As Seen In Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek
SAN FRANCISCO LAW
COMPLETE FOCUS ON DILIGENT
TRUST AND ESTATE PLANNING
The Barulich Dugoni team: (seated, l to r) Chelsea J. Suttmann, associate; Laurence M. May, of counsel; Arthur H. Bredenbeck, of counsel;
Jamay Lee, associate; Mary E. Pryce, principal; (standing, l to r) Randall B. Schmidt, of counsel; Paul A. Wilkins, associate; Paul J. Barulich,
managing director; Laurence P. Dugoni, shareholder; Alexandra M. Banis, associate; Trisha A. Vicario, associate; (not pictured) Daniel G.
Brown, director; Mario B. Muzzi, associate; Michael C. Griffin, associate
With 14 attorneys, Barulich Dugoni Law
Group Inc. is one of the largest firms in
California dedicated solely to the practice
of trust and estate law. Each member of the
talented team brings a niche expertise to the
practice.
Specializing in high net worth individuals
and closely held companies, the firm is
uniquely adept at handling the myriad of
legal, technical and interpersonal details
involved in multigenerational wealth
transfers.
“We’re one of the few firms to integrate
estate planning with business planning,”
explains managing director Paul Barulich.
“When estate plans are drawn without
in-depth business planning knowledge,
problems develop. It’s essential to marry the
two sides early on. We strive to avoid rather
than win issues.”
PROOF IN THE PROCESS
Crucial to the firm’s success is proactive
due diligence, which requires strong,
trustworthy client relationships. “We drill
down deep so that we know all our options
at the beginning. If you wait to figure out
information piece by piece, you lose options
along the way,” says Barulich.
He cites a recent case when a client was
referred to the firm, not satisfied with his
current legal team: “The client asked that we
analyze a trust issue being reviewed by his
current counsel. Our in-depth review found
more pressing, yet latent, concerns and risks,”
he says. “Adopting a proactive approach, we
avoided litigation by framing the issues in
a manner that greatly increased the client’s
chance for success. This is only possible when
we protect clients’ interests long-term.”
Another cornerstone of Barulich Dugoni is
efficiency. Because cost is a common concern,
the firm discusses budgets upfront in order
to relieve any anxieties clients may harbor.
“A higher hourly rate doesn’t necessarily
mean more expensive service,” Barulich
notes. “We have the infrastructure to work
very efficiently.”
believe it’s a privilege for us when clients
walk through our doors, not the other way
around,” he says.
At Barulich Dugoni, teamwork is held in
high regard, both within the firm and also
when collaborating with other professionals,
such as accountants and financial planners.
“Our most rewarding successes are when
all these relationships function together for
the best interest of the client,” Barulich says.
Barulich Dugoni was honored
with the “Business Award – Small
Business Category” at the San
Mateo Chamber of Commerce 19th
Annual Business Awards Dinner in
February 2014.
UNIQUE TEAM UNITY
“It’s all about the team,” says Barulich. Every
client is served by the entirety of the firm’s
resources so that a client is the firm’s client,
not an individual’s client. A departure from
most law firms, this aids the partners in their
roles as “servant leaders.”
“Our job is to develop our associates and
staff into leaders for the firm and our
community,” adds Barulich. That culture of
respect and humility segues to clients. “We
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