Mark A. Lester is the managing partner of Jones, Lester, Schuck, Becker & Dehesa, LLP in Camarillo, California, where his practice focuses on trust, estate, and conservatorship litigation, trust and estate administration, and estate planning. He is recognized by the State Bar of California Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law and, as the former Chairman of the Estate Planning Law Advisory Commission of the California Board of Legal Specialization, now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Lester has taught and lectured at numerous probate, trust and estate litigation, trust administration, estate planning, and insurance seminars. He was trial and appellate counsel in both Estate of Odian (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 152, where the Court of Appeal expanded the definition of “care custodian”, and Christie v. Kimball (2012) 202 Cal.App.4th 1407, where the Court of Appeal affirmed the probate court’s own authority to order an accounting from a trustee as part of its plenary powers of managing cases.
In addition to being recognized in 2008 by Goldline Research as one of the 10 Most Dependable Lawyers (Trusts & Estates) in California, Mr. Lester has also received the Martindale-Hubbell “AV-Preeminent” Peer Review rating, which is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. In 2015, Mr. Lester was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer in both Estate Planning & Probate and in Estate & Trust Litigation areas of the law. Mr. Lester is a member of the Los Angeles County (volunteer, Attorney-Client Dispute Resolution Services Panel; judge pro tempore, Los Angeles Superior Court; and Pro Bono Probate Settlement Program) and Ventura County (Probate and Estate Planning Executive Committee) Bar Associations and the State Bar of California (Trusts & Estates and Business Law Sections).
He received his B.A. degree from Stanford University, his J.D. degree from Seattle University School of Law, and his LL.M. degree in taxation from Boston University. Mark is an Eagle Scout, the father of 3 Eagle Scouts, and enjoys camping, hiking and golf with his 5 children.