Yazdi Golnar

Partner Estate Planning, Trusts + Wealth Transfer For more than 30 years, Golnar has been a trusted advisor to high-net-worth families and individuals. She uses sophisticated estate planning strategies to help clients achieve their personal and business wealth transfer objectives while minimizing the impact of estate, gift, income and generation skipping taxes. Golnar counsels her clients on a wide range of estate planning matters, including inter-generational dynastic planning, charitable planning, planning for overseas holdings and cross-border matters, estate and gift tax issues and the administration of trusts and probate estates. She has been selected by her peers to the Northern California Super Lawyers list (2009-2025), the Northern California Super Lawyers Top 100 list (2014-2016), and the Northern California Super Lawyers Top 50 Women list (2012-2016). Key Areas Intergenerational trust planning in California and other jurisdictions Estate and gift tax issues Preparation of Gift and Estate Tax returns Gift and Estate Tax Audits Estate planning for blended families Revocable and irrevocable trusts Charitable planning Family limited partnerships and limited liability companies Qualified domestic trusts for nonresident spouses Overseas holdings and related cross border issues Administration of trusts and probate estates Languages Fluent in Farsi Academic Credentials J. D., Santa Clara University Geneva/Strasbourg Program in International Law through Santa Clara University B. A., with honors, University of California, Santa Barbara Diploma in French Studies, University of Haute Bretagne, Rennes, France State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Experience and Affiliations Representative Matters Wealth and transfer tax planning for U. S. residents and nonresident aliens to minimize estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Revocable and irrevocable trusts including intergenerational dynastic gift planning in California and other jurisdictions. Gift planning, including direct gifting, irrevocable grantor trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and charitable trusts. Preparation of gift tax returns and defense during IRS audits. Planning for clients with overseas holdings and related cross border issues. Planning with family limited partnerships and limited liability companies. Advising fiduciaries (corporate and individuals) during the administration of trusts or estates. Estate and trust administration, including the preparation of Federal Estate Tax Returns. Preparation of estate tax returns and defense during IRS audits. Professional Organizations State Bar of California Trusts & Estates Section International Law Section Taxation Section San Mateo County Bar Association Estate Planning/Probate Section San Francisco Estate Planning Council Peninsula Estate Planning Council Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Heritage Bank Peninsula/Stanford Advisory Board Civic and Charitable Callison Foundation Current Board Member and Board Secretary Peninsula Family Service Current Member of Advisory Council & Former Board Member Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County Current Member of Advisory Committee & Former Board President Lick-Wilmerding High School Former Board Member Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation Former Board Member Speaking Engagements Investment and Tax Planning: Bringing it Together to Maximize Wealth Panel discussion with Abbot Downing on strategies to enhance and safeguard a familys net worth, sponsored by Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the University of San Francisco (October 2013) Election Decided ... Uncertainty Continued: Has the Outcome Clarified the Outlook for Taxes and the Markets? Panel discussion with Seiler LLP, Mt. Eden Investment Advisors, and Mills Peninsula Hospital Foundation (2010) Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation The Legacy Society Publications Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts - 06/01/10 Honors and Awards AV Preeminent Selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers list (2009-2025) Chambers and Partners ranking in High Net Worth 2024 and 2025