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Helen is a partner in the private client and tax team and is the Office Managing Director of the San Diego office.
She is a trusts and estates attorney who focuses on exempt organizations and international tax planning for inbound and outbound transactions. She assists clients in all aspects of estate planning, estate and trust administration and charitable planning.Helen brings a diversity of experience to her clients. After graduating from Stanford Law School, she practiced international corporate tax law in China and California where she worked with multinational corporations, such as Oracle, Intel and Seagate, on sophisticated international tax planning techniques. Helen is also certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Previously, Helen worked at the San Diego Zoo to create its licensing and technology transfer program. She was directly responsible for the creation of the San Diego Zoo Global Centre for Bioinspiration and worked with companies such as Procter & Gamble, WD-40, Nike and Qualcomm to develop technologies inspired by nature.
Helen has been on faculty at the UC Irvine School of Law, where she has taught Charitable Planning and Tax Exempt Organizations. Helen is co-chair of the ABA’s Real Property and Trust & Estate Law, Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee. She is on the planning committee for the Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations, and currently serves as chair of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners San Diego Branch (STEP SD) and on the STEP USA board of directors. She also serves as general counsel for the International Community Foundation.
Achievements
Helen is recognized as a Leader of Influence in Law by San Diego Business Journal for 2024. Helen has been ranked in the 2025 Chambers High Net Worth Guide as 'Up and Coming' for Private Wealth Law. She is also recognized as a Next Generation Partner for Private Wealth Law in the 2026 Legal 500 US Private Client Guide. She is a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 US 2024 and 2025 guides in the area of Not-for-Profit Tax and as a Best Lawyers 'One to Watch' since 2022.Recent recognition
Me in a minute
Experience
Talks
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'Developing a Response Plan,' 29th Annual Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations - March 13, 2026, moderator
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'Using a Charitable Remainder Trust to Stretch IRA Distribution for Beneficiaries,' Estate Planning Council of San Diego - January 20, 2026, speaker
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'Introduction to Cross-Border Estate Administration,' Professional Fiduciary Association of California - November 12, 2025, presenter
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'How the OBBBA will affect charitable planning and tax-exempt organizations,' Surgent Weekly Expert Hour webinar - August 28, 2025, speaker
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'Foundations & Philanthropy: State of the Industry – Challenges & Opportunities,' Family Office Masterminds Group San Francisco event - August 7, 2025, speaker
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'Fundamentals of Public Charity Taxation and Form 990,' Surgent webinar - June 18, 2025, presenter
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'Across the Pond: Hot Topics in US/UK Tax and Estate Planning,' Withers event - June 3, 2025, moderator
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'Paying it Forward: The Power of Relationship and Creativity to Create a Successful Planned Gift,' Western Regional Planned Giving Conference - May 22, 2025, speaker
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'International charitable giving,' Washington State CPA International Tax Conference - May 15, 2025, speaker
- 'Sunrise, Sunset: The Lifecycle of Private Foundations,' 37th Annual RPTE National CLE Conference - April 30, 2025, speaker
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'Executive Compensation Hot Topics,' 28th Annual Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations (WCTEO) - February 27, 2025, moderator
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'Introduction to Cross Border Estate Planning,' USC Tax Institute - January 29, 2025, speaker
- 'International Charitable Planning,' STEP Silicon Valley webinar - October 24, 2024, speaker
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'Cross-Border Estate Planning,' San Diego Estate Planning Council - October 15, 2024, speaker
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'International Charitable Planning,' 16th Annual STEP International Tax and Estate Planning Forum - June 14, 2024, speaker
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'Cross-Border Estate Administration,' 16th Annual STEP International Tax and Estate Planning Forum - June 13, 2024, speaker
- 'So You Want to Give Away Your Business? Avoiding the Excess Business Holdings Rule,' American Bar Association 36th Annual Real Property Trust and Estate Law Section (RPTE) National CLE Conference - May 9, 2024, speaker
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'Nuts and Bolts of International Estate Planning - Part 2,' STEP Los Angeles meeting - April 23, 2024, presenter
- 'Power Hour,' 27th Annual Western Conference on Tax-Exempt Organizations - February 29, 2024, moderator
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‘International Trusts and Estates: Nuts and Bolts of Cross-Border Planning,’ STEP Los Angeles meeting - February 5, 2024, presenter
- 'Nuts and Bolts of Cross-Border Planning,' ALI CLE International Trust and Estate Planning 2023 Webcast - June 29, 2023, co-presenter
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'Matching Donor Personalities to their Perfect Gift,' LACGP Western Regional Planned Giving Conference - May 18, 2023, co-presenter
- 'Decanting Trusts: Handling the Thorny Issues,' American Law Institute CLE Webinar - February 15, 2023, presenter
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'Charitable Planning,' North County Estate Planning Council - December 6, 2022, co-presenter
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'Tax Efficient Cross-Border Giving for US Persons,' Informa Connect's Transatlantic Wealth and Estate Planning Conference - September 15, 2022, co-presenter
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'Gifts of Complicated Assets,' LACGP 2022 Western Regional Planned Giving Conference - May 26, 2022, co-presenter
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‘Decanting Trusts: What's New and How To Make It Work for Your Client,' ALI CLE Program - January 13, 2022, co-presenter
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‘Wine Not? California's Decanting Act,' ALI CLE Program - November 3, 2021, panelist
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'Wine Not? California's Decanting Act,' Estate Planning and Trust Council of Long Beach - June 3, 2021, co-presenter
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'An Introduction to International Estate Planning: Proper Planning to Protect Assets, and to Avoid Unnecessary Taxes and Disputes,' Probate Attorneys of San Diego webinar - April 21, 2021, co-presenter
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'Wine Not? California's New Decanting Act,' San Luis Obispo County Bar Association webinar - February 24, 2021, co-presenter
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'Powers of Appointment: Everything You Need to Know From the Planning and Litigation Perspectives,' Orange County Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Section webinar - August 12, 2020, co-presenter
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'International Estate and Gift Taxation,' American Bar Association Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section (ABA RPTE) webinar - September 17, 2019, co-presenter
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'California's New Trust Decanting Laws,' Long Beach Bar Association Probate, Trust & estate Planning Section - May 1, 2019, speaker
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‘Wine Not? California's New Decanting Act,' First American Trust - January 28 and February 6, 2019
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'Ethics Course: Cir. 230 Developments and Changes in Tax Practice Before the IRS,' California Bar Association Annual Income Tax Seminar - June 2014
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'The Rare and Wonderful World of...International Tax,' California Society of Enrolled Agents, Palomar - May 2014
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'FATCA, FBAR, Foreign Trusts... Oh My! US tax reporting traps for the unwary', California Society of Enrolled Agents, Palomar - August 2013
Insight
External publications
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'Sample Charitable Lead Trust Administration Memorandum to Client', CEB - October 27, 2025, practitioner
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'Sample Advice and Warning Letter to Client (Charitable Lead Trusts)', CEB - October 21, 2025, practitioner
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'Is a Charitable Lead Trust Right for Your Client?,' CEB - October 7, 2025, practitioner
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'How the OBBBA Will Affect Charitable Planning and Tax-Exempt Organizations,' ABA - November 3, 2025, co-authored
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'The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and tax-exempt organizations,' Withers Insight - August 13, 2025, co-authored
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'Patagonia 2.0: the founders who are reshaping philanthropy,' Withers Insight - November 28, 2023, featured
- 'Considerations for making charitable gifts abroad,' Daily Journal's "Wealth with Withers" column - March 29, 2021, co-authored
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'UBTI Proposed Regulations Answer Some Questions but Raise Others,' Tax Notes - July 13, 2020, co-authored
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‘New tax legislation establishes flat tax on investment income of private foundations,'_ Thomson Reuters' Taxnet Pro - January 30, 2020, co-authored
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'Withers update on California and federal legislative activity affecting estate taxes,' Insight __ - June 19, 2019, co-authored
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'Proposal to enhance implementation, enforcement of exit tax,' __ Tax Notes - November 13, 2017, co-authored
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'Consider the private operating foundation,' __ Wealth Management's Trusts & Estates Magazine - October 2017, co-authored
Admissions
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State of California, 2000
Education
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Stanford University Law School, J.D.
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University of Kansas, B.A.
Languages
- English
Memberships
- California Board of Legal Specialization Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law
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Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations, Planning Committee
- UC Irvine Law School, Lecturer
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ABA Section of Real Property and Trust & Estate Law, Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee, Co-Chair
- STEP San Diego, Branch Chair
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STEP USA, Board of Directors
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International Community Foundation, General Counsel
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San Diego County Bar Association, Taxation Section, Member and Former Chair
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State Bar of California, Member
Key dates
- Year joined: 2015