Vanessa Maria Terzian

An adjunct professor of Wills and Trusts at Southwestern Law School and recently named a top attorney of 2014 in Pasadena Magazine and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers,Vanessa Terzian began her legal career as a Trust Administrator for Wells Fargo, N.A. Her experience at Wells Fargo, working closely with clients, portfolio managers, beneficiaries and other attorneys, shed light on how a poor estate plan can ruin a family’s fortune and more importantly, their relationships.

After witnessing first hand the importance of proper planning, Vanessa has pursued her own practice, helping countless families through her expertise in estate and tax planning, asset protection, elder law, kids protection planning, probate and trust administration.  What sets Vanessa apart is her understanding of the needs of growing families, her ability to relate to working parents who desire a better life for their families and her know-how to implement strategic estate planning tools in the most cost efficient and seamless manner.  Vanessa also draws on her real estate and business background in crafting comprehensive plans for her clients.

Vanessa is a skilled public speaker, having conducted countless seminars throughout her legal career on various topics of estate planning, including kids protection planning, special needs planning, Medi-Cal planning, advanced tax planning and asset protection for individuals and small businesses.

Vanessa is an active member of the La Canada Flintridge community, where she resides with her husband and business partner, Edward Terzian, and their two sons, Alec and Jack.  She is a board member of the Northridge Hospital Foundation and participates in a number of charitable based organizations.  Vanessa has successfully raised thousands of dollars for a variety of charities through fundraising campaigns which include frequent community-based public speaking events, charitable dinners and personal contributions.  She believes that the foundation to a successful family unit is care, love and selflessness and stresses the importance of providing your community with these same tenants that are so essential to your own family’s success.

Ms. Terzian earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the Golden Key Honor Society.  She completed her honors thesis in political science and received Provosts Honors for four consecutive years.

After graduating from UCSD, Vanessa attended Loyola Law School, where she was awarded the Dean’s Full Tuition Academic Scholarship.  Vanessa was also on the Dean’s Honors List throughout her tenure at Loyola.  During law school, Vanessa helped contribute to a published law article and clerked for the City Attorney, Civil Litigation Division, giving her invaluable experience in the legal process and an understanding of the pitfalls to avoid in drafting legal documents.

Ms. Terzian is a member of the Family Wealth Planning Institute and is a Personal Family Lawyer®.  As a family woman, Vanessa understands the importance of protecting your assets, planning for your family’s future and building your own legacy.  She takes pride in providing her clients with the sense of comfort and security that comes along with having an effective and comprehensive estate plan in place.