Trust & Estate Paralegal

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, families, and family offices.

Our Private Client & Tax team advises clients on sophisticated domestic and cross-border estate planning, trust and estate administration, tax, succession, philanthropic, fiduciary, and related matters. Many of our clients have assets, family members, business interests, or planning needs in multiple jurisdictions, and our global platform allows us to coordinate advice across borders when needed. With offices across Europe, the United States and Asia-Pacific we provide coverage that other law firms in this area cannot match.

The work is varied, highly personal, and often complex. We assist with the design and implementation of new planning structures, the administration and modernization of existing trusts, estates, and entity structures, and the practical coordination required to manage assets, tax reporting, compliance, and family objectives over time.

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 facilitating 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

This role will sit in our San Francisco office.

We are seeking senior trust & estates paralegal to join our Private Client & Tax team in San Francisco. This role is designed for an experienced and highly capable professional who is comfortable managing substantive workstreams in sophisticated and complex estate planning, trust/probate administration, real estate, and other related matters, with appropriate attorney supervision.

The role will focus primarily on trust and estate administration, with related support for real estate, entity, and nonprofit matters that frequently arise in high-net-worth private client work.

This is a hybrid opportunity with an expectation of two to three days a week in the San Francisco office.

Trust & Estate Administration

• Manage substantial portions of complex estate and trust administrations
• Prepare asset inventories and assist with valuation, retitling, and distribution of assets
• Assist with the preparation and coordination of federal estate and gift tax returns, including gathering information, preparing schedules and exhibits, tracking valuations, and coordinating with accountants and attorneys.
• Identify and analyze estate, gift, income, and property tax issues in collaboration with attorneys
• Support trust funding and ongoing trust administration
• Prepare documentation for asset transfers and beneficiary distributions, including deeds, assignments, receipts, and releases
• Draft probate and court filings
• Assist in the preparation and review of fiduciary accountings
• Coordinate directly with clients, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, accountants, appraisers, financial institutions, title companies, and other advisors
• Maintain matter timelines, task lists, document checklists, and status trackers to help ensure deadlines, filings, distributions, and follow-up items are completed accurately and efficiently

Real Estate Matters

• Assist with real estate matters that arise in connection with estate planning, trust administration, probate administration, and related private client matters.
• Prepare and coordinate deeds, affidavits, deeds of trust, and related real property transfer documents.
• Review title documents and help identify vesting and title issues.
• Understand and implement recording requirements across jurisdictions.
• Assist with property tax reassessment-related filings, including gathering information, analysis, preparing related filings,  and tracking submission deadlines.
• Maintain organized records of real property assets, transfer steps, recording information, and follow-up items.

Entity & Nonprofit Support

• Assist with entity-related matters that arise in connection with estate planning, trust administration, family office, closely held business, and philanthropic planning.
• Prepare and coordinate formation, governance, maintenance, and dissolution documents for corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and nonprofit entities across jurisdictions.
• Prepare organizational documents, resolutions, consents, ownership records, and related entity materials.
• Coordinate government filings,  registered agent matters, compliance deadlines, and entity records.
• Assist with entity restructuring, ownership transfers, charitable planning, and related items.
• Coordinate with clients, fiduciaries, accountants, registered agents, and other advisors to keep entity matters organized and current.

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

• You will have regular interaction with attorneys, senior paralegals, and clients, as well as outside advisors including accountants, appraisers, and fiduciaries. 7+ years of experience as a trust and estates paralegal.
• Compliance with California Business and Professions Code §6450 required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word, and Outlook; experience with Visio and document management systems (iManage/FileSite preferred).
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple active matters, deadlines, and workstreams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail with sound judgment in identifying and escalating issues appropriately
• Ability to work both independently while keeping attorneys and team members appropriately informed.
• Comfort working directly with clients, fiduciaries, beneficiaries, accountants, appraisers, financial institutions, title companies, and other outside advisors.
• Comfort taking ownership of substantive workstreams while also collaborating across the team to maintain quality, timing, and client service at a high level.

Compensation

For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $125,000 and $150,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law

What Makes This Role Different:

• Ownership: You will take the lead on discrete components of complex matters - not just assist
• Exposure: Direct interaction with senior attorneys, clients, and advisors
• Growth: Opportunity to deepen technical expertise while developing judgment and project management skills
• Impact: A central role in keeping matters organized, moving, and aligned across the team

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 (203) 789-1320 or email us.recruiting@withersworldwide.com with your request.  Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.