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Noelle R. Minto, Esq.

Noelle R. Minto, Esq.

Noelle R. Minto has been a business and estates transactional attorney based in California since 2003. As the founder of the firm, Noelle has extensive experience in bridging the gap between business planning and estate planning. Herprimary office is located in Tustin, CA but she represents individuals and entities based throughout the United States and abroad. Her practice is unique in that she recognizes the interplay between business management and structure and personal family and estate tax planning, specifically for closely held businesses and their owners. Ms. Minto has also represented individuals with unique business assets and income, including YouTube personalities, NFL Players, Olympic Medalists, Pro Surfers, and many real estate developers and investors.

Ms. Minto has twenty years of experience crafting comprehensive estate plans which are custom-built for each family’s unique needs, whether it’s an emphasis on family harmony, addiction, transitioning a business at death, caring for a special needs child or maximizing tax efficiency. Clients can rest assured that with Ms. Minto’s counsel they will understand the advanced planning options appropriate for their family and be empowered as the decision makers as to which vehicles are best. She routinely uses tried and true techniques such as formation and registration of tax-exempt organizations, establishing irrevocable trusts, including charitable remainder trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, spousal lifetime access trusts and gifting trusts for children and grandchildren, as well as many other traditionally used tax savings vehicles which ensure preservation and management of wealth for generations. Upon the death of a family member, Ms. Minto provides guidance and comfort to trustees and beneficiaries of the decedent during the trust administration process, and assistance in transitioning family business interests.

Ms. Minto regularly works in tandem with family law counsel to protect and preserve business and trust assets during the course of a divorce; often offering creative estate planning techniques as solutions to division of assets and support matters. She has advised numerous clients during marital dissolutions to ensure compliance with family law ATROs while managing and operating family businesses. In addition to representation of business owners during marital dissolutions, Ms. Minto serves as an on call in-house attorney by drafting and negotiating buy-sell agreements, agreements governing third-party relationships, employment matters and business relationships; insurance and financial transactions; conducting due diligence; and maintaining compliance with applicable government regulations.

Noelle has an ongoing relationship with transitioning businesses all the way from weighing the best business entity structure and jurisdiction for each client, through business formation, to eventually structuring liquidation and dissolution of business entities and the drafting of succession plans which ensure continuation of business through the next generation or a sale and divestment.

Ms. Minto has been selected as Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers, in 2008 and 2010. She speaks Italian, Spanish and French.

EDUCATION

  • George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, B.A. (1999)
  • Whittier Law School, J.D. (2003)
  • Certified Mediator (2008)

COURT ADMISSIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

  • State of California including California Supreme Court (2003)
  • 9th Circuit Federal Court, California State Bar (2003)
  • State Bar of California, Business Transactions and Trusts & Estates Section Member
  • American Bar Association – Business Law Section
  • Past Chair, OCBA Business and Corporate Section
  • Member, OCBA Trusts and Estates Section
  • OC Women’s Legal Roundtable, Executive Board
  • Tustin Community Foundation, Board Member
  • National Charity League, Tustin Chapter

RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • OCBA Estate and Trust Section Annual Seminar: Crossover Issues in Trust & Estate Law and Family Law  (2015)
  • OCBA Business & Corporate Section Meeting: The Business of Divorce: Protecting and Preserving Business Interests during a Marital Dissolution Action (2016)
  • OCBA Family Law Section Meeting: Divorcing the Company: A Family Law Practitioner’s Guide to Analyzing and Challenging Corporate Document (2016)
  • Estate Planning Basics: “It’s Your Estate” hosted by Financial Empowerment & Estate Literacy, Inc. Annual presentation (2018, 2020)
  • Women’s Legal Roundtable, Orange County Speaker: “Trusts and Estates Basics, a Lawyer’s Guide; What is a Probate and How to Avoid It; Clauses for Every Situation” (2020 and 2022, 2023)
  • Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce Regional Meeting Speaker: Gaps Between Estate Planning and Ownership, Investment Interest in Business (2022)
  • NM LAW Sponsored Webinar Presentation “I Care A Lot” 2022
  • NM LAW Sponsored Webinar “Failure to Launch Children…and How to Plan for Them
  • First American Trust Company – Roundtable Presentation “How to Draft and Litigate Discretionary Trust Provisions” 2022
  • Hastings College of Law (UCSF) Panelist on “Women’s Legal Journeys – Beyond Big Law” 2023
  • OCBA Joint Section Meeting Panelist on “The Corporate Transparency Act”. Business Transactions and Trusts & Estate Sections 2023.

SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION

  • Harvard Business School– Three Corporate Learning Certificates on Strategic Thinking, Leading People and Customer Focus
Noelle R. Minto, Esq.

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Testimonials

  • NM Law is an excellent law firm to work with! Noelle and her team are very thorough and knowledgeable. They explained the estate planning process to us and kept us informed every step of the way. We…

    Monique S
  • I greatly appreciate Noelle’s assistance in making difficult decisions. When she provides counsel I know she puts herself and her family in my shoes. I feel comfortable knowing my attorney has analyzed every angle and leaves out…

    Cinda H.
  • For those of you that are looking for the perfect attorney to handle any of your estate issues, well Noelle is the one for you! I can’t say enough about Noelle! She recently handled a case for…

    Suzie F.
  • One of the most important things you can do for your family is have a good Living Trust done by an attorney you can trust to take care of your business. I highly recommend Noelle Minto, an…

    Sandy Z.
  • Working with Noelle on litigation and transactional matters was truly a valuable experience for me. Not only was she a great communicator with clients and personnel, but zealous and passionate about her clients. I would recommend her…

    Darren S.
  • I’ve known Noelle as a colleague and friend for close to seven years. Working “across the aisle” in the fast-paced and partisan world of LA County politics, I found Noelle remarkable for her ability to quickly grasp…

    Kerjon L.
  • Noelle and her team were professional, courteous and diligent with my case. It was a small matter but they took it as though it was a large one. They reached a settlement quickly and very little effort…

    Doug S.
  • After my mother’s death, The bank locked all her accounts and the insurance company was playing games. Our family lawyer never call me back. I called Noelle for help! My paper work was not in order at…

    Randy B.
  • Noelle is awesome. Handled everything I needed in a timely manner. Very professional!

    Tammy W.
  • I have worked with Noelle on my Estate Planning and was very impressed by the way she handled my business. Noelle was extremely professional and available for all my questions. I would highly recommend anyone looking for…

    Zac C.
  • I have worked with many attorneys, and there are very few that I would ever recommend. Noelle and her team have gone above and beyond to help all of our clients that we have referred to her….

    Robert Sousa
  • I was first referred to Noelle Minto by my family law attorney Mike Monarch to provide oversight on my husband’s Trust conforming with our Post Marital Agreement. Her outstanding legal insights helped me to feel secure that…

    Sharon McCubbin
  • Noelle and Samantha and their team are amazing. They are extremely knowledgeable and professional (they are the best). They have and continue to support me and my family while dealing with my parents Will and Trust. Samantha…

    Greg Bishop
  • I had a great experience with Noelle and Samantha at NM Law. They were fast, clear and got the result we wanted under budget. I am very happy and impressed.

    John Arens
  • NM Law is an exceptional place to work! Our office is located in the City of Tustin, off the 55 Freeway, between the 5 and 405 Freeways. Our main cross streets are Redhill Avenue and Edinger Avenue…

    Samantha Smith
  • The N.W Law team in Tustin Ca was instrumental in achieving a just result in our family trust dispute. We had the privilege of being represented by Samantha Smith and her staff, during one of my saddest…

    Herman baldonado
  • Amazing service. So happy with the whole team!

    Mitchell Hilde
  • So glad to work with this team of professionals

    Noelle Minto
  • As an attorney who has used two other wills & trusts lawyers prior to seeing Noelle, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect and what it should cost. I recommend Noelle to anyone who…

    Lynne Boisineau
  • Highly recommend NM Law. I recently worked with Noelle and her team on my family trust and the process could not have gone smoother. Very knowledgeable and professional. I have since recommended all of my family members…

    Nathan Perkins
  • A very professional approach and action to fulfill our personal requirements

    Waldo ortega
  • My husband and I decided to update our 12 year old trust. We initally had a call with Noelle, and were instantly very comfortable with her approach. Noelle was great to work with, very patient, was willing…

    Cheri Ondatje
  • Vey helpful with good insight to take the proper steps with difficult situations and have my questions answered. Noelle and her team are professional and courteous and great to work with!

    Corine Cojocaru
  • Samantha and the team are professional compassionate and get the job done. She articulates very well what needs to be done. Her and the firm do Probate and Trust at its finest to protect their clients. She…

    Silvana Sarkis
  • I was referred to NM Law after dealing with a myriad of problems in settling a complicated Trust in Riverside County. At the initial meeting, Noelle Minto and Samantha Smith listened to the mess I was in…

    Aleathea Rayburn
  • Love this firm. I’ve worked on a wide range of legal issues with NM law, and the attorneys here are top notch, reasonably priced, and a pleasure to work with. They truly care about each of their…

    Colette
  • Ms. Minto, I want to thank you and your staff for the courtesy extended to us during our family’s pending emergency deadline. Mr. O’Grady spoke to my brother and gave us his best recommendation regarding my father’s…

    Abraham Torres

Charities We Support

We dedicate pro bono time, volunteer services, and a percentage of our gross revenue to these organizations. In 2023, we sponsored a refugee family of five to come to the United States and start a new life.

Each year our law firm decides as a group which charities to assist with our time, money, and expertise. Please feel free to click on any of the charities below and make a donation of your own.

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