With the Trump administration in full swing we are eager to see the fate of the federal estate tax. At the end of this year, the annual estate tax exemption amount, currently at $13.99 million per person, is to sunset and revert to $5 million, adjusted for inflation, which will likely be around $7 million, unless Congress passes further legislation to keep the current exemption amount or repeal the estate tax all together. President Trump has expressed his desire to either extend or repeal the estate tax, although, as for now, he has yet to make any official move on Read more…

Launching toasts to women and local causes that have promoted women, the firm toasted: Dr. Genevieve Roche, physician turned wine entrepreneur Sylvia Sebastiani, who ran the show at Sebastiani in the 1980s, Catherine Poppe, Victorian entrepreneur and past owner of our beloved office space, Marilyn Goode, social activist and environmental conservationist,  Anina Porter Fuller, special education teacher and artist Sondra Bernstein, iconic entrepreneur and innovative artist Nancy Parmelee – Sonoma’s second female mayor And of course, a toast to all things femme at the Sonoma Valley Women’s’ Club Now, in April, as a society we honor all things pride with Read more…

Born in Cordelia, Calif., on May 10, 1916, the former Sylvia Scarafoni moved to Sonoma in 1927 with her parents, who ran a dairy farm in Schellville. Sylvia was the second child of Italian immigrants who ran a dairy farm in Schellville. In 1936 Sylvia married her childhood sweetheart, August Sebastiani, and became his partner in Sebastiani Family Winery, founded by August’s father, Samuele, in 1904. Sylvia focused most of her attention on the home and was known as a superb cook, often preparing feasts of classic Italian dishes for August and his customers and colleagues. In the 1960s, Sebastiani Read more…

Genevieve was born in 1939, to Oxnard farmers John and Elvira Donlon. She was the eldest child of this first-generation American family as her father emigrated from Ireland in 1921. Growing up in Oxnard, Genevieve would spend her free time playing with her younger brother Shane, swimming at the Ventura State beach, playing various sports and mastering the piano. She excelled in school, both academically and in team sports. She was a star basketball player on her girls’ high school team and served many aces for her school team on the tennis court. Genevieve became the first college graduate in Read more…