Jonathan C. Lurie
Senior Counsel, Private Wealth
Jonathan Lurie is senior counsel in the Private Wealth Group. Jonathan is a problem solver who uses his significant experience to develop personalized wealth management and preservation strategies to achieve the individual objectives and aspirations of the clients he serves. He focuses on U.S. and international tax and estate planning, trust administration, succession planning and family governance. Jonathan works with clients to set up Family Offices, private trust companies, and virtual private trust companies.
Chambers High Net Worth 2023 ranks Jonathan as a top advisor for Private Wealth Law in California, where he is commended for being "an excellent attorney with extraordinary experience" and "extremely knowledgeable." Chambers also notes, "He's always helpful and a pleasure to work with."
A native South African, Jonathan has practiced law in South Africa and the United States. He attended university and law school in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is admitted to practice law in the Republic of South Africa and Kingdom of Lesotho, in addition to California.
Experience
- Chambers High Net Worth
- Private Wealth Law (Band 1), Southern California, 2016 - 2024
- Private Wealth: Western Region (Band 1), USA, 2016 - 2024
- Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 2001-2025
- National Law Journal, Trailblazer, Divorce, Trusts & Estates, 2017
- Chambers USA
- Wealth Management (Band 1), Nationwide, 2007 - 2016
- Tax: Estate Planning (Band 1), California, 2007 - 2016
- Super Lawyers, Family & Consumer, Southern California
- Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
- Co-chair, California Society of Certified Public Accountants Estate and Trust Planning Conference
- Past chair, Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), Estate and Gift Tax Committee of the Tax Section; past executive committee member, LACBA Trust and Probate Committee
- Panelist, “Important Considerations in Setting Up a Successful Family Office,” Tax Institute, USC Gould School of Law (January 23, 2024)
- Panelist, “Drafting Tips,” CalCPA’s Estate and Trust Planning Conference, July 13, 2023
Jonathan advised on the following significant matters*:
- Represented a nonresident alien family in the domestication of their large complex estate to benefit U.S. beneficiary children
- Represented a client with a large illiquid real estate portfolio by eliminating the estate tax and reducing liquidity needs
- Represented a client who wanted to create a museum for his substantial art collection
- Represented a family with a family business and created a complex, workable succession plan for the business
*Jonathan advised on these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
United States Tax Court