BUTCHER & SMITH LAW - Key Persons

Robin A. Smith began her legal career in 1999 and focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, non-profit organizations, tax and real estate. Prior to forming Butcher and Smith Law, she worked for some of the top firms in the Pacific Northwest, including: Stoel Rives, Preston Gates & Ellis, Miller Nash, and the boutique estate planning firm Thede, Culpepper, Moore Munro & Silliman. In addition to practicing law, she has taught Charitable Giving and Tax Exempt Organizations in the University of Washington Graduate Program in Taxation. She also worked as a Senior Trust Officer for West Coast Trust before its merger with Columbia Bank. This broad range of professional experience enables Ms. Smith to provide a unique perspective to her clients. Ms. Smith enjoys working closely with her clients to assist them in choosing how to best address their legal needs. She believes that it is important for her clients to understand the laws that apply to their particular situation and takes time to listen and answer questions. Ms. Smith also understands the value of a team approach to problem solving and appreciates the expertise that her client's investment, insurance, accounting, real estate and other professional advisors can bring to the table. Ms. Smith has an LLM in Tax Law from NYU School of Law. Her background in federal and state tax law allows her to anticipate and incorporate tax saving provisions in her client's estate plans. She designs estate plans for high net worth individuals as well as more modest estates. Ms. Smith assists her estate planning clients in developing creative solutions to complicating factors such as second marriages, disabled children, family businesses, charitable giving and vacation and investment properties. She also assists clients with will and trust disputes, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and pre-marital, community property and post-marital agreements Ms. Smith has extensive experience in the formation and operation of non-profit organizations. She has assisted in the creation of numerous public charities and private foundations. Ms. Smith's nonprofit clients have included all types of entities from small local organizations to high-profile private foundations, universities and hospitals. Ms. Smith has had the good fortune of working with clients on a broad range of issues including creating scholarship programs, developing international programs and negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service. Ms. Smith's interest in real estate investment and preservation has resulted in her developing a unique real estate practice. She loves to consult with her estate planning clients on retaining family vacation homes and funding charitable remainder trusts with appreciated real property. Ms. Smith assists clients in negotiating purchases, sales and leases for residential and investment property. She has also worked with clients to weigh the possible tax benefits of donating both environmental and historic preservation easements to non-profit organizations. Robin A. Smith began her legal career in 1999 and focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, non-profit organizations, tax and real estate. Prior to forming her own firm in 2012, she worked for some of the top firms in the Pacific Northwest, including: Stoel Rives, Preston Gates & Ellis, Miller Nash, and the boutique estate planning firm Thede, Culpepper, Moore Munro & Silliman.

Sara Butcher started her career as a trial attorney and has worked solely in the area of estate planning and administration since 2004. She routinely guides clients through the court procedures and deadlines of Oregon probate and trust administration. Her experience at preparing comprehensive estate plans; including wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney and related documents, allows her to help each client develop an estate plan that is personalized to their needs. Ms. Butcher's knowledge of federal and Oregon estate tax allows her to anticipate and incorporate tax saving provisions in all estate plans. She designs estate plans for high net worth individuals as well as more modest estates and believes every person deserves to have an estate plan that is shaped by their own set of unique circumstances, whatever those may be. Ms. Butcher regularly handles multi- generational planning, planning for second marriages, and planning for times of incapacity or disability. She also assists clients with will and trust disputes, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and pre- marital and domestic partnership agreements. Whether planning or administering an estate, Ms. Butcher is committed to providing exceptional legal service that is personalized and affordable for every client.