HSW - Key Persons
Aubrey Van de Wetering's practice focuses on tax and estate planning, trust and estate administration and charitable planning. Since beginning the practice of law, Ms. Van de Wetering has enjoyed advising high-net-worth individuals and their families, helping them meet their estate planning and charitable goals.
Ms. Van de Wetering was admitted to the California Bar in 2019 after receiving a J.D. degree from University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She received a B.A. degree from the University at Wisconsin Madison in 2014.
Ms. Van de Wetering was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is an active member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust
- Member of the Firm
Chang H. Chae is a member of the firm, practicing in the areas of estate planning, trust administration and probate, entity formation and tax and charitable planning.
Mr. Chae is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization) and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He is a former Co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He has been repeatedly named by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine as a "Southern California Super Lawyer," recognized as a Best Lawyer® and is rated AV® Preeminent™ by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Chae has served as a member of the board of directors for a community college foundation, as chairperson for a planned giving committee and as a professional advisor to a community foundation. He is a member of the International Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is on the Steering Committee of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Professional Advisory Network.
Mr. Chae has lectured to many professional and lay audiences, including the USC Tax Institute, the USC Trust and Estate Conference, the National Business Institute, the Advanced Planning Conference, the ABA Taxation Annual Meeting, and to other professional and charitable groups.
Mr. Chae is the co-author of the following published articles:
"Keeping the ‘Family' in the Family Home: Special Planning Challenges Posed by QPRTs," California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Official Publication of the State Bar of California Trusts and Estates Section
"Power to the People! (An Exploration of the Use of Powers of Appointment in Estate Planning)," Estate Planning, 2008 (30th Annual UCLA-CEB Estate Planning Institute)
"Death and Taxes: No Longer a Certainty. A View of Estate Planning When the Federal Estate Tax Is Not an Issue," 37th Annual USC Trust and Estate Conference, 2011
"Give Me My Money - Now! (Having Second Thoughts on the Wisdom of an Outdated Plan)," 64 Major Tax Planning, 2012
Mr. Chae was admitted to the California Bar in 2000 and the Iowa Bar in 1996. He received a B.A., with honors, from Grinnell College in 1993, and a J.D. degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa in 1996. Mr. Chae also attended the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Mr. Chae was born in Seoul, South Korea, but raised in Des Moines, Iowa. He also speaks Korean conversationally. He is a former Chair of the Leadership Board for his church, and is an AYSO soccer coach and referee for the teams of his three children.
Eric M. Tokuyama practices in the areas of tax and estate planning, probate and trust administration, and probate and trust litigation. He has more than 20 years of experience and is dedicated to helping high-net-worth individuals achieve their estate planning goals.
Mr. Tokuyama is well-versed in all aspects of probate and trust administration, including the preparation and filing of federal estate tax returns. He also utilizes his tax and estate planning experience to help resolve trust and estate disputes.
Mr. Tokuyama has lectured to many professionals at various events, including The State Bar of California's Annual Meeting, Fall Program and Spring Education Conference, the UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention.
Mary K. Ramsden is senior counsel for the firm, practicing primarily in the areas of trust and estate administration. Since 1994, she has been a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). She has been recognized as a "Southern California Super Lawyer" Ms. Ramsden was admitted to the California Bar in 1981. She received a B.A. degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a J.D. degree from the Loyola University Los Angeles. Ms. Ramsden has been a speaker for CEB seminars and has written articles for State Bar publications in these areas.
Nina Madden Sabban was a founding member of HSW.
She retired from the practice of law in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member of the Firm
Paul Gordon Hoffman is a founding member of the Firm. He practices in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust administration and probate, and charitable planning.
Mr. Hoffman was chosen by Best Lawyers as the 2010 "Top Tax Lawyer" in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. He also has twice been recognized as one of the "Top 100 Lawyers" in Southern California by "Super Lawyers." He is a former Chairperson of the Tax Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has taught taxation at UCLA School of Law, and taxation and gifts, wills and trusts at the USC Law Center.
Among the many organizations to which Mr. Hoffman has spoken are the American Bar Association Tax Section, AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, USC Tax Institute, UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, USC Probate and Trust Conference, Practicing Law Institute, California Continuing Education of the Bar and the NYU Tax Institute. He is the Co-Chair of the UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute. He is a member of the Motion Picture and Television Tax Institute and is on the planning committee of the USC Trust and Estate Conference (formerly known as the USC Probate and Trust Conference).
Mr. Hoffman has published the following articles:
Renee Wittlif is senior counsel practicing in the area of estate planning. She is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization).
Ms. Wittlif was admitted to the California Bar in 1990. She received a B.S. degree from Houston Baptist University in 1985 (graduating summa cum laude) and a J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1988. She also received a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Taxation from Golden Gate University in 2001 (graduating with honors).
Robin Jones is a paralegal practicing in the areas of Estate Planning and Trust & Estate Administration. She has over 20 years of legal experience and an Associate of Arts Degree from the ABA Approved Paralegal Studies Program at West Los Angeles College (2007). She is a member of the Los Angeles Paralegal Association and Beverly Hills Bar Association.
Scott Decker is a paralegal practicing in the areas of estate planning and trust administration. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He received his Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension, which is affiliated with UCLA School of Law. He has worked as a paralegal for over 10 years. He is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.
Susan Abraham is senior counsel, practicing in the area of estate planning. She began her practice administering probate and trust estates, but has focused on estate planning since 1992.
Ms. Abraham has co-taught estate planning at UCLA Extension and co-authored the article "Transfers to Noncitizen Spouses Significantly Affected by RRA ‘89," Journal of Taxation, May 1990.
Ms. Abraham was admitted to the California Bar in 1986. She received a B.S. degree from Indiana University in 1979 (graduating with Highest Distinction), an M.S. degree in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver in 1980, and a J.D. degree from UCLA in 1986 (graduating Order of the Coif and the recipient of American Jurisprudence Awards in Wills and Trusts and Ethics).
Ms. Abraham grew up on Long Island, New York, and has lived many years in Los Angeles. She speaks Portuguese and has studied abroad in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Terry Knox is a paralegal practicing in the area of Trust and Estate administration, specializing in the preparation of estate tax returns. She has a B.S. degree from the University of California, Davis, Applied Behavioral Sciences, Individual Major. She received her Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension, which is affiliated with UCLA School of Law. She has worked as a paralegal for over 15 years.