We are pleased to announce that Jadene Tamura has become a Shareholder of the firm and has been appointed Co-Chair of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Jadene will lead the group with Co-Chair Steven Platt. The goal of Parker Milliken’s estate planning, administration, and litigation practice group is to ensure that their client’s wealth – whether large, small, or in between – is transferred smoothly and efficiently. Jadene has specialized in Trusts & Estates throughout her career, being drawn to the practice because of its applicability to individuals from all walks of life. She works with her clients to
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Will Southern California Wildfire Victims Get Burned Again? The Importance of Adding Your Trust as Additional Insured – By Christina Lewis, Esq
Southern California has been devastated by the recent wildfires. Yet, wildfires aren’t the only natural disasters that threaten this region – earthquakes, floods, and landslides also serve as stark reminders of the importance of protecting your property and assets. As Southern California property owners begin the difficult process of assessing their losses and submitting insurance claims, we are now hearing stories of some insurance companies denying claims where the property was transferred into a revocable trust*, but the trust was never added as an additional insured to the policy. To avoid this from happening, a crucial step that many property
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Gary Tokumori was elected Judicial Endorsements Chair of the Los Angeles County Unity Bar
Gary Tokumori was recently elected Judicial Endorsements Chair of the Los Angeles County Unity Bar, an alliance of nine local bar associations dedicated to ensuring access to justice and the recommendation of highly qualified candidates to the bench who reflect the vibrancy of the community served.
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Gift and Estate Tax Inflation Adjustments for 2025
The Internal Revenue Service has announced inflation adjustments for tax year 2025 (Rev. Proc. 2024-40). Lifetime Exemption Amount For gift and estate tax purposes, the lifetime exemption amount will increase to $13.99 million per person (up from $13.61 million in 2024). This means a married couple can transfer a combined $27.98 million during life and/or at death without paying any federal gift or estate tax. The lifetime exemption amount, which was temporarily doubled under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), is scheduled to return to its pre-TCJA levels after 2025. Annual Gift Exclusion The annual gift exclusion
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Michael Mellema Appointed Co-chair of Parker Milliken Labor and Employment Group
We are pleased to announce that Michael Mellema has been appointed Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Mr. Mellema will lead the group with Co-Chair Karl Schmidt. Michael B. Mellema joined Parker Milliken in 2007 and specializes in litigation, with an emphases in labor, employment, fiduciary and class action defense. The firm’s Labor and Employment practice is one of the cornerstones of our 100-year legacy. Parker Milliken attorneys in this group have expertise that crosses industry boundaries and includes clients ranging from aerospace to insurance, from education to construction, and from manufacturing to hospitality. “I am honored
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Parker Milliken Attorney Edzyl Magante Appointed Los Angeles Chair for the ABA Litigation Section’s Local Presence
Edzyl Magante was appointed as the Los Angeles Chair for the ABA (American Bar Association) Litigation Section’s Local Presence for the 2023–2024 bar year. This is a new initiative of the ABA that will serve four cities nationwide deemed with a strong litigation presence. Current cities participating in this pioneering endeavor include Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit and Dallas. The goal of Local Presence initiative is to increase the ABA’s engagement at the local level, and spark interest in ABA membership among local practitioners through meaningful programming and networking opportunities. “I am excited the ABA Litigation Section has launched the Local
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Parker Milliken Participates in Spring On-Campus Interviews at Six Local Law Schools
The firm will be participating in the OCI (On-Campus Interviews) Spring Program and virtually visiting six law schools, including the following: • USC Gould School of Law • UCLA Law • Loyola Law School • UC Davis School of Law • UCI Law • Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Ten Parker Milliken attorneys will be involved in the interview process this spring and are excited to meet potential law school candidates to support our growing firm. The following attorneys will participate in 2024: • Brent G. Cheney • Karen C. Freitas • Isaac B. Simon • Gary Tokumori • Jadene
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A Guide to Admitting a Will to Probate for the Purpose of Validating the Exercise of a Power of Appointment
By Steven Platt, Esq., Jadene Tamura, Esq., and Suzie Vardanyan, Esq. INTRODUCTION In California, a probate proceeding traditionally involves the administration and disposition of a decedent’s assets. An archetypal probate proceeding includes the submission of an instrument to be recognized by the court as the decedent’s final will, and the appointment of a personal representative who marshals and inventories the assets, provides notice to creditors, and, ultimately, distributes the assets to the beneficiaries, all under the court’s supervision. The proceeding is public, and it can be time-consuming and costly with filing fees, publication fees, and statutory fees for probate referees,
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