Associate Attorney - Trusts & Estates

Job Description

Job Description

Jorgenson, Siegel, McClure & Flegel, LLP ("JSMF") has been in business in Menlo Park, CA for over sixty years and currently has sixteen attorneys throughout its trusts and estates, real estate, land use, civil litigation and employment law practice groups.  JSMF maintains a commitment to excellence that is supported through the enjoyment of working together in a culture of collaboration and mentorship.  We are seeking an associate for our trusts and estates practice group.  

Position .  We seek a full-time associate, admitted to the State Bar of California, with 1-4 years of experience in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, wealth transfer planning, and estate and gift tax work.  The candidate would support the trusts and estates practice group.  Some of the duties and responsibilities of the associate would include the following:

• Draft and analyze estate plan documents, including trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and deeds.
• Research, analyze and advise on legal issues related to federal estate tax laws and California estate planning matters.
• Draft documents related to the administration of trusts and estates.
• Prepare court petitions and attend hearings for trust and probate matters (non-adversarial).
• Prepare federal gift and estate tax returns.
• Research, analyze, and prepare memoranda regarding new legislation.

Strong writing, analytical, and communication skills, and a desire to build and cultivate a long-term estate planning practice are necessary.  This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate to grow and eventually manage their own practice from the firm’s current clients and referrals from the firm’s partner’s without having to build their own book of business. 

Compensation & Schedule : This is an exempt position. The annual salary range is $120,000-$150,000, depending on experience.  The firm has an expectation of 1,500 billable hours.  A discretionary bonus that takes into consideration performance and hours billed will be considered annually.  This position is an in-office role with potential flexibility to work remotely.

Benefits : JSMF offers medical insurance, vision insurance, dental reimbursement, an FSA, 401(K) and long-term disability coverage.  The details for each follow:

• Medical: JSMF will pay the health insurance premium for our benchmark plan for the employee only.  The Employee may elect coverage for dependents/spouse/domestic partner at their own cost.
• Dental/Vision: JSMF offers vision insurance.  The employee will be eligible for up to $500 per year of reimbursement for dental expenses.
• Flexible Spending Account:  We offer a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plan, allowing eligible employees to elect a Dependent Care FSA and a Medical FSA to cover qualified expenses with pre-tax dollars.  
• 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan: JSMF offers a 401(k) plan to all employees. After one year of employment and a service requirement of 1,000 hours worked, the employee will be eligible to defer a portion of their salary into the plan. In addition, the firm may make a discretionary 3% "safe harbor" contribution. After the two-year waiting period in our firm's plan, the employee will be entitled to a discretionary profit-sharing contribution equivalent to a percentage of the employee’s annual compensation.
• Long-term Disability: After three months of employment, the employee will be covered under our long-term disability plan, subject to the plan’s limitations.