Carol A. Johnston

Carol A. Johnston

Trusts and Estates

3.0 (1 reviews)
Los Angeles, California
46+ years experience
Katten
Updated:

Contact Information

2121 Avenue Of The Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90067-5010
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Bio

Carol Johnston works with individual clients to develop sophisticated planning techniques for the preservation and protection of family wealth. Her advice covers an array of estate and tax planning issues, and she represents fiduciaries and handles administration of estates and trusts. Widely recognized in legal industry publications as a leading lawyer for trusts and estates, Carol is praised by peers as "knowledgeable" and someone who "works well with others."Carol is recognized as a leading trusts and estates lawyer by the Chambers High Net Worth guide. One interview told Chambers: "[Carol] is amazing. She has a great bedside manner – she is very, very smart and is able to translate clients' rambling ideas into tight plans. I refer clients to her often because she is such a fine lawyer." Carol has been certified as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.Carol's experience includes planning and drafting revocable and irrevocable trusts including dynasty trusts, life insurance planning, premarital planning, and charitable gift planning, including both charitable trusts and the formation of private foundations and public charities. Carol also has extensive experience in the administration of high value estates with complex assets, estate tax return preparation, estate tax audits, and all aspects of trust administration and probate procedures.Carol lectures annually on current developments in estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax to other attorneys for Continuing Education of the Bar. She also serves as chair of the board of trustees for Hollenbeck Palms, Inc., a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides assisted living and skilled nursing care to seniors. Carol is on the Board of Directors of Women's Alzheimer's Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about women's increased risk for Alzheimer's, funding women-based scientific research and educating the public about brain health. Carol also has extensive experience in the administration of high value estates with complex assets, estate tax return preparation, estate tax audits, and all aspects of trust administration and probate procedures. Carol lectures annually on current developments in estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax to other attorneys for Continuing Education of the Bar. She also serves as chair of the board of trustees for Hollenbeck Palms, Inc., a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides assisted living and skilled nursing care to seniors. Carol is on the Board of Directors of Women's Alzheimer's Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about women's increased risk for Alzheimer's, funding women-based scientific research and educating the public about brain health.

Practice Areas

Trusts and Estates

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized: Trusts and Estates
  • Special Focus: Probate

Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2005

Education

  • University of Chicago, J.D., graduated 1979

Reviews

R

Ryan Rogers

2 weeks ago

Experienced and knowledgeable, but communication could be improved

I engaged Carol Johnston at Katten to assist with updating my family's estate plan, a task made complex by a family-owned business and assets in multiple states. With her 46 years of experience and recognition in trusts and estates, particularly probate, I had high confidence in her technical ability. Her advice on structuring a dynasty trust to address California's tax considerations was indeed sophisticated and clearly drew from her deep background. However, my experience was a mixed bag. While the final documents were comprehensive, the process felt somewhat impersonal. Response times to emails were often slower than expected, sometimes stretching to several business days, which created anxiety during time-sensitive discussions. Meetings, though productive, were very efficient and strictly business, leaving little room for broader questions about the implications of certain choices. For straightforward, high-level planning, her expertise from the University of Chicago and decades at a top firm is undeniable. Yet, for clients who value frequent touchpoints and a more collaborative, explanatory approach throughout the journey, the service may feel merely adequate. She executed the legal work competently, but the client experience itself lacked the consistent engagement I anticipated.

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