About Mary L. Symons

Mary L. Symons received her J.D. cum laude from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1990, where she was also elected to the Order of the Coif and the Thurston Honor Society. She also received the American Jurisprudence award in her Estates and Powers class. Ms. Symons served as a member of the Hastings Law Journal from 1988-1989, and as Associate Executive Editor from 1989 to 1990. A fifth-generation San Franciscan, Ms. Symons earned a B.S. degree (with honors) in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting and finance, from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986.

After practicing for a few years in San Francisco, Ms. Symons attended New York University to obtain a Master of Laws in Taxation in 1994. While at NYU, Ms. Symons served as a research assistant to Guy B. Maxfield, during which time she assisted him in updating the 6th edition of the treatise, Federal Estate and Gift Taxation, by Richard B. Stephens, Stephen A. Lind, Guy B. Maxfield, and Dennis A. Calfee.

Ms. Symons has also served as a research assistant to the Honorable Isabella Horton Grant, Probate Judge for the Superior Court of California in and for the City and County of San Francisco, and as an extern for the Honorable Marcus A. Kaufman, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.

Ms. Symons was admitted to the California bar in 1990, and she is also admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court. Ms. Symons is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust & probate law - certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Ms. Symons served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Area Women Tax Lawyers for more than ten years, including several terms as President. Ms. Symons is also a past chair of the Probate and Trust Committee of the Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

She is currently a member of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council; the Marin County Estate Planning Council; the Bar Association of San Francisco (Estate Planning, Trust & Probate section); the Marin County Bar Association (Estate Planning, Probate & Trust section); State Bar of California (Estate Planning, Probate & Trust and the Taxation sections); and the American Bar Association (Real Property, Trust & Probate and Taxation sections).