Overview
John A. Hartog is a partner in Nutter’s Private Client Department. He focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and probate administration, including dispute resolution, and taxation matters. He has particular expertise in counseling trustees administering living trusts and in resolving disputes among beneficiaries and fiduciaries. He is regularly engaged as an expert consultant and testifying expert in high stakes fiduciary disputes. John is a California certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, as well as a California certified specialist in Taxation Law.
John is a recognized leader in numerous professional organizations, including:
- American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, Fellow, and past Chair of the Membership Selection Committee
- Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association, past chair of the Executive Committee
- State Bar of California, past chair of the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Advisory Commission to the Board of Legal Specialization
- University of California, Berkeley Law School, lecturer
- American Bar Association, member, Taxation Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
- California Lawyers Association, member, Taxation Section and Trusts & Estates Law Section
- Alameda County Bar Association, member
- Contra Costa County Bar Association, member
In addition, John has extensive experience in lecturing on estate planning topics and authoring various legal works. A select group of his publications and presentations include:
- California Trust Litigation, lead consulting editor for the Matthew Bender publication, updated annually (2011-2024)
- California Trust Practice, co-author with Matthew Bender, updated annually (1996-2024)
- California Wills & Trusts, lead consulting editor and co-author for the Matthew Bender multi-volume treatise, updated annually (1991-2024)
- California Trusts & Estates Quarterly, past executive editor of the journal of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association
- 45th Annual UCLA/CEB Estate Planning Institute, speaker, “How to Avoid Litigation in the Planning Stage”
- 50th Annual FPA NorCal Conference, speaker, “Estate Planning Tactics for Larger Clients and How Some Can Lead to Litigation”
- American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), speaker, “Representing Estate Planning Clients During and After Divorce”
- San Francisco Estate Planning Council, speaker, “Anticipating and Resolving Trust & Estates Disputes”
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News & Insights
News
Publications
Honors
Honors
- Super Lawyers Northern California Top 10, 2019-2025
- Super Lawyers Northern California Top 100, 2004-2025
- Northern California Super Lawyers, 2005-2025
- Worth Magazine, “America’s Top 100 Lawyers,” 2016-2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2009-2020, 2026
- National Law Journal, “Elite Boutique Trailblazer,” 2020
Education & Admissions
Education
Golden Gate University of Law, LL.M. (Taxation)
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, J.D.
Pomona College, B.A., cum laude
Admissions
- California Supreme Court
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals
- New York State Court of Appeals
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Tax Court
Practices
Industries
Noteworthy
- Super Lawyers Northern California Top 10, 2019-2025
- Super Lawyers Northern California Top 100, 2004-2025
- Northern California Super Lawyers, 2005-2025
- Worth Magazine, “America’s Top 100 Lawyers,” 2016-2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2009-2020, 2026
- National Law Journal, “Elite Boutique Trailblazer,” 2020