Biography

Lauren Galbraith advises individuals and families on all aspects of estate and tax planning, estate and trust administration, and business succession planning.  She specializes in planning in connection with closely held businesses and real property holdings such as wineries, vineyards, and wine-related businesses. She administers estates with these types of illiquid assets, as well.

Much of Lauren’s work integrates family objectives with business strategy. She implements techniques to eliminate or minimize estate tax, for example, and to defer the payment of estate tax, which can allow a business to remain family-owned or give the family the freedom to decide whether management should be vested in the next generation or outside managers. She is experienced in planning around California property taxes.

She assists with philanthropic activities, including the formation and administration of private foundations and public charities. She has advised donors of substantial charitable gifts to major museums and hospitals, and prepared related gift agreements.

Lauren is skillful at identifying and addressing potential conflicts before they occur. She has drafted co-tenancy and buy-sell agreements to facilitate joint ownership of property and businesses. Her practice also includes privacy planning to limit publicly available information about individuals and their holdings. 

She often works closely with financial advisors and accountants, and frequently integrates herself into ongoing operating teams of consultants.  She taps into her professional network to make introductions as appropriate, for example to an employment attorney when workplace issues arise, or to appraisers, art advisors and other specialty service providers. 

Lauren’s compassionate and detailed approach provides peace of mind for her clients through their various life events. Her good judgment, excellent communication skills, warmth and responsiveness contribute to her effectiveness as a lawyer and trusted advisor to clients, their families and their businesses.

Distinctions

  • Recommended, Legal 500 United States - Not-for-Profit (2021)
  • Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars in Estate & Probate (2022) 

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Member, Stewardship Committee, Napa Valley Community Foundation (2022)

Firm Highlights

Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Conflict of Interest Policies and Best Practices for Approving Insider Compensation

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode is the second in a series discussing insider transactions. In episode 32, I gave a general overview of the federal laws...

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News

Profile in Women Leadership - Mary McCutcheon

Mary McCutcheon Headshot
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News

Aviva Gilbert Named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow

Aviva Gilbert Headshot at Farella Braun + Martel
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Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Best Practices for Approving Insider Compensation Decisions

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode is the third in a series discussing insider transactions by exempt organizations. In this episode, I'll look closely at best practices...

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Event

The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions

Join Carly Alameda and Amy Briggs for the ACC Bay Area Chapter program "The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions."  Corporate counsel are often tasked with negotiating, finalizing, and managing...

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Event

23rd Annual Wine Industry Conference

Farella Braun + Martel is a Presenting Partner of the  North Bay Business Journal' s 23rd Annual Wine Industry Conference. The conference will explore new trends and challenges to the wine industry in the North Bay. Farella's Richard...

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News

WhatsApp and Facebook Take the NSO Group to Court

Kyle McLorg was interviewed for the  Shoot The Messenger: Espionage, Murder, & Pegasus Spyware  investigative podcast episode “WhatsApp and Facebook Take the NSO Group to Court” produced by Exile Media in collaboration with The...

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Event

The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions

Join Carly Alameda and Amy Briggs in the discussion on "The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions" to the ACC Bay Area Chapter. Corporate counsel are often tasked with negotiating...

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Publication

Hot Topic: UPMIFA in the Context of Financial System Instability

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . A really hot topic this week is the duty of care for directors and trustees of charities in a time of volatility in...

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Publication

I Always Feel Like AI Is Watching Me: Artificial Intelligence and Privacy

ChatGPT got the early press, and every day we learn of new generative artificial intelligence products that can create new and creative visual and text responses to human input. Following on ChatGPT’s fame, Google’s...

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