David D. Little Partner (510) 451-3300 dlittle@donahue.com Download vCard LinkedIn
David D. Little
David D. Little is a partner at Donahue Fitzgerald with over 20 years’ experience practicing law and is a Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning & Trust Law from the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California. David has represented individuals, corporate and private professional fiduciaries administrating trusts and estates with assets including commercial real property, family limited partnerships, oil, gas, and mineral interests, and corporate entities ranging in size from $1 million to over $100 million. David also has extensive experience in trust and estates litigation representing trustees and beneficiaries in matters including trust termination, trust contests, asset recovery, and breach of fiduciary duty actions, up through trial. In addition to representing fiduciaries, David has prepared estate plans for clients with assets ranging from $5 million to over $75 million.
David is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He has published extensively and has presented throughout California on trust and estate administration and litigation topics, and estate planning. He is a Past President of East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers and the East Bay Estate Planning Council. David previously served as a commissioner on the California Bar Association Board of Legal Specialization’s Estate Planning Law Commission.
Professional & Community Affiliations
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
- Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
- Member, Trust and Estates Section, California Lawyers Association
- Commissioner, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Advisory Commission to the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California, 2013-2016
- Past President, East Bay Trust and Estates Lawyers
- Past President, East Bay Estate Planning Council
- Past Member, Litigation Section, State Bar of California, 2004-2007
Recognition
- Named, Northern California Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers, 2019-2021
Recent Articles/News
Past Articles/News
- Author, Administering Digital Estates, WealthManagement.com, July 30, 2020
- Author, The Future is (Almost) Here: Electronic Wills in California, The Recorder, February 11, 2020
- Author, Debt Collection Practice in California, (Cont. Ed. Bar, 2019)
- Author, California Forms of Pleading and Practice, (LexisNexis, 2013), Chapter 560G, Trusts: Trustee Fees and Attorney Fees
- Author, Matthew Bender Practice Guide: California Trust Litigation, (LexisNexis, 2011), Chapter 14, Asserting or Opposing Trustee Compensation Claims
Recent Speaking Engagements
November 13, 2024 | Virtual
Heggstad Petitions: Procedure and Select Problems
California Lawyers Association
October 17, 2024 | Virtual
How and Why Heggstad
Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)
Past Speaking Engagements
- Navigating the Charitable Strategies Before and After the Disposition of a Business, Co-presenter with Tamara Wallenstein, Diablo Valley Estate Planning Council, January 17, 2024.
- Handling Disputes to Fiduciary Accountings, Co-presenter with Ryan Szczepanik, Estate Planning Council Diablo Valley, Webinar, October 21, 2020
- The Future is (Almost) Here: Electronic Wills in California, Legal Assistance for Seniors, 15th Annual Conference on Elder Abuse, Webinar, October 6, 2020
- Heggstad Petitions: Procedure and Select Problems, Continuing Education of the Bar, Webinar, May 2020
- The Future is (Almost) Here: Electronic Wills in California, East Bay Trust and Estate Lawyers, Oakland, November 2019
- Accountings, Final Distribution, and Probate Administration: Probate Boot Camp, East Bay Trust and Estate Lawyers, Oakland, September 2019
- Settled and Approved II: Handling Disputes to Fiduciary Accountings: Co-presenter with Ryan Szczepanik, California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Webinar, August 2019
- EPIC Subject 3: Tax Planning Matters, Tax Procedure and Tax Returns II: Continuing Education of the Bar, Oakland, July 2019