Alexander C. Winkle (“Alex”) is a Senior Associate in HCP’s nationally recognized Estate Planning Group and HCP’s Trust Administration & Probate Group, where he assists clients in all aspects of estate planning, inter vivos and post-mortem trust administration, probate administration and a variety of tax-related matters. Alex excels not only in handling the various issues which arise in client matters, but also in working with clients so they understand their rights and responsibilities under the governing documents and relevant law. Alex specializes in high net-worth clients who are subject to additional rules, regulations, intricacies and scrutiny in the formation and administration of an estate plan.
Alex is both a sounding board and an advisor for client ideas, balancing active listening with professional and technical expertise. His work is client focused in order to craft highly refined estate plans catered to the goals, needs and situation of each client. The result is a bespoke estate plan which ensures that the client’s directions are clearly laid out in the appropriate documents while also optimizing the administration both during a client’s lifetime and after a client’s passing. In addition to the basic tools of estate planning in California (wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance health care directives) Alex has experience working with advanced tools such as out of state trusts, trust decanting, directed trusts, and specialized irrevocable trusts like Defective Grantor Trusts, Life Insurance Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Qualified Personal Residence Trusts.
Alex’s full-service estate planning practice also includes probate and trust administration services. Whether or not HCP crafted a particular estate plan, Alex can help guide beneficiaries, executors, grantors, heirs and trustees through the process of an inter vivos or post-mortem administration. While probate and trust administration can often be arduous and time consuming, Alex aims to streamline the administration process to open and complete an administration in an efficient, thorough and cost-effective manner for his clients.
Outside of the practice of law, Alex enjoys golf, hiking, and exploring San Diego County and the world beyond with his wonderful wife, Carly.
Professional Certifications
- Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, State Bar of California.
- Certified Specialist, Taxation Law, State Bar of California.
Speaking and Writing
Alex has spoken and written on various estate, trust, transfer tax, and charitable planning subjects through seminars hosted by a variety of professional organizations. Alex’s list of speaking and writing engagements includes the following:
- Post-Mortem Tax Planning, Distributions, and Trust Administration*;
- Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues*;
- Basic Tax Concerns When Drafting Wills and Trusts in California*;
- Transfer Tax Planning: Keeping an Eye on the 2025 Sunset;
- Gift Tax of Donations and Other Transfers to Trust;
- Tax Issues in Probate Administration;
- 2023 State and Federal Tax Updates;
- What’s New in Planning for Large Estates and Complex Assets.
*Denotes an upcoming presentation for 2024.
Professional Associations
- California Lawyers Association: Trusts and Estates Section.
- San Diego County Bar Association: Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Section.
- San Diego County Bar Association: Taxation Law Section.
- Estate Planning Council of San Diego.
Education
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
- Juris Doctor (J.D.), Class of 2015; and
- Master of Taxation (LL.M.), Class of 2015.
- Chapman University
- B.A. in Political Science, Class of 2012;
- B.F.A. in Film Production, Class of 2012; and
- University Honors, cum laude, Gamma Beta Phi, Pi Sigma Alpha.
Recent Recognition for HCP’s Estate Planning Group
The 2024 Edition of Best Law Firms® awarded HCP with the following rankings:
- National Tier 3 ranking in Trusts and Estates Law.
- Regional Tier 1 rankings in Trusts and Estate Law, Tax Law and Non-Profits / Charities Law.
HCP is one of only four law firms in the San Diego Metro Area to receive National recognition in Trusts and Estates law from Best Law Firms® (and the only boutique law firm to receive the ranking). A Tier 3 National ranking places HCP’s Estate Planning Group in the top 4% of all law firms nationwide practicing in Trusts and Estates Law. Please see HCP’s news release here for more details regarding this prestigious recognition.
