team-member

Steven Zipper

Portland, OR

Licensed for 25 years

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

Tax Law

Language

English

About

Steve combines his 17 years as an estate planning attorney with a solid tax background working at two of the "Big Five" accounting firms. As Shareholder of the estate planning practice Steve manages the business and assists clients with all aspects of their estate plans including wills, trusts, life insurance planning, estate and trust administration after death (including probate), and business succession planning, as well as estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning. Steve’s focus is on helping people plan for protecting what is important to them, both during life and upon their deaths.   As an estate planning attorney, Steve is a sincere advocate and planner, working with clients through the complexities of their situations. In his personal life Steve enjoys spending time with his family, bicycling around Portland and planning for his next big travel adventure!

Practices Areas

Estate Planning

Probate

Language

English

Contact

Gevurtz Menashe PC115 NW 1st Ave Ste 400Portland, OR, 97209-4024 Office (503) 227-1515 115 NW 1st Ave Ste 400Portland, OR, 97209-4024 Office (503) 227-1515(503) 227-1515

Office: (503) 713-6844

Website: N/A

Reviews

anonymous
January 12, 2015

Steve Zipper has done stellar work for me and my family - and gone above and beyond. When we first met and started talking (recently married, kid on the way), Steve asked if we had our family affairs in order. He was truly concerned that we have the best plan in place, helping us set up wills, trusts, medical directives and power of attorney, and helping us find sound financial advice as well. He was incredibly thorough, and personal in a way that we didn't feel like we were getting plugged into a template. Since then Steve has helped me with setting up a business, projecting and preparing for some potential legal difficulties, and more. What sets him apart is that he absolutely thrives on finding the approach, technique or tool that is the perfect fit for you. I've gotten to know Steve well, and I can attest that he really loves what he does, and nothing is better for him than finding a unique solution that few if any others could have come up with. The things you want in a lawyer are all there - attention to detail, thorough knowledge of the law, professionalism - but it's what's beyond that that makes him stand out: compassion, genuine interest, unquestionable integrity and an altruistic desire to use the law to help people. It gives me a very high level of comfort to know I have Steve in my corner.

anonymous
January 15, 2015

Steve has helped my family with all of our estate planning and business needs for over ten years. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone that needs a well drafted and thoughtful estate plan. As with most business owners, my estate plan had to take into consideration the various complexities of our business entities. He was able to take complex issues and simplify them so that my Wife and I could understand and make good decisions. Steve and his team were always very accessible. Accessibility was very helpful given our busy lives. Our estate planning didn't drag on like I've heard from others. I think if you are someone that cares about protecting your family in the event of a death or disability, you should use Steve.

Beth
January 26, 2021

We hired Steven Zipper to do our estate planning (trust and will) after a most delightful interview with him. His easygoing personality put us right at ease, and at the same time it was clear that he was an expert in his field of law. He listened very carefully to our desires and crafted a pretty complex trust that would take care of our children in the event of our passing before they were all grown. We enjoyed this process with him (which says something!) and ended up with a product that we feel very confident will serve our family well. We would absolutely recommend Steven to anyone looking for a trust attorney.

Janet
January 24, 2020

My siblings and I hired Steve Zipper to advise us through the process of dealing with our parent's estates, both before and after their deaths. We had many decisions to make and did not know where to begin. Steve advised and guided us through decisions regarding our parents' waning mental capacities; LLC law; tax strategy for two trusts; the resignation and replacement of two trustees; coordinating with real estate lessees; and the distribution of assets to four beneficiaries. Through it all, Steve was a true professional. He returned our calls and emails promptly; always made sure we understood the law and the steps we needed to take; he made sure the trustees understood and were up to date on their duties; and he helped us resolve our conflicts (not an easy task). Steve earned our trust with his legal acumen, diligence, and his genuine interest in the well-being of us all. I am delighted to give him my highest recommendation.

Louis
March 27, 2019

We recently worked through our entire estate plan with Steve Zipper. With multiple trusts and businesses, our estate plan was fairly complex. Throughout the process, Steve was incredibly knowledgeable and patient, explaining everything in terms we could actually understand. He made the process easy and even enjoyable. Getting our estate plan done has relieved so much stress from our lives, and Steve made it happen. We can't recommend Steve highly enough!

Susan Jane
October 10, 2018

We originally came to Steve for relatively easy estate planning, with which we were very happy. Years later, we wanted to update our estate plan and asked Steve to do some corporate paperwork for us as well: even though we hadn't worked together for almost a decade, Steve remembered what was important to us and helped us revise our paperwork accordingly. The process was easy, and dare I say fun. Steve was able to clearly explain to us the purpose of each passage, and answered all of our questions. We've been very happy with Steve's work, and would recommend him to others.

Jamie and Tiffany
June 8, 2018

The majority of us have been there...marriage, a house, careers, children, assets and....no formal plan should something happen to us. It’s not fun to think about but at least twice a year on our annual road trips it would be at the forefront of our minds...what if? What would happen? What would life look like for our three precious children? We put it off for varying reasons...Who do we trust?, Probably costs a lot!, We drive a big safe car! and a handful of other reasons but none very good. We’d hear of freak accidents where children were suddenly orphaned and the horror that followed those events for those that had parents without a plan. We decided it was time to put our adult britches on and get something in place. We chose Steven Zipper for our estate planning. He immediately set our minds at ease! He was knowledgable, professional and extremely thorough! He made the process of creating our trust, will, medical directives, etc simple. He didn’t charge and arm and a leg either. We never felt rushed or pressured, just very well guided! He took the time to answer all of our questions and there were many! We’d highly recommend our new friend and atty Steven Zipper one hundred times over! He’ll put your mind at ease!

Tom
December 28, 2017

Very detailed, careful process. Every item clearly explained and reviewed. Every question addressed thoroughly.

anonymous
December 26, 2017

No words can express the amount of care and professionalism that Steve extended to us during our family crisis. We literally had three days before our departure back home to to prepare our family estate and wills. We are US citizens but we live abroad in the UK. Dealing with diverse international laws and distance, Steve's knowledge made the whole process absolutely seamless. He was incredibly compassionate, and his depth of estate planning and family matters truly gave us comfort and confidence in his advice. We will continue to use Steve for legal matters on a long term basis and give him the highest recommendation to others looking for such advice.

Catherine
September 4, 2017

I'm writing to express our gratitude to Steven Zipper an his staff. Mr. Zipper came highly recommended for good reason. He patiently and thoroughly walked us through our options in regards to preparing our will. He told us what to expect in regard to the product, price and time frames all of which were adhered to. We can recommend Mr. Zipper and his staff without any reservation!

anonymous
January 12, 2015

Steve Zipper has done stellar work for me and my family - and gone above and beyond. When we first met and started talking (recently married, kid on the way), Steve asked if we had our family affairs in order. He was truly concerned that we have the best plan in place, helping us set up wills, trusts, medical directives and power of attorney, and helping us find sound financial advice as well. He was incredibly thorough, and personal in a way that we didn't feel like we were getting plugged into a template. Since then Steve has helped me with setting up a business, projecting and preparing for some potential legal difficulties, and more. What sets him apart is that he absolutely thrives on finding the approach, technique or tool that is the perfect fit for you. I've gotten to know Steve well, and I can attest that he really loves what he does, and nothing is better for him than finding a unique solution that few if any others could have come up with. The things you want in a lawyer are all there - attention to detail, thorough knowledge of the law, professionalism - but it's what's beyond that that makes him stand out: compassion, genuine interest, unquestionable integrity and an altruistic desire to use the law to help people. It gives me a very high level of comfort to know I have Steve in my corner.

anonymous
January 15, 2015

Steve has helped my family with all of our estate planning and business needs for over ten years. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone that needs a well drafted and thoughtful estate plan. As with most business owners, my estate plan had to take into consideration the various complexities of our business entities. He was able to take complex issues and simplify them so that my Wife and I could understand and make good decisions. Steve and his team were always very accessible. Accessibility was very helpful given our busy lives. Our estate planning didn't drag on like I've heard from others. I think if you are someone that cares about protecting your family in the event of a death or disability, you should use Steve.

Beth
January 26, 2021

We hired Steven Zipper to do our estate planning (trust and will) after a most delightful interview with him. His easygoing personality put us right at ease, and at the same time it was clear that he was an expert in his field of law. He listened very carefully to our desires and crafted a pretty complex trust that would take care of our children in the event of our passing before they were all grown. We enjoyed this process with him (which says something!) and ended up with a product that we feel very confident will serve our family well. We would absolutely recommend Steven to anyone looking for a trust attorney.

Janet
January 24, 2020

My siblings and I hired Steve Zipper to advise us through the process of dealing with our parent's estates, both before and after their deaths. We had many decisions to make and did not know where to begin. Steve advised and guided us through decisions regarding our parents' waning mental capacities; LLC law; tax strategy for two trusts; the resignation and replacement of two trustees; coordinating with real estate lessees; and the distribution of assets to four beneficiaries. Through it all, Steve was a true professional. He returned our calls and emails promptly; always made sure we understood the law and the steps we needed to take; he made sure the trustees understood and were up to date on their duties; and he helped us resolve our conflicts (not an easy task). Steve earned our trust with his legal acumen, diligence, and his genuine interest in the well-being of us all. I am delighted to give him my highest recommendation.

Louis
March 27, 2019

We recently worked through our entire estate plan with Steve Zipper. With multiple trusts and businesses, our estate plan was fairly complex. Throughout the process, Steve was incredibly knowledgeable and patient, explaining everything in terms we could actually understand. He made the process easy and even enjoyable. Getting our estate plan done has relieved so much stress from our lives, and Steve made it happen. We can't recommend Steve highly enough!

Susan Jane
October 10, 2018

We originally came to Steve for relatively easy estate planning, with which we were very happy. Years later, we wanted to update our estate plan and asked Steve to do some corporate paperwork for us as well: even though we hadn't worked together for almost a decade, Steve remembered what was important to us and helped us revise our paperwork accordingly. The process was easy, and dare I say fun. Steve was able to clearly explain to us the purpose of each passage, and answered all of our questions. We've been very happy with Steve's work, and would recommend him to others.

Jamie and Tiffany
June 8, 2018

The majority of us have been there...marriage, a house, careers, children, assets and....no formal plan should something happen to us. It’s not fun to think about but at least twice a year on our annual road trips it would be at the forefront of our minds...what if? What would happen? What would life look like for our three precious children? We put it off for varying reasons...Who do we trust?, Probably costs a lot!, We drive a big safe car! and a handful of other reasons but none very good. We’d hear of freak accidents where children were suddenly orphaned and the horror that followed those events for those that had parents without a plan. We decided it was time to put our adult britches on and get something in place. We chose Steven Zipper for our estate planning. He immediately set our minds at ease! He was knowledgable, professional and extremely thorough! He made the process of creating our trust, will, medical directives, etc simple. He didn’t charge and arm and a leg either. We never felt rushed or pressured, just very well guided! He took the time to answer all of our questions and there were many! We’d highly recommend our new friend and atty Steven Zipper one hundred times over! He’ll put your mind at ease!

Tom
December 28, 2017

Very detailed, careful process. Every item clearly explained and reviewed. Every question addressed thoroughly.

anonymous
December 26, 2017

No words can express the amount of care and professionalism that Steve extended to us during our family crisis. We literally had three days before our departure back home to to prepare our family estate and wills. We are US citizens but we live abroad in the UK. Dealing with diverse international laws and distance, Steve's knowledge made the whole process absolutely seamless. He was incredibly compassionate, and his depth of estate planning and family matters truly gave us comfort and confidence in his advice. We will continue to use Steve for legal matters on a long term basis and give him the highest recommendation to others looking for such advice.

Catherine
September 4, 2017

I'm writing to express our gratitude to Steven Zipper an his staff. Mr. Zipper came highly recommended for good reason. He patiently and thoroughly walked us through our options in regards to preparing our will. He told us what to expect in regard to the product, price and time frames all of which were adhered to. We can recommend Mr. Zipper and his staff without any reservation!

anonymous
January 12, 2015

Steve Zipper has done stellar work for me and my family - and gone above and beyond. When we first met and started talking (recently married, kid on the way), Steve asked if we had our family affairs in order. He was truly concerned that we have the best plan in place, helping us set up wills, trusts, medical directives and power of attorney, and helping us find sound financial advice as well. He was incredibly thorough, and personal in a way that we didn't feel like we were getting plugged into a template. Since then Steve has helped me with setting up a business, projecting and preparing for some potential legal difficulties, and more. What sets him apart is that he absolutely thrives on finding the approach, technique or tool that is the perfect fit for you. I've gotten to know Steve well, and I can attest that he really loves what he does, and nothing is better for him than finding a unique solution that few if any others could have come up with. The things you want in a lawyer are all there - attention to detail, thorough knowledge of the law, professionalism - but it's what's beyond that that makes him stand out: compassion, genuine interest, unquestionable integrity and an altruistic desire to use the law to help people. It gives me a very high level of comfort to know I have Steve in my corner.

anonymous
January 15, 2015

Steve has helped my family with all of our estate planning and business needs for over ten years. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone that needs a well drafted and thoughtful estate plan. As with most business owners, my estate plan had to take into consideration the various complexities of our business entities. He was able to take complex issues and simplify them so that my Wife and I could understand and make good decisions. Steve and his team were always very accessible. Accessibility was very helpful given our busy lives. Our estate planning didn't drag on like I've heard from others. I think if you are someone that cares about protecting your family in the event of a death or disability, you should use Steve.

Beth
January 26, 2021

We hired Steven Zipper to do our estate planning (trust and will) after a most delightful interview with him. His easygoing personality put us right at ease, and at the same time it was clear that he was an expert in his field of law. He listened very carefully to our desires and crafted a pretty complex trust that would take care of our children in the event of our passing before they were all grown. We enjoyed this process with him (which says something!) and ended up with a product that we feel very confident will serve our family well. We would absolutely recommend Steven to anyone looking for a trust attorney.

Janet
January 24, 2020

My siblings and I hired Steve Zipper to advise us through the process of dealing with our parent's estates, both before and after their deaths. We had many decisions to make and did not know where to begin. Steve advised and guided us through decisions regarding our parents' waning mental capacities; LLC law; tax strategy for two trusts; the resignation and replacement of two trustees; coordinating with real estate lessees; and the distribution of assets to four beneficiaries. Through it all, Steve was a true professional. He returned our calls and emails promptly; always made sure we understood the law and the steps we needed to take; he made sure the trustees understood and were up to date on their duties; and he helped us resolve our conflicts (not an easy task). Steve earned our trust with his legal acumen, diligence, and his genuine interest in the well-being of us all. I am delighted to give him my highest recommendation.

Louis
March 27, 2019

We recently worked through our entire estate plan with Steve Zipper. With multiple trusts and businesses, our estate plan was fairly complex. Throughout the process, Steve was incredibly knowledgeable and patient, explaining everything in terms we could actually understand. He made the process easy and even enjoyable. Getting our estate plan done has relieved so much stress from our lives, and Steve made it happen. We can't recommend Steve highly enough!

Susan Jane
October 10, 2018

We originally came to Steve for relatively easy estate planning, with which we were very happy. Years later, we wanted to update our estate plan and asked Steve to do some corporate paperwork for us as well: even though we hadn't worked together for almost a decade, Steve remembered what was important to us and helped us revise our paperwork accordingly. The process was easy, and dare I say fun. Steve was able to clearly explain to us the purpose of each passage, and answered all of our questions. We've been very happy with Steve's work, and would recommend him to others.

Jamie and Tiffany
June 8, 2018

The majority of us have been there...marriage, a house, careers, children, assets and....no formal plan should something happen to us. It’s not fun to think about but at least twice a year on our annual road trips it would be at the forefront of our minds...what if? What would happen? What would life look like for our three precious children? We put it off for varying reasons...Who do we trust?, Probably costs a lot!, We drive a big safe car! and a handful of other reasons but none very good. We’d hear of freak accidents where children were suddenly orphaned and the horror that followed those events for those that had parents without a plan. We decided it was time to put our adult britches on and get something in place. We chose Steven Zipper for our estate planning. He immediately set our minds at ease! He was knowledgable, professional and extremely thorough! He made the process of creating our trust, will, medical directives, etc simple. He didn’t charge and arm and a leg either. We never felt rushed or pressured, just very well guided! He took the time to answer all of our questions and there were many! We’d highly recommend our new friend and atty Steven Zipper one hundred times over! He’ll put your mind at ease!

Tom
December 28, 2017

Very detailed, careful process. Every item clearly explained and reviewed. Every question addressed thoroughly.

anonymous
December 26, 2017

No words can express the amount of care and professionalism that Steve extended to us during our family crisis. We literally had three days before our departure back home to to prepare our family estate and wills. We are US citizens but we live abroad in the UK. Dealing with diverse international laws and distance, Steve's knowledge made the whole process absolutely seamless. He was incredibly compassionate, and his depth of estate planning and family matters truly gave us comfort and confidence in his advice. We will continue to use Steve for legal matters on a long term basis and give him the highest recommendation to others looking for such advice.

Catherine
September 4, 2017

I'm writing to express our gratitude to Steven Zipper an his staff. Mr. Zipper came highly recommended for good reason. He patiently and thoroughly walked us through our options in regards to preparing our will. He told us what to expect in regard to the product, price and time frames all of which were adhered to. We can recommend Mr. Zipper and his staff without any reservation!