Wilfrid F. Roberge, Jr. is a senior partner of the firm, specializing in trusts and estate planning. Mr. Roberge has over 30 years of experience in the field, and has completed the training and testing requirements to achieve the designation of Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning & Trust Law from the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California.

Mr. Roberge provides a full range of services related to estate planning, wills and probate, and wealth preservation for the firm's clientele. His clients include business owners, and executives and employees served by the firm's business practice, as well as other individuals, executors and beneficiaries. He has handled estates and engaged in planning involving international assets subject to both foreign and United States laws.

Much of Mr. Roberge's practice involves designing and implementing estate planning strategies that accomplish his clients' short- and long-term goals. He analyzes estates to determine the potential for estate growth and the effect of inflation upon asset value and taxation. He has extensive experience establishing trusts, including living trusts, generation-skipping trusts, life-insurance trusts and charitable remainder trusts. He also helps clients evaluate the implications of gifting money and other assets to avoid loss of asset value to estate taxes. He prepares wills and handles probate matters for clients and their beneficiaries. As part of the estate planning process, Mr. Roberge prepares powers of attorney which grant an individual chosen by the client the authority to make property management and healthcare decisions on behalf of his client in case the client becomes incapable of making decisions for himself or herself. If a gift program is instituted, a special power to make gifts is often prepared as well.

As part of his responsibilities, Mr. Roberge advises the firm's business law attorneys on a broad range of topics, including how to structure a business to facilitate its transfer to partners, family members or employees upon the retirement or death of a principal, with particular attention being paid to the valuation-reducing potential of one kind of business structure over another. He also works closely with the firm's litigators in the event of contested wills and disputes over the administration of trusts, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the case to identify the best litigation strategy.

Mr. Roberge received his law degree from Stanford in 1964. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 from the University of California at Riverside. Following law school, Mr. Roberge served for two years as an enlisted attorney with the U.S. Army. He became associated with Donahue Gallagher in 1966, and became a partner in the firm in 1971.

He is a member of the State Bar of California and the Probate and Estate Planning Committees of the State Bar and of the Alameda and Contra Costa County Bar Associations. He is a former President of and is a member of the Mt. Diablo Estate Planning Council and is a member of the East Bay Estate Planning Council. He is a former President of the American Lung Association of the East Bay. He is a former President of and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek, and he is currently the Treasurer and a board member of the Mount Diablo Astronomical Society. Mr. Roberge sits from time to time as Judge Pro Tempore for the Alameda County Small Claims Court and for the Alameda County and Contra Costa County Probate Courts. Along with several other partners of the firm, Mr. Roberge has been named a "Super Lawyer" by San Francisco Magazine, an honor bestowed on just 5% of the lawyers practicing in Northern California. Mr. Roberge was listed as one of "The Best Lawyers in the [San Francisco] Bay Area by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine in 2005."

Mr. Roberge is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.  An AV Rating is given only to attorneys who have reached the height of professional excellence and are recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.

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