Douglas Lawson

Douglas E. Lawson is a senior associate in the Private Wealth Group of Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Los Angeles. Douglas assists business owners and high-net-worth individuals in implementing strategies for tax planning, succession planning, and wealth preservation. He provides a full range of services to U.S. and foreign clients on a wide variety of matters, including income, estate and gift tax planning for the cost-effective transfer of wealth, the administration of complex estates and lifetime trusts, charitable giving, and the creation and governance of charitable organizations and other entities. Drawing from his previous experience as a trust and estate litigator, Douglas structures estate plans that anticipate family needs in the event of a loved one’s incapacity or death, with an eye toward keeping litigation out of the family legacy.

Before shifting to a focus on tax and wealth planning, Douglas spent several years practicing business litigation at a nationally-recognized firm in Los Angeles. Douglas then transitioned to a boutique trust and estate litigation firm in Los Angeles, where he advised fiduciary and individual clients regarding active and potential inheritance disputes, and represented their interests by drafting and arguing motions, briefs, petitions, and objections in California state courts.

During law school, Douglas interned at the NBA Players Association in Harlem, New York, representing the interests of the players in collective bargaining negotiations with team owners during the historic lockout that threatened to derail the 2011-2012 NBA season.