Jeffrey A. Dennis-Strathmeyer |
Trusts and Estates Law |
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Click here for a copy of Jeff's Professional Resume.
Jeff was born in Phildelphia, Pennsylvania in 1945. His father, Lowell Dennis was a naval officer and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. His mother Nancy later graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. Following his parents' separation in 1949, Jeff and his mother moved to Berkeley, California. They moved to Carmel Valley, California in 1954 after his mother's marriage to Charles Strathmeyer. His sister Kevan Strathmeyer was born that year. Jeff attended public schools through 9th grade. He graduated from Robert Louis Stevenson School in Pebble Beach in 1963.
After graduating from Stanford University (A.B. Sociology 1967), Jeff served three years on active duty as a Navy Officer, including a tour in Viet Nam with a Seabee Battalion. He graduated from University of California (Davis) Law School, King Hall, in 1973 and was admitted to the State Bar of California the same year.
Jeff began the practice of law with a small Salinas, California general civil law firm that performed significant amounts of trusts and estates work. At the time, the federal estate tax exemption amount was a mere $60,000 and he rapidly gained significant estate and gift tax experience. His children Jeff Jr. and Christopher were born in 1974 and 1977. Following a divorce in 1980, Jeff made a partial career change in 1982 when he became a research attorney for the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) program administered by the University of California and began writing legal publications intended to assist estate planning attorneys in providing services to their clients. For a detailed list of his many publications and professional conference presentations click on the Professional Resume link above. In 1987 he married Patty Strickland, a Monterey County Deputy District Attorney. When Patty obtained a similar position with the Solano County District Attorney's Office later that year, they moved to Contra Costa County.
Jeff "retired" from the University of California in 2005 and moved his law practice to Lafayette, California. He continued to perform limited legal writing activities for the the University of Californai through December 2011. In 2017 he moved his office to Pleasant Hill. Today, he and Patty live in Pleasant Hill, California with their two cats. Jeff has three grandchildren and Patty has five.