Susan E. Kaye

Susan E. Kaye, Founding Partner (Retired)

Ms. Kaye’s family law practice includes all aspects of the trial and settlement of complex marital dissolutions, including multi-party proceedings, with a special emphasis on privately-held business valuations and division and on executive compensation, including the analysis and division of carried interests, stock options, restricted share rights, non-qualified profit-sharing plans, and other executive deferred compensation. She has handled a number of high-profile, high-net-worth marital dissolutions. Ms. Kaye’s wealth transfer practice includes all aspects of estate planning, such as revocable “living” trusts, wills, and durable powers of attorney, as well as more complex wealth transfer vehicles, such as Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs), Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs), Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), and Dynasty Trusts. Her practice also includes pre-and-post mortem trust administration and probate and trust litigation. Ms. Kaye is one of the leading authorities in California on cross-over issues in estate planning, probate and trust law, and family law.

Ms. Kaye frequently serves as a Pro Tem Settlement Judge for the Family Law Bench Bar program in the Marin County Superior Court, as a Settlement Judge for the San Francisco County Superior Court, and as an Arbitrator for the Bar Association of San Francisco Fee Dispute Panel. Ms. Kaye served on the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Advisory Commission of the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California, was a consultant to the Estate Planning Subcommittee of the CEB Joint Advisory Committee, was the Vice-Chair of the Queen’s Bench Domestic Violence Committee, and is an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors of the Harvard Club of San Francisco. She lectures attorneys, accountants, educators, professional organizations and non-profit groups throughout California on various Family Law and Estate Planning topics. She is frequently asked to give presentations on her areas of expertise.

 Send email