California Trust Practice

George R. Dirkes is a principal with the San Francisco law firm of Bancroft & McAlister. Mr. Dirkes is the co-author of Matthew Bender's California Trust Practice (with John A. Hartog). He earned his B.A. from Bucknell University in 1964; his J.D. degree from St. Johns University School of Law in1967; and an LL.M. (Taxation) from New York University in 1974. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1967, and the California bar in 1974. He is a California certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He writes and speaks frequently on numerous issues involving trusts and estates practice.

John A. Hartog is a California certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, as well as a California certified specialist in Taxation Law. Mr. Hartog’s practice emphasizes estate planning, trust and probate administration, including dispute resolution, and taxation matters. Mr. Hartog possesses particular expertise in counseling trustees administering living trusts and in resolving disputes among beneficiaries and fiduciaries.

Mr. Hartog was admitted to the Bar in 1979. He earned an L.L.M. in Taxation from the Golden Gate University of Law in 1984; his J.D. degree from Hastings College of the Law, University of California, in 1979; and his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Pomona College in 1974.

Mr. Hartog is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel. Mr. Hartog is a past Chair of the Executive Committee of the Trusts & Estates Section of the California State Bar. He is also a past Chair of the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Advisory Commission to the Board of Legal Specialization of the California State Bar. Mr. Hartog has served as a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall) where he taught "Wills and Trusts."

He has been selected to the Super Lawyers® Top 100 list by his peers for twelve consecutive years. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America by his peers for ten consecutive years. He has also been selected by Worth Magazine as one of "America's Top 100 Lawyers" for three consecutive years.

Mr. Hartog is the lead consulting editor for the Matthew Bender publication California Trust Litigation, released in March 2011. Mr. Hartog is a co-author of California Trust Practice, released by Matthew Bender in November 1996, and updated annually thereafter. Mr. Hartog is the lead consulting editor and a co-author for the Matthew Bender publication California Wills & Trusts, a multi-volume treatise; he is also a legal consultant to the California Wills and Trusts document assembly program. The treatise and document assembly program were originally released in September 1991 and have been updated annually thereafter. He is a past Executive Editor of the California Trusts & Estates Quarterly, the journal of the Trusts & Estates Section of the California State Bar.

Mr. Hartog has written numerous articles for a variety of professional publications. He has spoken widely on topics concerning trusts and estates law at professional continuing education programs from Boston to Honolulu, from Seattle to New Orleans, and throughout California.

Mr. Hartog is a member of the Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and American Bar Associations. Mr. Hartog is a member of the Tax Section and the Trusts & Estates Law Section of the State Bar of California. He is also a member of the Taxation Section, and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association. Mr. Hartog is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Tax Court, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and the New York State Court of Appeals.