AmyL.
McEvoy

PartnerCo-Leader, Private Wealth Services Practice Group
LANGUAGES
Spanish
LINKEDIN
Amy McEvoy

Overview

Amy McEvoy advises ultra-high net worth individuals and families—as well as fiduciaries—on all aspects of wealth transfer planning and estate and trust administration. She is co-leader of the Private Wealth Services team.

Certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Amy counsels U.S. citizens, residents and nonresident noncitizens on estate and gift tax planning, with a focus on minimizing taxes. She prepares customized domestic and offshore trusts as part of comprehensive estate plans tailored to each client’s goals, relationships and global assets. She also advises business owners on succession strategies.

Amy’s international practice includes advising non-U.S. clients with relatives or assets in the United States, including pre-immigration planning designed to reduce future U.S. tax exposure and simplify cross-border administration.

In the estate administration arena, Amy guides trustees, executors and other fiduciaries through all phases of trust and probate administration—from interpreting documents to complying with fiduciary duties, modifying trusts and resolving disputes.

Amy’s administration experience informs her planning practice, enabling her to draft with foresight and advise with clarity. She often works alongside financial advisors, accountants and other professionals to align estate strategies with broader financial and philanthropic goals.

Fluent in California’s Probate Code and Federal transfer tax laws, Amy supports clients at every life stage—whether establishing first-time plans, updating legacy documents or navigating the loss of a loved one.

In her free time, Amy enjoys hiking in the mountains and cheering on her son in golf tournaments. She is a long-time admirer of golden retrievers and is the proud owner of a rescue golden.

Credentials
Education

J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2003, with distinction, Traynor Honor Society

B.A., University of Southern California, 1999

Admissions

California

Honors

Listed in the 2020-2021 Private Client ‘Ones To Watch’ category of the Global Elite Directory 2021. The Global Elite Directory is the list of the world's most respected lawyers advising UHNW clients, all of whom have been recommended by their peers in the private wealth industry.

Named as a Rising Star in Legal Week’s Global Elite Directory, 2019

Memberships

Co-Chair, Private Wealth Services Industry Team

Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association 2007-2016 (Chair 2013-2014, Vice-Chair 2012-2013, and Secretary and Treasurer 2011-2012)

Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Los Angeles Branch

Member, FOX (Family Office Exchange)

Member, Trusts and Estates Section, State Bar of California

Member, University of Southern California Alumni Association

Thought Leadership
  • "Select Federal Transfer Tax Updates,” November 21, 2025, USC Gould School of Law, 51sth Annual Trusts & Estates Conference, Los Angeles, CA, presented with Erin Prouty
  • "Select Federal Transfer Tax Updates,” November 19, 2024, USC Gould School of Law, 50th Annual Trusts & Estates Conference, Los Angeles, CA
  • Select Federal Transfer Tax Updates,” November 17, 2023, USC Gould School of Law, 49th Annual Trusts & Estates Conference, Los Angeles, CA
  • Selected 2022 Updates on Federal and California Law,” (presented with Steven P. Braccini), February 8, 2023, Joint Section:  Trusts & Estates, and Elder Law and Conservatorship, Guardianship & Protective Proceedings, Orange County Bar Association, Live Webinar
  • Federal Transfer Tax Updates,” November 9, 2022, USC Gould School of Law, 48th Annual Trust and Estate Conference, Los Angeles, CA
  • "Trust planning:  Choice of Jurisdiction – Nevada, South Dakota, and Delaware," December 4, 2019, Deloitte Family Office Forum, Costa Mesa, CA
  • "The ABCs of Estate Planning, Trust and Estates Litigation," (presented with Golnaz Yazdchi), October 3, 2018, a joint event of Sheppard Mullin and UCLA Law Women LEAD, Costa Mesa, CA
  • "Planning for Married Couples in a Post-Tax World," (presented with Erin L. Prouty), April 20, 2018, The 40th Annual UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, Manhattan Beach, CA
  • "Selected Planning and Litigation Topics," (presented with Nicholas Van Brunt), September 28, 2017, Whittier Trust Company, South Pasadena, CA
  • "Private Wealth," (presented with Nicholas Van Brunt), August 16, 2017, FOX (Family Office Exchange), Chicago, Illinois
  • "Selected International Planning Topics," (presented with Jerry Gumpel), June 21, 2017, Mexico City, Mexico.
  • "Tax Status Rules: Citizenship, Domicile and Residency," STEP International Tax And Estate Planning Forum, Pre-Conference Seminar, May 4, 2016, Laguna Beach, CA
  • "Selected International Estate Planning Topics," January 13, 2016, California State Bar Association Webinar
  • "Selected International Estate Planning Topics," July 16, 2015, Los Angeles, CA
  • "Portability Planning," 2014 California Tax Practitioners' Conference, June 10, 2014, Los Angeles, CA
  • "Maximizing the $5 Million Exemption," 2013 California Tax Practitioners' Conference, May 7, 2013, Los Angeles, CA
  • "U.S. estate planning for Chinese families," September 20, 2012, San Francisco, CA
  • "Estate Planning for the Baby Boomer – Ideas that Make you Stand Out," 2012 California Tax Practitioners’ Conference, May 24, 2012, Los Angeles, California
  • "Succession Planning," The Pacific Oil Conference and Trade Show, September 19, 2011, Reno, Nevada
  • Editor of Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Volume 23, Issue 2, 2017