William Kruse

William F. Kruse, a partner of Lagerlof, LLP, practices in two distinct areas: business planning, with a focus on tax and wealth transfer issues, and natural resource law, with an emphasis on groundwater management and policy. Mr. Kruse has more than forty years' experience developing creative solutions to complex problems. His experience includes sophisticated strategic planning, transactional counseling and negotiating complex relationships among both private and public entities. Mr. Kruse assists families to improve communication between the generations, treating the family as a "business entity" that must pay attention to its strategic planning and its ultimate goals. By conducting one or more "family meetings," he seeks to better prepare younger family members for their future roles. Mr. Kruse has testified before numerous legislative committees regarding public district governance, water and water rights legislation, and use of public funds. He has lectured on tax issues, planned giving, business succession planning, groundwater storage and management programs, and public district conflict of interest law. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his B.S., magna cum laude, in business administration in 1976 and his MBA. in 1979. He received his J.D. in 1979 from the University of Southern California Law Center, where he was Vice-Chairman of the Moot Court Honors Program Executive Board. He is admitted to the State Bar of California, the United States District Court for the Central District of California and the United States Tax Court. Mr. Kruse is active in various civic affairs, and has for years served as a senior member of the Board of Trustees of the Pasadena Museum of History. He also serves as a private fiduciary for individual trusts and several large charitable trusts. Specialties: Closely-held family business planning, real estate, natural resource law, water law, groundwater management, estate planning and tax.