Melinda Barker

As a certified legal specialist in trusts and estates in the State of California, Melinda assists high-net-worth clients with multi-generational wealth transfers using a combination of strategies, such as grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs), irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), other irrevocable grantor trusts, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies, charitable trusts and private foundations.

Melinda serves as the primary legal counsel for individuals, couples, and blended families concerning their wealth-transfer strategies as well as their related intra-family relationships, tax, control, asset protection, and beneficiary-inheritance issues.

Melinda also represents individuals, professional entities regarding all aspects of post-death trust and estate administration.

Memberships

• Silicon Valley Bar Association
• State of California, Board of Legal Specialization
• Santa Clara County Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Section
• Serves on the Board and as the Vice Chair and Membership Officer of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP)
• Board Member of the planning committee for the Jerry A. Kasner Estate Planning Symposium at Santa Clara University School of Law

Speaking Engagements

• “Planning and Drafting Considerations when a Charity is a Beneficiary of an Estate Plan,” Conference of Charitable Giving 2014 presented by Stanford University and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
• “Changing Trustees: Practical and Tax Consequences of Crossing Borders, Domestically and Internationally,” Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners, Silicon Valley Chapter
• “California Real Property Taxes,” Kasner Estate Planning Symposium, Santa Clara University School of Law