James L. Walker IV
Partner Attorney
Practice Areas
Estate Planning - Wills and Trusts
Tax Reduction Planning
Trust Administration & Probate
Asset Protection Planning
Prop13 Planning
Real Estate Transactions
Family Entity Formation & Restructuring
James “Jake” Walker is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law who is regularly engaged in estate and tax planning. A San Francisco native, he has practiced law in Marin County for over 40 years. Mr. Walker was admitted to the California Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in 1976. He was admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court in 1980.
Jake has a masters degree in taxation. He was awarded an AV rating, the highest possible, for skill and ethics, by Martindale-Hubbell, Inc. Jake was named as a Super Lawyer of Northern California by Law & Politics Magazine. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named as super Lawyers. The selection is made after rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by Law & Politics’ attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check.
Jake advises individuals and families regarding the tax aspects of estate planning, including wills & trusts; post death probate & trust administration; liability protection planning; Prop 13 real estate tax preservation planning; philanthropic & charitable giving arrangements; income and estate tax reduction strategies; real estate sales and financing transactions; family business entities formation; restructuring and multi-generational planning; and other business, contract & transactional matters.
Education
M.B.A., Tax, Golden Gate University
J.D., Law, University of California, Hastings College of Law
B.S., Economics, University of Virginia
St. Ignatius High School,
San Francisco, CA
Professional Associations and Memberships
Member of the Marin County Estate Planning Council, where he was a Director from 2009-2015 and President 2011-2012.
Member of the Marin County Bar Association Estate Planning & Probate Section since 1976.
An active member of the community, Jake has served on the Boards of the Kentfield Schools Foundation, the Marin Property Owners Association, Marin Villages, Ross Valley Youth Soccer League, Schools of the Sacred Heart, in San Francisco, and YMCA San Rafael Planned Giving Committee among others.