Trusted, Responsive Counsel for the Family Office
We understand that family offices are the operating systems for the legacy and philanthropic vision of families. Our attorneys are trusted partners with family offices and help them anticipate risk and capture opportunity— quickly.
Why Family Offices Choose Hoge Fenton
- Trusted by the Community. Hoge Fenton has deep relationships within the communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our relationships encompass business, government, and law.
- Sense of Urgency. Tight closing timeline? Sensitive family matter? We triage priorities immediately.
- Work Directly with Your Attorney. Unlike many other firms, Hoge Fenton attorneys work directly their clients to maximize speed and outcomes.
- Depth & Breadth in One Team. Our firm’s culture fosters a tight integration between our practice teams, allowing us to handle diverse, complex issues efficiently.
- National and International Capabilities. We have national and global reach through partnerships with 90 law firms in 60 countries. As a member of the prestigious Mackrell International network, we collaborate with these firms on cross-border, national, and international issues.
Representative Matters
- Fast 1031 Exchange: Structured a 1031 Exchange where property was sold in the San Francisco Bay Area, with replacement property purchased in Montana. The entire transaction was completed in less than four weeks, from start to finish.
- Trustee Assistance Across Borders: Client was nominated as a co-trustee for a very valuable piece of property that was in disrepair. Client wanted to reduce their liability, but the other co-trustee was in Italy and was difficult to work with. We secured Italian co-counsel and brokered the sale of the property. In doing so the client’s liability was removed.
- Real Estate Re-Financing: We worked with a family office to re-finance multiple properties in their real estate portfolio.
- Employment Law Defense & Counsel: A family office needed to defend themselves from litigation by a caregiver. After we resolved that matter, they consulted with us about employee classifications and compliant practices for their household employees (groundskeeper, housekeeper, nanny, personal assistant).
- Sophisticated Trust with Tax Savings: We designed a trust with several options that could be triggered by the family for the purposes of tax savings. The client died and, after analysis, the levers in the trust were triggered, saving the family millions of dollars in taxes.
- Entity Formation: Formed numerous 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations for families and organizations.
- Marvin Action Defense: Wealthy widows and widowers are targets for bad actors who take advantage of their grief, enter into a relationship with them, and claim their wealth. We recently defended such a claim to a favorable judgment.
- Real Estate Acquisition: Acquisition and financing of a multi-family residential tower for a multi-generational family office outside of California to diversify its portfolio.
Beyond Estate Planning & Tax
While wills, trusts, and tax strategy remain vital, they are only the starting point. We regularly advise on:
| Strategic Needs | How We Help |
| Business Operations & Deal Support | Entity formation, succession planning, deal structuring |
| Real Estate | Acquisition, disposition, leasing, 1031 exchanges, construction contracting, financing, and land use |
| Employment | Employment agreements, incentive plans, cross‑border compliance, employee disputes |
| Dispute Prevention & Resolution | Pre‑litigation counseling, mediation, arbitration, complex litigation |
| Divorce and Family Law | Marvin Actions, dissolution of marriage and domestic partnerships, adoption, guardianship, and child custody |
| Trust, Estate, & Tax | Sophisticated personal estate planning, business succession, trust and estate litigation |
| Legacy | Foundation formation, charitable compliance for philanthropy |
Our Commitment
At Hoge Fenton, “superior service” is more than a tagline—it is our promise to handle every legal dimension of your family office with speed, responsiveness, and seasoned judgment. When the stakes are personal and the issues are complex, trust a team that treats your urgency as its own.
Contact us today to learn how we can support and safeguard your family’s vision.
