Hartog, Baer and Zabronsky (HBZ) is pleased to announce their 2nd annual Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship is a one-time award of $5,000. The scholarship will be given to a law student from an underrepresented community who is from or resides in Contra Costa or Alameda County, or is interested in practicing law in Contra Costa or Alameda County after graduation.
To be eligible, students must meet the following requirements:
Application Instructions:
HBZ will review the applications and select finalists to interview with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at HBZ. The scholarship award winner will be announced in the Winter of 2022.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law on December 22, 2017, with most provisions becoming effective on January 1, 2018. Some provisions are permanent, while others expire. Most significant for gift and estate tax purposes is the temporary doubling of several exemptions.
High property values in California highlight the need for careful property tax planning. If you have owned your property for many years, it is likely that your property's assessed value for property tax purposes is significantly lower than today's fair market value. If your property should be reassessed, you or your family members could be faced with a significant increase in the annual property tax.
Congratulations to Kevin O’Brien for his article published in The Recorder. Kevin analyzes the nuance of appeals within trusts & estates cases in the article, “In Trust Litigation, It’s Best to Take the ‘Appeal Now’ Approach.”