Contact Information

555 Capitol Mall 9th Floor

Sacramento CA 95814

916.325.4553

dcourville@mhalaw.com

Practice Focus

Estate Planning

Trusts & Estates

Probate

Taxation Law

Estate & Gift Tax Returns

Donna L. Courville | Senior Attorney

Professional Experience

Donna Courville joined McDonough Holland & Allen PC in 2008 as a member of the Estate Planning and Probate group. Her practice is focused on estate planning for individuals by advising, drafting and implementing documents including revocable trusts; wills; powers of attorney; prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; family limited partnerships; and irrevocable trusts including life insurance trusts, charitable remainder trusts, special needs trusts, generation-skipping trusts, and grantor trusts. Donna also works on post-death trust and estate administration representing trustees, executors, and beneficiaries in connection with routine and complex trust and estate matters. Her post-death practice includes general trust administration, probate of wills, preparation of federal estate tax returns, and representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in connection with probate litigation. In addition, she assists clients in audit controversies with the Internal Revenue Service regarding federal estate tax returns.

Donna was previously a partner with McCleskey, Harriger, Brazill & Graf L.L.P., in Lubbock, Texas. She is a Certified Public Accountant, and also is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Donna is a frequent writer and speaker on estate planning topics, and spent eight years as an adjunct professor for Texas Tech University School of Law.

Professional Experience

In less than three years from decedent’s death, probated estate in excess of $80 million, prepared federal estate tax return and Texas inheritance tax return, negotiated and settled audit with Internal Revenue Service and distributed and closed estate on behalf of Executor.

Drafted, negotiated and obtained court approval of a family settlement agreement involving an estate exceeding $4 million, including multiple tax planning trusts some of which were modified and involved ownership of more than 60 individual rental properties, commercial properties and ranches.

Represented conservator (and later executor) on behalf of the conservatee (decedent) in preserving remainder of estate for the conservatee’s long term care after the conservatee was defrauded of $650,000 in a pay telephone lease scam. Assisted in litigation pursuing lawsuit against salesmen.

Represented family in business succession planning and estate planning. Worked closely with family’s other professional advisors as part of a team to meet the clients’ needs.

Represented family-owned grocery business in conversion from a corporation to a limited partnership for franchise tax benefits. Worked closely with national accounting firm as part of the family’s team of advisors to complete the conversion.

Presentations/Publications

Speaker, State Bar of Texas - Advanced Guardianship Seminar,
March 2007

Speaker, Texas Association of Counties - Judicial Education Sessions, 2006-2008

Adjunct Professor, Texas Tech University School of Law - Marital Property, Guardianships and Estates courses, 2000 to 2008

Leadership Positions/Affiliations

Member, Sacramento Estate Planning Council

Member, Sacramento County Bar Association

Member, Advertising Review Committee, State Bar of Texas (1999-2001)

Member, Lubbock County Bar Association (Treasurer 1999-2000)

Member, South Plains Trust & Estate Council (President 2001-2002; Vice President 1999-2000; Treasurer, 1998-1999)

Member, State Bar of Texas - Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section

Board Member, Texas Tech University School of Law Foundation (2001-Present)

Member, Lubbock Area Community Foundation (Treasurer 2003-2004)

Honors/Awards

Texas Bar Foundation Fellow