James Chisel

James Chisel is an Associate in the Trust & Estates, Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation, and Tax Law Practices in McDonald Carano’s Reno office. As a native Nevadan, Mr. Chisel returned to Reno and joined McDonald Carano in 2022 after practicing in California since graduating law school.

Mr. Chisel’s work in the field of trusts and estates has focused primarily on assisting high net worth individuals with their comprehensive trust and estate planning, decedent estate administration for taxable and nontaxable estates, and representing clients in probate proceedings. Mr. Chisel’s experience includes all aspects of estate, income, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning for high net worth families and individuals. In connection with his estate planning practice, Mr. Chisel assists clients in asset protection, wealth preservation, business continuation, and succession planning, charitable tax and trust planning, fiduciary and beneficiary representation, trust modification, reformation, and termination. He also assists with probate, trust, and fiduciary litigation practice, and advises and reviews estate and gift tax returns for his clients.

Mr. Chisel works with other attorneys in the Trust & Estates Practice on the formation and operation of private family trust companies in Nevada, providing clients with cohesive, long-term asset management and wealth preservation strategies through multiple generations.

During law school, Mr. Chisel served as a Summer Intern for the Honorable Barry L. Breslow and the Honorable Frances Doherty of the Second Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in Reno.

• LL.M., University of San Francisco School of Law, Taxation Law (2020); Dean’s List Fall 2019 and Spring 2020
• J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, (2019)
• B.A. University of Puget Sound, Economics, dual minors in Politics & Government and Business (2016)
• High Tech Law Certificate, Santa Clara University School of Law
• LexisNexis Professional Research Certification

• Nevada
• California

• University of San Francisco School of Law (LL.M.) — CALI Award Federal Tax Procedure & Professional Responsibility; Anderson Tax Award which is given to one graduate LL.M. student each year for “superior academic performance in the tax curriculum with demonstrated commitment to the field”
• Santa Clara University School of Law (J.D.) — CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Family Wealth Management

• Meritas Private Client Group
• Estate Planning Council of Northern Nevada
• State Bar of Nevada, Probate and Trust Section
• California Lawyers Association, Trusts and Estates Section and Taxation Section
• Washoe County Bar Association
• San Mateo County Bar Association
• Silicon Valley Bar Association