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John C. Martin, Esq., Principal

Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law
State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

John C. Martin is the founder and principal of the Law Offices of John C. Martin, P.C., a Palo Alto law firm focused on estate planning, trust administration, probate, business succession planning, property tax planning, and trust and estate litigation.

John advises clients at the intersection of wealth preservation, family succession, fiduciary administration, tax planning, and dispute resolution. His clients include business owners, commercial property owners, executives, venture capitalists, trustees, beneficiaries, families with complex assets, and families navigating conflict after the death or incapacity of a loved one.

Over nearly two decades in practice, John has prepared more than 2,000 estate plans and administered hundreds of trusts, including matters involving taxable and non-taxable estates, estate and gift tax returns, complex trust funding, fiduciary accountings, sub-trust allocation, and post-death tax planning. He has been certified as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization since 2014.

John’s practice is distinguished by a rare combination of technical tax and drafting knowledge, deep Probate Code experience, and high-level dispute resolution skill. He is frequently called upon in matters where estate planning, trust administration, fiduciary duties, tax consequences, real property ownership, family conflict, and litigation strategy overlap.

Estate Planning, Tax Planning, and Wealth Preservation
John works with clients to design estate plans that do more than transfer assets. His planning focuses on preserving family wealth, reducing administrative burden, protecting beneficiaries, minimizing tax exposure, and anticipating disputes before they arise.

He has advised clients on:

  • Revocable and irrevocable trusts;
  • Estate and gift tax planning;
  • Business succession planning;
  • Charitable trusts and private foundations;
  • Intra-family loans and family business entities;
  • Special needs trusts;
  • Trusts designed for basis management, including structures using general powers of appointment in a senior generation;
  • Planning for commercial real estate owners and second-home owners;
  • California property tax planning, including planning after Proposition 19;
  • Planning for clients with international family, property, or guardianship issues;
  • Estate plans for families with minor children, disabled beneficiaries, blended families, and complex fiduciary concerns.

John has particular experience helping clients whose estates include closely held businesses, commercial real estate, multi-jurisdictional property, high-value retirement assets, and family assets that require careful succession planning.

Trust Administration, Probate, and Fiduciary Guidance
John has guided trustees, executors, beneficiaries, and families through hundreds of post-death administrations. His trust administration work includes fiduciary notices, asset collection, date-of-death valuation, tax coordination, estate and gift tax return preparation, sub-trust funding, beneficiary communications, accounting issues, distributions, and final trust closeout.

He has worked on administrations involving:

  • Taxable and non-taxable estates;
  • Estate tax returns and gift tax returns;
  • IRS estate tax audits;
  • Section 6166 elections for business owners;
  • Trust funding and sub-trust allocation;
  • Basis-management planning;
  • Commercial real estate and business assets;
  • Car dealerships, restaurant businesses, gas station businesses, industrial companies, and other closely held enterprises;
  • Domestic and international real estate;
  • Cross-border probate and administration issues involving Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe;
  • Collaboration with foreign attorneys and notaries, with particular strength working with French-language professionals.

John’s administration practice is grounded in the belief that trustees and executors need more than forms and deadlines. They need practical guidance, careful issue spotting, clear communication, and a steady hand when beneficiaries, taxes, real estate, and family dynamics complicate the administration.

Trust, Probate, Conservatorship, and Elder Abuse Litigation
John represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries, heirs, and family members in contested trust, probate, conservatorship, and elder abuse matters. He has guided cases through trial and contested hearings involving elder abuse, breach of fiduciary duty, trustee suspension and removal, surcharge, contested accountings, contested conservatorships, breach of trust, and trust contests.

His litigated matters have included:

  • Elder abuse claims;
  • Breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty claims;
  • Trustee removal and suspension petitions;
  • Surcharge claims;
  • Contested accountings;
  • Contested conservatorships;
  • Trust contests and will contests;
  • Petitions involving entitlement to estate or trust distributions;
  • Petitions to modify or construe irrevocable trusts;
  • Retroactive trust funding petitions to avoid probate;
  • Probate and fiduciary disputes involving real property, business interests, and tax-sensitive assets.

John brings a practical and strategic approach to litigation. He is highly skilled in negotiation and often works to resolve disputes efficiently where possible. When litigation is necessary, he combines detailed Probate Code knowledge, tax and drafting insight, and dispute-resolution experience to frame the issues clearly and pursue outcomes that serve the client’s broader personal, financial, and family goals.

Property Tax, Real Estate, and Business Succession Planning
John has advised commercial property owners, second-home owners, business owners, and families with valuable real estate on comprehensive California property tax planning. This work includes planning for lifetime transfers, post-death transfers, Proposition 19 issues, parent-child transfers, reassessment risk, trust structuring, and coordination between estate planning and real property ownership.

His experience includes advising owners of commercial property, family businesses, domestic and international real estate, and closely held enterprises. He has represented and advised clients including car dealership owners, restaurant-chain owners, gas station owners, industrial company owners, venture capitalists, top executives of Fortune 500 companies, and families managing complex intergenerational assets.

Education and Honors
John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA, graduating magna cum laude in 2005. He earned his Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2008. He also holds a French diplôme du programme international from L’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, commonly known as Sciences Po.

John’s honors include:

  • Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, 2014–present;
  • State Bar of California Wiley W. Manuel Award for pro bono legal work, 2010;
  • Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition awarded by Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, 2010;
  • Boston College Peter A. Donovan Award for excellence in oral advocacy, shared, 2008;
  • “Best Advocate,” European Law Moot Court Competition, 2008;
  • Executive Editor, Boston College International and Comparative Law Review, 2007–2008.

John is also the author of Bringing Dead Capital to Life, 31 Boston College International & Comparative Law Review 121 (2008), and obtained Private Letter Ruling 201551008 from the Internal Revenue Service.
Speaking Engagements and Presentations
John regularly presents to professional, community, real estate, financial, and legal audiences on estate planning, property tax, trust administration, and probate issues.

Recent and selected presentations include:
• March 23, 2026 — Presentation to CAR Young Professionals Network, “The Dirty Dozen” of Estate Planning;
• January 15, 2026 — Coldwell Banker Lunch & Learn;
• October 21, 2025 — Presentation to Channing House, “When to Involve Family in Your Estate Planning”;
• April 9, 2025 — Estate Planning Presentation, Burlingame Senior Center;
• September 18, 2024 — Presentation with Jean Joh of Perisson Real Estate Inc. on Advanced Estate Planning Topics;
• May 11, 2024 — JLee Realty Palo Alto, Estate Planning for California Real Property Owners;
• October 14, 2023 — JLee Realty Palo Alto, Estate Planning: What to Do Now;
• September 28, 2023 — Sotheby’s Contra Costa County, Property Tax Issues in Estate Planning;
• October 10, 2023 — Sotheby’s Los Gatos, Property Tax Issues in Estate Planning;
• July 26, 2023 — Presentation with Jean Joh of Perisson Real Estate Inc. on General Estate Planning;
• April 12, 2023 — Presentation with Sharp Group of Burlingame on Property Tax Issues in Estate Planning;
• March 22, 2023 — Fidelity National Title, San Jose Office, Property Tax Issues in Estate Planning;
• March 9, 2023 — Fidelity National Title, Property Tax Planning and Proposition 19;
• September 17, 2022 — JLee Realty Palo Alto, Estate Planning Under Proposition 19;
• September 25, 2020 — Kasner presentation on Probate, Estate Planning, and Elimination of Bias;
• September 15, 2020 — Joint presentation with Martin Wealth Management, Inc. on Estate Planning After the SECURE Act;
• 2017 — KALW / NPR Radio, Your Legal Rights, “Prevention of Financial Abuse of the Elderly”;
• 2017 — KALW / NPR Radio, Your Legal Rights, “When Someone You Love Won’t Create an Advance Directive”;
• 2017 — ABC7 Television, 7 On Your Side, “Inheritance Clause in Proposition 13 Explained”;
• 2017 — Strafford Webinar, “Structuring QDOTs for Non-Citizen and Nonresident Spouses”;
• 2017 — KALW / NPR Radio, Your Legal Rights, “Preserving a Proposition 13 Tax Basis”;
• 2013 — NIPA Annual Forum & Expo, Estate Planning for Retirement Benefits;
• 2009–2010 — Community Education of San Mateo County, Estate Planning Instructional Courses.

Community and Personal Background
John lives in Redwood City, California with his wife and two children. His community involvement has included service with the Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park, the Menlo Park Kiwanis Foundation, the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce, and the Ragazzi Chorus. In 2010, he co-founded Ragazzi Continuo, the alumni chorus of the Ragazzi Boys Chorus.

John’s interests include music, sports, foreign travel, and culture. He speaks French fluently and also speaks some Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian.