Mr. Schoknecht, a partner in the firm’s Estates, Trusts & Tax Planning group, has extensive experience administering large and complex probate and trust estates, and resolving beneficiary and fiduciary disputes.

Mr. Schoknecht’s estate planning clients include high net worth individuals and families, business owners, and clients with significant financial interests in high-tech and start-up companies. His strategies assist estate planning clients in transmitting their wealth from one generation to the next in a manner which minimizes death taxes and maximizes the family's financial resources. Techniques used to accomplish these goals include revocable trusts, charitable trusts funded with appreciated assets, irrevocable trusts funded with assets with strong potential for future appreciation, and closely-held business entities such as family limited partnerships and limited liability companies.

Mr. Schoknecht’s probate and trust clients include individual and corporate executors and trustees who administer large and complex trusts and estates. The focus of his administration practice is to effect prompt distribution of assets, and to minimize death taxes through the creative use of post-death elections and valuation techniques. In addition, Mr. Schoknecht frequently assists executors, trustees and beneficiaries (including charitable beneficiaries) in resolving difficult disputes which arise during administration, including Will and Trust Contests and estate tax issues upon audit.

Mr. Schoknecht is a frequent lecturer on estate planning and trust administration issues.

Education

J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, 1977

B.A., Urban Studies, University of Southern California, 1974
magna cum laude

Admissions

State of California

Affiliations

Bar Association of San Francisco  (Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section) – Member (1978 – current; Chair, 1996)

Bar Association of San Mateo (Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section) – Member (1978 – current)

Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation – Board of Trustees (2006 – current)

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel – Fellow (2005 – current)

San Francisco Estate Planning Council (1995 – current)

State Bar of California (Estate Planning and Trust Law Section) (1977 – current)

California Board of Legal Specialization – Certified specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law (1993 – current)

AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale–Hubbell for ethical standards and legal ability (1990 – current)

External Publications

Matthew Bender California Probate Practice Series (4 volume treatise on probate practice), Matthew Bender, Co-Editor, 1990