders has never been greater. With offices across Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific we provide coverage that other law firms in this area cannot match. Our team of experienced private client solicitors continually look for opportunities to ensure we have a strong presence in the locations where our clients live, work, and invest. Our advice to fiduciaries covers the design and implementation of new plans, as well as the modernization and consolidation of older trusts. We also assist them in complying with the complex rules surrounding investments, accounting, taxes, and compliance. This practice generates approximately 55% of the partnership's revenues and is the largest in the world with over 300 people. We advise on domestic and international tax, estate planning, succession, and mental capacity laws in Europe, the US, and Asia, as well as facilitate our client's philanthropic endeavors. We have immigration teams in the major financial centers and are well placed to deal with tax investigation and litigation cases. Real estate is very important to our clients, and we have a specialist residential and rural team.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable associate to join our Private Client & Tax team in San Diego or San Francisco. This role is designed for a professional who thrives in a sophisticated practice and is ready to take on meaningful responsibility across complex estate planning and administration matters.

• This position sits at the center of our team, working closely with partners, paralegals, and other associates, serving as both an independent contributor and a key coordinator who helps drive matters forward efficiently and thoughtfully.
• You will play a critical role in bridging day to day execution with higher-level strategic work, helping ensure that complex client matters are handled seamlessly from start to finish.
• Familiarity with estate planning for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients with complex family structures and complex assets.
• Experience structuring charitable organizations and foundations, structuring major and planned gifts, and ensuring compliance.
• Highly skilled in foundational (revocable) estate planning for clients and able to handle planning from start to finish; including the initial interview, plan design and drafting, review and discussion with the client, execution, and follow up.
• Exposure to estate with irrevocable trusts such as: CRUTs, GRATs, IDGTs, ILITs, and QPRTs.
• Possesses previous gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax skills, and is able to:
  • engage with ultra-high-net-worth clients to design and implement complex estate freeze and charitable planning with technical precision; and
  • prepare and review estate and gift tax returns
• Ability to independently run a post-mortem trust administration, expertly advising fiduciaries to keep them ahead of milestones, avoiding pitfalls and surprises, and efficiently shepherding distribution of assets to beneficiaries.
• The role will also involve contributing to the team's profile and undertaking business development activities to establish, develop, and maintain long-term relationships; including, writing articles/posts, attending events/conferences, and building networks with private wealth contacts/intermediaries including global and peer firms and counsel.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Key Skills And Experience

• Strong academic credentials (J.D. required; Tax LL.M. a plus);
• Between 3 – 5 years practicing in a law firm Trusts & Estates group;
• California bar membership is required;
• Proven ability to stay on top of a busy practice – including time recording, proactive deadline and matter management, and taking ownership of assigned projects – and doesn’t require supervision in these areas;
• Demonstrates a genuine interest in contributing to the firm’s success as a whole, including through mentorship of junior team members and development and refinement of firm processes;
• Inspires the confidence of clients, intermediaries, and referral sources (internal and external); and
• Takes a practical approach to solving client problems, and is nimble in employing tools to implement these solutions.

For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $205,000 and $260,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality, and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home, or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

For more information on Withers, please visit the following links: General Career Site, LinkedIn, About Us

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

The firm is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Equal employment opportunity has been and will continue to be a fundamental principle at the firm. Employment at the firm is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The firm prohibits and will not tolerate any discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these classifications or characteristics. If you are interested in applying for employment and need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website to apply for a position, please contact the firm at [phone] or email [e-mail] with your request. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.