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About Mark
Biography
I am a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel () and a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (by the California State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization). I concentrate on trust and estate matters with emphasis on trust and probate administration, including probate court representation. I also serve as a private fiduciary.
Practice Areas
4
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
$ 550-550 per hour
Payment Methods
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 29 years
State: California
Acquired: 1996
No misconduct found
Location
Snell & Wilmer
600 Anton Boulevard Suite 1400, Plaza Tower, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
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Mark Edward Powell's Reviews
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by Frank | September 22, 2016 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Outstanding advice
Mark helped communicate the options in a complicated situation. His knowledge of the non profit world and the complexities of 501(c)3 regulations both Federal and State is considerable. His ability to communicate clearly the options was excellent.
Posted by John | April 1, 2013
Great at making things easy to understand!
Mark helped my family through a very tricky situation. He was always patient with us. He explained complex issues in language we could understand, and he helped us feel comfortable making important decisions. Several attorneys were involved in the situation, but Mark's advice was always the most p...
Mark Edward Powell's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer without reservation. Mr. Powell has extensive experience and expertise in the areas of Estate Planning and Estate Administration. He is highly respected in the estate planning community. Other lawyers often consult with him regarding difficult legal issues in these fields. He is also a very nice person and very approachable. He does not try to impress his clients with "legalese." He is solution oriented, listening to his clients to make sure he understands their unique issues and problems, and creating specific, practical and cost effective solutions."
"I first met Mark when I was a student perusing my post doctoral degree in Tax law. He was serving as an Adjunct Professor at Chapman University Law School. Over the last ten years I have had the opportunity to know his work outside of the classroom. He is the go to source for me and other attorneys in my firm when we struggle to find answers to complex tax issues. I is very easy to recommend him."
"I whole-heartedly endorse Mark Powell, he is an incredible attorney and an even better human being. Mark devotes countless hours to helping others and selflessly contributes many hours to numerous non profit organizations. Mark's dedication to his clients is only surpassed by his formidable legal knowledge and capabilities."
"I have a tremendous amount respect for Mark Powell, who has served as a mentor as well as a friend and colleague to me over the past six years. Mark knows EVERYONE in the Orange County estate planning community and I've yet to hear a bad word said about him. He's talented at making introductions between people who should meet -- some of my closest friends and colleagues in the estate planning field are people I've met because of Mark. He has particular expertise in charitable planning and foundations (he teaches the subject at Chapman's LLM program) and he is currently exploring ways to deliver efficient planning techniques to a broader spectrum of clients through Practical Plans. We've worked together on a handful of cases and I think he brings a welcome pragmatic approach to problem solving in the estate planning arena. I highly recommend Mark!"
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Experience
Honors
N/A
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
N/A
Top 100 Estate Planning Attorneys, Worth Magazine
N/A
Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California - Certified Specialist
Work Experience
2015 - Present
Attorney, Powell Roberts, Inc.
2007 - 2013
Adjunct Professor, Chapman Law School
2007 - 2015
Attorney, Albrecht & Barney
2005 - 2005
Attorney, Baker & Hostetler
2005 - 2006
Attorney, Snell & Wilmer, LLP Law Offices
2000 - 2005
Attorney, Freeman, Freeman & Smiley, LLP
Associations
Orange Coast Estate Planning Council
Member
Orange County Bar Association
Member
American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
Fellow
American Bar Association
Member
State Bar of California
Member
Professional Fiduciary Association of California
Member
Alona Cortese Elder Law Clinic at Chapman University School of Law
Advisory Board
Sample of Legal Cases
Estate planning
A couple with young children, a house and husband's retirement plan came to see me. They needed a very simple plan that made things easy for the surviving spouse and put the right people in place to take care of the kids if the need arose.
Estate tax planning
Using a variety of advanced estate tax planning techniques, we reduced family's estate tax exposure from $60 million to less than $10 million.
Charitable planning
We established a private foundation to help a family achieve its objectives of supporting education for students in financial need.
Disputed trust administration
By petitioning the local probate court, we resolved a disagreement between siblings over the terms of their parents' trust.
Education
N/A
Mercer University - Walter F. George School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
N/A
University of Georgia, Athens
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2016
PFAC 21st Annual Education Conference
Recognizing the Signs of Financial Elder Abuse
2014
University of Southern California Gould School of Law 2014 Tax Institute
Ethical Issues Using the Internet in Practice of Law
2014
State Bar of California
Gift Tax Return Preparation & Audit Issues
2013
University of Southern California Gould School of Law 2013 Tax Institute
Gift Tax Returns: Preparation and Audits
2013
State Bar of California, Taxation Section
Gift Tax Return Preparation & Audit Issues
2012
Orange County Bar Association
Pros & Cons of Same Sex Marriage
2012
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Gift Tax Basis Issues
2011
State Bar of California, Taxation Section
Social Enterprise Comes to California
2010
Chapman University School of Law
Law of Exempt Organizations
2009
Orange County Bar Association
Charitable Giving in a Down Market
2007
Chapman University School of Law
Charitable Gift Tax Planning
2006
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Planning for Non-Traditional Families
2003
Estate Planning Council of San Gabriel Valley
New Domestic Partner Rules & Legislation
2002
Orange County Bar Association
Avoiding Pitfalls in Planning for Domestic Partners
Publications
N/A
California Trust & Estate Quarterly
Navigating the New Domestic Partner Rules,
N/A
California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)
Can We Get There From Here?
N/A
Trusts & Estates
Would They Do it Anyway? How to Make Sure Your Client Understands When a Private Foundation is Right for Him and His Family – And When it is Not
N/A
Probate and Property magazine (ABA)
Terminating or Reorganizing a Private Foundation
N/A
Senior Consultant
Can Distributions Be Made from Underwater Endowments?
N/A
Journal of Accountancy
The Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax: A Quick Guide
N/A
CalCPA Education Foundation
Fundamentals of Gift Tax
Languages
English