According to firm founder and managing partner, Doron M. Tisser, “we had some recent personnel changes and we felt that modifying the name to reflect those changes was appropriate. We hold ourselves to an extremely high standard at the firm, so at times staff changes take place to maintain that very high level of service and expertise. We’ve put what’s best for our clients front and center since I opened our doors back in 1987 and that hasn’t changed.”

The firm protects legacies by providing estate, probate and tax planning, trust administration, and other services to those in need of planning and protecting themselves and their families. The firm’s clients include business professionals, athletes, celebrities, musicians, and young families looking to proactively plan their futures. The firm specializes in working closely with families to help them understand the challenges, opportunities and implications of setting up long-term plans that will impact their families. Tisser explains, “It’s often an incredibly delicate and complex process because we are working with family dynamics, finances, parental expectations, extended families, charitable goals, taxes, and a whole range of issues that can make it very challenging to plan effectively. The good news is we’ve been around a long time, seen a lot, and can bring that experience to our clients”.

The firm provides a comfortable, small firm feel and works hard to remain cost-effective while delivering service and counsel that clients would receive at a larger firm. Doron credits the firm’s success and growth to clients telling their friends about them and by having a large referral network of trusted advisors. “Anyone who refers us a client knows that client is going to be well taken care of, including the referrer,” adds Doron.

“While I am Board Certified in Estate Planning law, as well as Tax Law, by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, recognized as a Super Lawyer by my peers, and listed among America’s Top 100 Attorney, at the end of the day it’s about helping our clients achieve peace of mind for their future”.

An avid runner and triathlete, Doron has completed two Ironman triathlons, many 70.3 Ironman races and 15 marathons, including the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon. He has combined his passion for running with his commitment to philanthropy by creating the Team Tisser Charitable Foundation, funded by his participation in marathons and triathlons for over 2 decades.

Thus far he has raised over $300,000 in donations for various charities, including the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Challenged Athletes Foundation. For more information on TTF, see TeamTisser.org.

Learn more at Tisserlaw.com

THIS ARTICLE will look at the benefits of continuing to use a bypass trust as part of a married couple’s estate plan after the passage of The America Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“Act”). As part of the Act, Congress created portability of the estate tax exemption between spouses with the intention of simplifying the estate planning process for married couples by eliminating the need for a bypass trust. There are many reasons, however, both tax and non-tax, to continue to use a bypass trust in a married couple’s estate plan, as well as certain disadvantages. The portability analysis, therefore, has simply added another layer of complexity to the estate planning process.

Here is the link to the complete article on The Continued Viability of Using Bypass Trusts After the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012

This chapter covers buy-sell (or “buy-out”) agreements for small, closely held corporations. The heart of this chapter is an agreement form (see §§3.48–3.73) for the purchase of the shares of a withdrawing shareholder by either the corporation (a “corporate redemption”) or the remaining shareholders (a “cross purchase”). Such a buy-out may be triggered by a variety of events, e.g., death, disability, retirement, expulsion from the business, or a desire to sell an interest in the business. Alternative provisions are included in the form to provide flexibility in tailoring the agreement to the client’s needs. The complex considerations that must be kept in mind when the agreement is being planned and executed are discussed in §§3.3–3.22, 3.40 (business law) and §§3.23–3.39, 3.41–3.45 (tax).

Here is the link to the complete chapter on Corporate Buy-Sell Agreements.

Reprinted from Business Buy-Sell Agreements, copyright 2012 by the Regents of the University of California. Reproduced with permission of Continuing Education of the Bar – California (CEB). All rights reserved. (For information about CEB publications, telephone toll free 1-800-CEB-3444 or visit our web site, CEB.com).

This chapter discusses the business (see §§4.4–4.17) and tax (§§4.18–4.45) issues the practitioner should consider when drafting a partnership or limited liability company (LLC) buy-sell agreement. It includes a partnership buy-sell agreement form with several alternative clauses (see §§4.46–4.64), including limited partnership form provisions (see §§4.65–4.69) that permit the agreement to be tailored to each client’s needs, and an LLC buy-sell agreement (see §§4.73–4.111).

Here is the link to the complete chapter on Partnership and LLC Buy-Sell Agreements

Reprinted from Business Buy-Sell Agreements, copyright 2012 by the Regents of the University of California. Reproduced with permission of Continuing Education of the Bar – California (CEB). All rights reserved. (For information about CEB publications, telephone toll free 1-800-CEB-3444 or visit our web site, CEB.com).

Standing from left to right: Laura Stein, Doron Tisser, Brian Standing, Judy Schwarz, Arminé Bazikyan and Zion Dungo. Sitting from left to right: Amber McBride, Erica May and Heather Lanet. Our staff at the 3rd Annual State of Estate Planning Conference.

Doron Tisser at the 3rd Annual State of Estate Planning Conference.