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Leslie Daff

Leslie Daff

JD/MBA, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law
  • Estate Planning, Tax Law
  • California
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Claimed Lawyer Profile
Biography

Leslie Daff, JD, MBA, is a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. Formerly with the law firms of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, Best Best & Krieger LLP, and Palmieri, Tyler, Weiner, Wilhelm & Waldron LLP, she founded Estate Plan, Inc,, a professional law corporation with offices in Laguna Beach and Irvine in 2005. In 2010, she opened an Overland Park location in conjuntion with Randy Gardner, JD, LLM, MBA, CPA.

Leslie received her JD degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where she served as an editor on the Loyola Law School Entertainment Law Review, received the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing and the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Ethical/Practical Lawyering, and was installed as a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society. She also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Sheila Prell Sonenshine, Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal.

Leslie has been granted the highest rating of "10/10 Superb" by national independent rating service Avvo and the highest designation of "AV Preeminent" by legal directory Martindale Hubbell, which signifes her peers rank her at the highest level of professional excellence. She has been named by OC Metro Magazine as one of the region's top estate planning attorneys for three consecutive years.

Leslie is co-author of the Estate Planning Considerations chapter update for the State Bar of California Continuing Education of the Bar book Buy-Sell Agreements. She is also co-editor of the 2009 book Estate Planning Strategies, Collective Wisdom, Proven Techniques, available on Amazon.com. She is a regular columnist on tax and estate planning matters for The Journal of Financial Planning. Recent published articles include:

Selecting and Maintaining Appropriate Fiduciaries in an Estate Plan

The Portable Exclusion and the Vanishing Bypass Trust

Protecting Your Child's Inheritance: The Beneficiary-Controlled Trust

Tax Ramifications and Opportunties Under the New HealthCare Act

Keeping the Vacation Home in the Family - Another Use for Limited Liability Companies

Are Your Client Files Clean?

Twelve Indicators You Need to Update Your Estate Plan

Right Strategies Can Maximize Your Charitable Gifts

Planning Opportunities in the Government's Response to the Economic Downturn

Many Estate Planning Strategies Provide Benefits in Low-Interest-Rate Environment

Leslie serves on the Board of Directors of the South Orange County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Trusts & Estates Section of the State Bar of California, the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section of the American Bar Association, the Trusts & Estates Section of the Orange County Bar Association, and the Orange County Estate Planning Council.

She is involved with the Alumni Board of Directors for the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business â Orange County Chapter, a member of the Deanâs Leadership Circle of the University of California, Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, a Fellow of the Orange County Bar Foundation Society of Fellows, Co-Chair of the Laguna Beach Community Foundation Professional Advisory Council, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Laguna Beach Rotary Club Foundation and Laguna Beach Seniors, Inc. She regularly speaks on estate planning topics for a variety of groups and organizations, including the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
Tax Law
Business Taxes, Criminal Tax Litigation, Estate Tax Planning, Income Taxes, International Taxes, Payroll Taxes, Property Taxes, Sales Taxes, Tax Appeals, Tax Audits, Tax Planning
Fees
  • Free Consultation
  • Credit Cards Accepted
    Visa, Discover, Mastercard
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    Flat fee
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
California
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Education
Univ of Southern Calif
B.S. | Business - Finance
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University of California - Irvine
M.B.A. | Business Administration
University of California - Irvine Logo
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
J.D. | Law
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Logo
Awards
AV Preeminent 5 out of 5 Peer Review Rated
Martindale Hubbell
Top Attorneys
OC Metro magazine
The Region's Top Attorneys
OC Metro magazine
Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law
State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
O.C.'s Top Lawyers
OC Metro magazine
American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing
American Jurisprudence
American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Ethical Lawyering
American Jurisprudence
St. Thomas More Law Honor Society
St. Thomas More Law Honor Society
Corpus Juris Secundum Award for Contracts
Corpus Juris Secundum
Professional Associations
California State Bar  # 208904
Member
Current
Activities: Trusts and Estates Section
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Laguna Beach Seniors, Inc.
Board of Directors
Current
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South Orange County Bar Assocation
Board of Directors
Current
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Orange Coast Estate Planning Council
Member
Current
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Laguna Beach Rotary Club Foundation
Board of Directors
Current
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University of California Irvine Graduate School of Management Alumni Board
Board of Directors
Current
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University of California Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, Dean's Leadership Circle
Member
Current
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University of Southern California Marshall School of Business Alumni Board - Orange County
Board of Directors
Current
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American Bar Association
Member
Current
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Publications
Articles & Publications
Protecting Your Child's Inheritance: The Beneficiary-Controlled Trust
Journal of Financial Planning
Co-Author, Keeping the Vacation Home in the Family (Article)
Journal of Financial Planning
Co-Author, Planning Opportunities in the Government's Response to the Economic Downturn (Article)
Journal of Financial Planning
Co-Author, Twelve Indicators You Need to Update Your Estate Plan (Article)
Journal of Financial Planning
Co-Author, Use the Right Strategies to Maximize Charitable Gifts (Article)
Ingram's Magazine
Co-Editor, WealthCounsel Estate Planning Strategies, Collective Wisdom, Proven Techniques (Book)
Wealth Builders Press, LLC
Plan Your Legacy - Update Your Estate Plan (Article)
www.fpaforfinancialplanning.org
Charitable Gift Annuities: A Way to Give and Receive (Article)
South Coast Health
Co-Author, Many Estate Planning Strategies Provide Benefits in Low-Interest-Rate Environment (Article)
Journal of Financial Planning
Estate Planning Means Having a Plan (Article)
Laguna Beach Independent
The Business of Law/Ed Poll Interview (DVD)
WealthCounsel (R)
Tying Up the Loose Ends (Article)
Laguna Beach Independent
Co-Author, Estate Planning Considerations Chapter of the State Bar of California CEB Book Buy Sell Agreements (Chapter Update)
California State Bar
Co-Author, Only Legislation Can Resolve Fees Problem in 'McAdams' (Article)
Los Angeles Daily Journal
Certifications
Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law
State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
Websites & Blogs
Website
Blog
Contact & Map
IRVINE OFFICE
Atrium Building
19200 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 500
Irvine, CA 92612
Telephone: (949) 497-5056
Fax: (949) 497-7150
LAGUNA BEACH OFFICE
Loma Building
352 3rd Street, Suite 301
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Telephone: (949) 497-5056
Fax: (949) 497-7150