Stacie L. Chau

Stacie L. Chau advises individuals, families and fiduciaries on sophisticated domestic and international estate planning, charitable planning, trust and estate administration, and high-stakes trust and estate disputes. Based in Holland & Knight's Los Angeles office, she helps clients navigate complex legal, tax, financial and family issues with practical strategies designed to preserve wealth, reduce risk and achieve long-term personal and philanthropic goals. Her experience in both litigation and transactional matters gives her a broad perspective on how estate plans are structured, administered and, when necessary, defended.

Domestic and International Estate Planning. Stacie designs customized estate plans for individuals and married couples, helping them transfer wealth efficiently while minimizing tax exposure and carrying out their goals for future generations. Drawing on her trust and estate litigation background, she drafts with an eye toward avoiding the ambiguities and family conflicts that often lead to disputes. She also advises expatriates and multinational families on cross-border planning issues involving assets and family connections in multiple jurisdictions. Fluent in Chinese, Stacie works closely with clients who have ties to China and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Charitable Planning. Stacie helps clients achieve their philanthropic objectives through tax-efficient charitable giving strategies. She structures charitable bequests and charitable trusts and advises on the related income, gift and estate tax implications. Her work often extends beyond implementation, as she helps charitable organizations and fiduciaries ensure that gifted assets are administered consistently with the donor's intent.

Trust and Estate Administration. She guides trustees, executors and professional fiduciaries through the administration of complex trusts and estates, including those involving significant real estate holdings, closely held businesses, family offices and public company interests. Stacie advises on federal estate and gift tax reporting, compliance obligations, creditor claims and investigations involving potential reporting issues. In one recent matter, she represented an estate holding commercial real estate interests valued at nearly $80 million, coordinating with multidisciplinary teams to address transactional, environmental and liquidity challenges associated with the disposition of those assets.

Trust and Estate Disputes. When disputes arise, Stacie represents beneficiaries, individuals and professional fiduciaries in trust and estate litigation, including trust and will contests, breach of fiduciary duty claims, elder abuse matters, and contested conservatorship and guardianship proceedings. Her experience includes securing a nearly $5 million settlement for a widow in a dispute involving a former corporate trustee, representing clients in litigation involving multimillion-dollar trusts and contested beneficiary rights, and helping obtain a favorable resolution following an extended trial challenging more than 30 trust amendments. Whether through mediation, alternative dispute resolution or trial, she works closely with clients throughout every stage of a dispute.

Professional and Community Leadership. Stacie serves as co-chair of the Trusts and Estates Committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). She also serves on the advisory committee of the Hawaii Tax Institute, China-U.S. Alliance Program.