INDIVIDUAL PROFILE

Charles Packer

High Net Worth 2025

Lathrop GPM

Ranked in 1 practice area

Private Wealth Law

California: Northern

10 years ranked

About

Provided by Lathrop GPM

High Net Worth

Practice Areas

Private Client Services

Closely Held & Family Businesses

Career

Chuck Packer provides thoughtful and strategic counsel on estate, gift and philanthropic tax planning with a leading focus on essential issues important to prominent and high-net-worth individuals and families. His influential list of clients trust him with their most important and complex tax concerns involving high-stakes consequences. Chuck’s practice and experience includes actions in Northern California and beyond, including Europe, Asia, India and Australia. His clients are long term, some from generation to generation.

Chuck’s practice includes all aspects of:

Wealth transfer planning for sophisticated assets and wealth

Estate planning

Family business

As the former leader of legacy firm Hopkins Carley’s Family Wealth & Tax Planning Practice and a former member of its Executive Committee, Chuck understands business imperatives. In 2006, Chuck opened Lathrop GPM’s Palo Alto Office (now in Redwood Shores) and was responsible for growing its Family Wealth & Tax Planning Practice into one of the largest in Northern California.

In addition to Chuck’s legal acumen, he has been recognized as a ‘Leader in their Field’ for Private Wealth in Chambers’ High Net Worth Guide since 2016. Additionally, Chuck has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel (ACTEC), a prestigious national peer recognition association. Every year since 2021, Chuck has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Northern California™ in the field of Trusts & Estates Law.

Experience

Represented a family in the sale of their small, family-operated business to a large, publicly traded buyer for twice the amount of what had originally been offered, while transferring significant wealth to younger generations through tax efficient pre-transaction planning.

Advised a Bay Area telecommunications pioneer on a variety of business and wealth management matters, including a private family foundation and public charity, establishing an entity to own a condo in London and also assisted with household staff employment matters.

Advised the founders and management team members of several high-profile Silicon Valley companies needing assistance with estate plans and wealth transfers to children and other family members. These transfers were designed and handled in a tax efficient manner prior to IPO or other liquidity events, resulting in significant wealth transfers at little or no tax cost to the transferor.

Key sectors

Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT)Family Offices and High Net Worth

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers High Net Worth

Private Wealth Law - California: Northern

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Charles Packer is focused on dealing with trust and estate planning issues for wealthy clients. Packer was previously a partner at Hopkins & Carley, which merged with Lathrop GPM in October 2024.

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