Practice areas
I am a Certified Taxation Law Specialist (State Bar of California). I work in all areas of tax law (other than employee benefits, where my work is limited to divorce-related transactions). I emphasize advising family law attorneys, but I also actively practice in the area of tax exempt entities, individual, business entity and taxation of trusts and estates.
51 years, 500 cases
I prepare estate plans and estate planning documents for existing individual clients on a very selective basis. I also advise trust and estate lawyers and litigators on tax aspects of their matters.
41 years, 50 cases
I form and advise on the operation and tax aspects of partnerships.
43 years, 30 cases
I form and advise on the operation and tax aspects of corporations.
43 years, 60 cases
I form and advise on the operation and tax aspects of limited liability companies and other business entities.
33 years, 20 cases
982 Santa Barbara Rd
Berkeley, CA, 94707-2454
Lakin Spears LLP
Embarcadero Place 2400 Geng Road
Palo Alto, CA, 94303
Severson & Werson
| No address is available.San Francisco, CA, 94111
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
WA | Voluntarily Resigned | 1988 | 05/07/2022 |
HI | Inactive | 1976 | 05/13/2022 |
NY | Currently registered | 1972 | 02/24/2022 |
CA | Active | 1969 | 02/06/2022 |
Legal answers | 0 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
SuperLawyer - Northern California | Law & Politics Magazine | 2009 |
Certified Specialist -- Taxation Law | State Bar of California | 1981 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Tax Counsel | Severson & Werson | 1995 - Present |
Tax Counsel | Lakin-Spears, LLP | 1987 - Present |
Partner | Flynn, Steinberg, Dick & Lee | 1985 - 1986 |
Partner -- Chair, Tax Department | Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps | 1980 - 1985 |
Partner | Hoddick, Reinwald, O'Connor & Marrack | 1976 - 1980 |
Attorney-Advisor, Office of Tax Legislative Counsel | United States Treasury Department | 1974 - 1976 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
American Bar Association, Family Law Section | Chair -- Taxation Committee | 2007 - Present |
East Bay Tax Club | President | 2007 - Present |
American Bar Association - Taxation Section | Vice-Chair -- Domestic Relations Committee | 2000 - 2002 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
New York University School of Law | LL.M - Master of Laws | 1972 |
Columbia University School of Law | JD, cum laude | 1968 |
Barbara Difranza, Tax Attorney on Apr 22, 2009
Relationship: Worked together on matter
I've worked with Donald Read for close to 25 years. My clients and I have always been pleased and completely satisfied with the speed and quality of his services. Don is preeminent in the field of taxation as it relates to family law, having been instrumental, through his ABA committee work, in obtaining spouse-friendly family law tax legislation and regulations. Don is especially expert in dealing with stock options and other nonqualified deferred compensation plans in the divorce context.