Chelsea J. Suttmann is a Partner in the San Francisco office and has been certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law. Chelsea’s law practice focuses primarily on estate planning, trust and probate law, estate and gift taxation, and business formation, maintenance, and succession for family-owned businesses. Before joining Harrison LLP, Chelsea was a Shareholder and Managing Director at Barulich Dugoni Suttmann & Cummins Law Group, Inc.
Chelsea’s family background includes several generations of small business owners and entrepreneurs, encouraging her to specialize in advising and counseling family business owners on estate planning, business succession planning, and business formation and maintenance matters. She also provides counsel to high-net-worth individuals and families regarding lifetime and post-death gifting, estate tax considerations, and asset protection strategies. She lectures on various topics, including estate planning, estates and trusts, and estate and gift taxation.
When she’s not at work, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband and young children, preferably outdoors or on the water, and cheering on the University of Michigan Wolverines.
California
Michigan
Northern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star”, San Francisco Magazine, 2019-2021
Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif
Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California Law Review, Santa Clara Law Review, Technical Editor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, B.A.
Annual Jerry A. Kasner Estate Planning Symposium, Member
Junior League of Palo Alto Mid-Peninsula, Member 2012-2015
San Mateo County Bar Association, Member
San Mateo County Leadership Program Graduate 2015
San Mateo County Rotary Club, Member 2012-2015
Co-Presenter, “Estate Planning for Business Owners: Buy-Sell Agreements, Non-Family Interests, Valuation Considerations, Tax Issues,” Strafford (May 2025)
Co-Presenter, “Devil is in the Details: Traps for the Unwary in the Amendment, Revocation, and Execution of Documents,” Kasner Symposium (October 2023)
Co-Presenter, “The Upside of a Down Market: Making the Most of the Current Environment in Wealth and Tax Strategies for 2023,” Practising Law Institute (PLI) (December 2022)
Co-Presenter, “Practical Planning with IRC § 678 Beneficiary Deemed Owned Trusts (BDOTs),” American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section (ABA/RPTE) (October 2022)
Co-Presenter, “Accounting for Lawyers: The Basics and Beyond,” American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI/CLE) (August 2022)
Presenter, “Advanced Planning – A Decade in Review What Have We Learned over the Last Decade and Where are We Headed?” California Lawyers Association (CLA) (September 2021)
Presenter, “Core Drafting Series: The Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning,” California Young Lawyer’s Association (CLA) (June 2021)
Co-Presenter, “Proposition 19 – Changes, Developments, and Planning for the Future,” (June 2021)
Co-Presenter, “Artificial Intelligence is Here to Help your Practice,” California Lawyer’s Association (CLA) (June 2019)
“Advanced Planning – A Decade in Review: What Have We Learned Over the Last Decade and Where are We Headed?”, California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Volume 27, Issue 1
Co-Author, “Overview of Trustee’s Duties, Standards, and Powers,” CEB California Trust Administration, Chapter 2
Estate Planning Considerations for California Same-Sex Couples in a Post-Windsor and Post-Proposition 8 World, California Trusts and Estates Quarterly, Volume 19, Issue 4
The Minority Coalition’s Burden of Proof Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Santa Clara Law Review, publication date: Jan 1, 2012
Harrison LLP is pleased to announce its continued recognition in the 2025 Chambers High Net Worth Guide, a distinguished publication renowned for its comprehensive analysis of the world’s leading lawyers and law firms serving high net worth individuals.
Atlanta Partners Kimberly G. Ader and Kim C. Martin will present at the annual Georgia Bar Association’s Fiduciary Law Institute taking place July 24-26 in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Elizabeth A. Garlovsky has been appointed Membership Recruitment Director for the state of Illinois by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). In this esteemed role, Elizabeth will oversee key responsibilities related to membership recruitment, including strategic planning, outreach, relationship development, and collaboration across internal and external networks.
