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Practices

Biography

Kristin is a private wealth and family office services attorney in FBT Gibbons’ Newport Beach office. Her trust and estates practice focuses on helping high net worth individuals and families with their wealth transfer planning, business succession, and family office needs. She has broad experience covering estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax matters, trust administration, and probate.

In addition, Kristin has business law experience in corporate formation and governance, securities laws, venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and real property financing. She also has litigation experience encompassing pre-trial discovery, settlement conferences, and a jury trial.

Kristin is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), member of the Executive Committee of the Trusts, and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association (TEXCOM), and member of the Orange County Bar Association Professionalism & Ethics Committee. She is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law with The State Bar of California Legal Specialization program and helps the State Bar to grade the legal specialist examinations. Kristin also frequently speaks and writes on estate planning and related topics. Prior to joining FBT Gibbons, she was an attorney at an AmLaw 100 firm in its Orange County office.

Other Info About Kristin

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

  • Advises clients on various structures to distribute wealth to the next generation and charities by focusing on transfer tax matters, including federal, gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
  • Frequently serves as counsel for corporate and individual trustees of revocable and irrevocable trusts, including directed trusts, to help trustees understand their responsibilities and comply with their duties.
  • Serves as counsel for businesses to evaluate tax strategies and ensure the necessary business succession planning has been completed in ways to ensure the smooth transition of leadership, management, and ownership.
  • Represents surviving spouses and children who are beneficiaries to understand and enforce their inheritance rights under the trust terms and by law in the most harmonious manner possible.
  • Creates foundations to reduce the value of a taxable estate and help clients to create a legacy based upon their individual philanthropic history and interests.
  • Helps general partners of partnerships and managers of limited liability companies understand the governance rules and key provisions of the governing documents.
  • Coordinates with counsel abroad and out-of-state on domestic and international estate and tax planning and helps clients understand the impact of laws of various jurisdictions.

Education

Law School

J.D., The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1994

Graduate School

LL.M. in Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, expected July 2026

LL.M. in Taxation, Chapman University, Fowler School of Law, 2009

LL.M. in Taxation, University of San Diego School of Law, 2000

M.B.A., The University of Arizona, 1991

Undergraduate School

B.A. in Business Economics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1989

Courts

Kristin is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

California

U.S. District Court Southern District of California

U.S. District Court Central District of California

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Award Selection Methodology

The Best Lawyers in America®, California: Trusts and Estates (2025 to 2026)

Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” (2026)

WealthCounsel, Leadership Award (2019)

New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Max Block Award (2004)

University of Arizona, Law Review (1992-1994)

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Fellow (2023-present)

  • Fiduciary Litigation Committee (2025-present)
  • Professional Responsibility Committee (2025-present)
  • Legal Education Committee (2025-present)
  • Communications Committee (2025-present)

California Lawyers Association, Trusts and Estates Section, Executive Committee Member (TEXCOM) (2021-present)

  • Membership & Engagement Committee, Chair (2025-present), Governance Committee (2026-2028)
  • Trusts & Estates Quarterly, Executive Editor (2025-present)
  • Trust Me! Podcast, Chair (2024-2025)

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) (2016-present)

  • STEP Governance Committee (2026-present)
  • STEP Professional Standards Committee (2021)
  • STEP Orange County Member (2017-present), Chair (2017-2019), Secretary (2015-2017)
  • STEP USA Board of Directors (2016-2018)
  • STEP Special Interest Group Mental Capacity Committee (2017-2019)

Orange County Bar Association

  • Professionalism & Ethics Committee Member (2016-present), Secretary (2017-2020)
  • Trusts and Estates Section Member (2015-present)

American Bar Foundation, Fellow (2023-present)

WealthCounsel LLC: California Forum Leader (2010-2012 and 2017-2021)

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

The State Bar of California: Grader for the Legal Specialization in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law Examination (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025)

Orange County Bar Association Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program: Volunteer Arbitrator (2017-present)

Sherman Foundation Board of Trustees for Sherman Library & Gardens (2023-present)

Presentations

Kristin was invited to speak at the following events:

Co-Presenter: “Timing of Mediation of Trusts and Estates Disputes,” American College of Trusts & Estates (ACTEC) Fiduciary Litigation Committee, Tampa, FL, March 5, 2026

Podcast: “2025 Legislation: New Laws that Trusts and Estates Practitioners Should Know,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, January 2, 2026

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “2025 Legislation: New Laws that Trusts and Estates Practitioners Should Know,” Woodland Hills Tax & Estate Planning Council, December 4, 2025

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “2025 Legislation: New Laws that Trusts and Estates Practitioners Should Know,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, December 3, 2025

Podcast: “One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and Current Landscape of Estate Planning with Jonathan Blattmachr,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, September 3, 2025

Podcast: “What TEXCOM Does and How You Can Become Involved,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, August 26, 2025

Podcast: “How to Prepare for the 2025 CSB Legal Specialization Examination in Estate Planning, Trusts & Probate Law,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, August 22, 2025

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “The Exam and You – Estate Planning Through Administration and Litigation,” Covered the legal specialization examination for attorneys to become specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, July 10, 2025

Co-Presenter: “Ethical Considerations for Private Fiduciaries: Safeguarding Client Interests and Navigating Professional Boundaries,” Presented the ethical responsibilities of professional fiduciaries, Private Fiduciary Association of California, Anaheim, CA, May 9, 2025

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “Hot Topics in Valuations,” Covered current valuation cases related to gift and estate taxes, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), April 25, 2025

Presenter: “Malpractice for Estate Planning Lawyers,” ACTEC Education Committee, Palm Springs, CA, March 22, 2025

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “2024: The Year in Estate Planning, Trust Administration, and Probate,” Discussed the 2024 legislation that impacts estate planners, California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Section, March 12, 2025

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “Avoiding Legal Malpractice and Ethical Violations for Trust and Estate Attorneys,” Discussed attorney professional responsibilities, including engagement letter and conflicts of interest, February 13, 2025

Podcast: “Lessons for Estate Planning Lawyer Regarding Third-Party Malpractice Claims,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, December 23, 2024

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “Valuations: Hot Topics Before the Sunset,” Discussed relevant valuation case law for estate planners, California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Section, November 14, 2024

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “How to Navigate the Ethical Landmines for Estate Planning Lawyers,” Discussed ethical responsibilities of estate planners focusing on confidentiality and capacity, Orange County Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section, November 13, 2024

Podcast: “The Magic of the Trust and Estate Mediation Process,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, April 29, 2024

Podcast: “Protect Your Law License – Ethical Considerations Every Trust and Estate Lawyer Must Know,” California Lawyer Association Trusts and Estates Section, February 26, 2024

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “How to Navigate the Ethical Landmines for Estate Planning Lawyers,” Discussed ethical responsibilities of estate planners focusing on competence and conflicts of interest, California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Section, January 31, 2024

Panelist/Webinar: “Five Critical Lessons from Mediators of Trust and Estate Disputes,” Covered standards of conduct for mediators and the hidden forces that shape disputants’ decisions, California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Section, December 23, 2023

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “Mediation of Trust and Estate Disputes,” Covered aspects of trust and estate mediations from the perspectives of mediators, lawyers, and clients, California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Section, March 24, 2023

Co-Presenter/Webinar: “Flexible Estate Tax Planning Techniques During an Uncertain Time – Gifts and Transfers, Powers of Appointment, Life Insurance Assets, Portability, Trusts,” An in-depth analysis of essential estate inclusion techniques and key challenges under current tax law, BARBRI Professional Education (formerly Strafford Publications), February 28, 2023

Panelist: “Current Developments in Estate, Gift & Fiduciary Income Tax,” American Bar Association (ABA), Section of Taxation, Annual ABA Midyear Tax Meeting, February 10, 2023

Major Publications

Kristin is an author or contributor to the following publications:

“2025 Legislation: New Laws That Trust and Estate Practitioners Should Know,” California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Quarterly, Volume 31, Issue 4, April 2026

“Attorney Well-Being Is Intertwined With Legal Ethics,” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, September 2025

“2024 Legislation: New Laws That Trust and Estate Practitioners Should Know,” California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Quarterly, Volume 31, Issue 4, August 2025

“Ethically Speaking ‐ 2025 Year in Review,” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, January 2025

“What Are a Mediator’s Ethical Responsibilities?” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, September 2024

“Ethically Speaking ‐ 2024 Year in Review,” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, January 2024

“Trusts and Estates Mediation and the Role of the Mediator,” Highlighted mediation as a valuable alternative to litigation and arbitration, helping the parties resolve disputes in a constructive manner with the potential for an apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation, California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Quarterly. Volume 29, Issue 3, December 2023

“Will Attorneys Soon Be Subject to Discipline for Incivility?” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, February 2023

“Ethically Speaking ‐ 2023 Year in Review,” Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Lawyer, January 2023