Karen is a top notch estate planner and one of the best in the Bay Area. Karen is thorough and knowledgeable. Not only have I referred many friends to Karen, but she is my estate planning attorney. Karen and I co-counseled on a case wherein she represented the young adult beneficiaries of a trust following the death of their mother, and needed a trust & estate litigator to help protect their interests. She is hard working, reliable and always concerned about doing what is best for her client by the most cost-effective means. I have known her to perform work and not bill for it simply because she wants what is best for the client.
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Ellen McKissock Litigation Attorney April 21, 2014 10:06pm
Relationship: Worked together on matter
I am happy to endorse Karen. She is a knowledgeable and hardworking attorney. She is devoted to helping her clients find innovative ways to use their estate plans to affect the world in positive ways. I have referred and will continue to refer cases to her.
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Elijah Keyes Estate planning Attorney August 2, 2012 3:06pm
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Contact info

Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel

60 South Market Street
Suite 1400
San Jose, CA, 95113

Resume

License
State	Status	Acquired	Updated
CA	Active	1997	08/23/2016

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Avvo contributions
Legal answers
Legal guides

Awards
Award name	Grantor	Date granted
Top Rated Estate Planning Attorney	Avvo	2014
Certified Specialist - Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law	State Bar of California	2011

Work experience
Title	Company name	Duration
Of Counsel	Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel	2015 - Present
Owner	Law Office of Karen Meckstroth	2009 - 2015
Estate Planning Attorney	Beck, Ross, Bismonte & Finley	2007 - 2009
Trusts and Estates Attorney	Hopkins & Carley	2004 - 2007
Corporate, Litigation and Estate Planning Attorney	Bingham (Riordan & McKinzie)	1997 - 2004

Associations
Association name	Position name	Duration
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Member	N/A
State Bar of California, Trusts and Estates Section	Member	N/A
Planning Committee for the Conference on Charitable Giving (at Stanford University)	Member	N/A
Notre Dame High School (San Jose)	Member of the Committee on Trustees	N/A
Notre Dame High School (San Jose)	Member of the Board of Directors	N/A
State Bar of California, Taxation Section	Member	N/A
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Legal cases
Case name	Outcome
Chen v. Franchise Tax Bd.	Judgment for plaintiff affirmed
See all legal cases

Education
School name	Major	Degree	Graduated
University of California, Hastings College of the Law	Law	JD - Juris Doctor	1997
University of California - Berkeley	Education	MA	1991
University of California - Berkeley	Philosophy	BA	1982

Speaking engagements
Conference name	Title	Date
Silicon Valley Bar Association New Attorney Roundtable	Ethics in Estate Planning	2015
San Jose Chapter of the American Association of University Women	Selecting and Preparing Your Successor Trustee	2015
East Bay Trusts and Estate Lawyers	Changing the Unamendable: How to Reform, Modify and Terminate Irrevocable Trusts	2013
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Integrating Philanthropy in the Estate Planning Process	2012
Lasecke Weil	Estate Planning in Chaotic Times	2012
Silicon Valley Planned Giving Council -- Incubator Project	Giving and Happiness	2011
Meeting of Financial Planning Association of San Francisco	Incorporating Philanthropy in the Family Wealth Plan	2011
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Ethical Duties in Estate Planning (MCLE Ethics Credit)	2010
National Business Institute	Probate Process from Start to Finish	2010
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Changing the Unamendable: How to Reform, Modify and Terminate Irrevocable Trusts	2009
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Presence and Ethics at the End of Life	2009
Employment and Community Options	Planned Giving and Building an Endowment	2009
Silicon Valley Bar Association	Trust Reformation: The How's and How Knots	2008
Saratoga Retirement Center	Control Your Property and Define Your Legacy Through Your Estate Plan	2008
Golden Gate University School of Law	Trust Reformation	2007
Golden Gate University School of Law	Reformation of Irrevocable Trusts	2006
Parents Helping Parents	Special Needs Trusts and Limited Conservatorships	2005
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