Dorothy Foster is an attorney known for her expertise in International estate planning and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations. She has received the highest rating ("AV") of attorneys in Martindale-Hubbell's national peer-review rating system.  She is a frequent CLE-presenter on the subjects of tax-exempt organizations, international estate planning, and international charitable organizations.

As a linguist and academic before she attending law school, Ms. Foster is frequently consulted by other attorneys regarding international planning matters.  Given few resources in that area, she taught herself international estate planning and charitable planning largely by developing contacts nationally and internationally with other practitioners in the area.  She continues to keep abreast of international estate planning matters and acts a resource for other estate planning attorneys in the Seattle area. 

Ms. Foster now practices in a firm she established several years ago based upon a business paradigm that utilizes law office technology.  The firm maintains two offices and most of the firm's staff work out of their homes.  She frequently advises (and encourages!) other practitioners regarding technology and was a speaker on the subject for the American Bar Association.

A.     TEACHING

University of Washington School Law Graduate Tax Program, Seattle WA; International Estate Planning; Spring Quarter 2004; Adjunct Professor 

ABA- RPPT Mid-year Meeting;  "Law Office Technology"; Seattle WA; 2004; Panelist

Attorney CPA Tax Clinic; "International Estate Planning;" Seattle WA; 2004; Commentator

Kitsap Estate Planning Council; "Washington Estate Tax; Update"; Silverdale WA; Speaker

King County Bar Foundation; "Estate Planning Update"; Seattle WA; 2003; Speaker

Washington State University Foundation Annual Meeting; "Charitable Giving Update"; Pullman WA; 2003; Speaker

International Society of CPAs; "International Estate Planning"; Seattle WA; 2003; Speaker

Attorney CPA Tax Clinic; "International Estate Planning Update"; Seattle WA; 2002; Speaker

Washington Law Institute; "International Estate Planning"; Seattle WA; 2002; Speaker

Washington State Bar Association; "Tax Exempt Organizations"; Seattle WA; 2002; Speaker

Washington State Bar Association RPPT Mid-Year Meeting; "International Estate Planning"; Skamania WA; 2002; Speaker

Kitsap Estate Planning Council; "Charitable Giving"; Silverdale WA; 2002; Speaker

Providence Hospital Foundation CLE; "Categories of Tax-Exempt Organizations"; Seattle WA; 2001

Northwest Giving Project; "Program-Related Investments"; Seattle WA; 2001

B.    PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & ACTIVITIES

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ("STEP"); Fellow

Washington State Bar Association, Taxation and Real Property, Probate and Trust sections; 1991- Present

Washington State Bar Association, Estate and Gift Taxation Committee

King County Estate Planning Council

Kitsap Estate Planning Council

American Bar Association; International Private Client Committee

International Bar Association; International Private Client Subsection

C.    CIVIC AND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Washington State University Foundation, Investment Committee

King County Bar Foundation; Trustee

The Nature Conservancy of Seattle; Planned Giving Advisory Board

Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce, Professionals Group; Steering Committee

Madrona School, Bainbridge Island WA; Legal Counsel

Washington State University Foundation; Planned Giving Advisory Committee

Providence Hospital System; Planned Giving Advisory Board

As the sole attorney who focuses on tax-exempt organizations and charitable giving on the Washington peninsula, Ms. Foster provides many hours of pro bono service advising nonprofit organizations in the area and speaking on estate planning and charitable giving to their constituents. 

With two other Bainbridge Island professionals, she conceived of and established a new branch of the Chamber of Commerce that is now regularly attended by professionals in the area.