Karen A. Meckstroth

Principal Counsel – Tax, Nonprofit Organizations, and Charitable Giving

Practice Groups

Tax, Nonprofit Organizations, and Charitable Giving

 

Experience

Karen A. Meckstroth joined the Office of General Counsel in 2023 as principal counsel. She advises the Office of the President, campuses, medical centers and foundations on issues related to the University’s exemption from federal income taxation as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and duties as a charitable institution under California statutory and common law. Karen supports UC clients to identify and address these issues in a wide range of University activities, including entrepreneurship and innovation efforts and joint ventures. She advises on the formation and governance of California nonprofit entities. Karen supports Institutional Advancement and other clients on legal questions concerning donor gift restrictions, donor control over charitable gifts and spending of endowment, both from a federal tax and state law perspective.

Karen started her legal career in Los Angeles at Bingham McCutchen (formerly Riordan & McKinzie) and completed her 25 years of private practice in Silicon Valley, where she was a partner at a San Jose law firm. In private practice, she worked with high-net-worth individuals and families in estate planning, tax planning, charitable planning and governance of private family foundations and represented banks and trust companies as trustees. Karen worked pro bono with numerous tax-exempt organizations in Silicon Valley to establish endowments and planned-giving programs. She is listed as one of the attorneys representing the successful taxpayer in Chen v. Franchise Tax Board, 75 Cal. App. 4th 1110 (1998). Karen has been a frequent speaker on numerous tax and nontax subjects. She served on boards of tax-exempt organizations, including as chair of a 175-year-old high school in San Jose during a $20 million capital campaign. Karen has been recognized by the California State Bar as a Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration. She was named to California Super Lawyers in Estate Planning.

 

Education

UC Law San Francisco (previously UC Hastings), J.D.
University of California, Berkeley, M.A.
University of California, Berkeley, B.A.
Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Krakow, Poland, Language Certificate

 

Bar Admissions

California
US Tax Court
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals