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Sarah

Sarah MacLeod

ShareholderPrivate Client Services Team Co-Chair

Sarah MacLeod counsels individuals and high net worth families on estate and gift planning, estate and trust administration, and business succession issues.

Her clients include owners of privately-held businesses, beneficiaries of long-term trusts, fiduciaries, and entrepreneurs. Sarah counsels clients on philanthropic matters, including advising tax-exempt organizations on governance and tax-related issues, and individuals and families with respect to their charitable giving.

Chambers High Net Worth has recognized Sarah’s private wealth law practice, where she’s described as “a leader in the field” with “the perfect combination of technical expertise and relationship-building skills.” One source enthuses: “She has a very clear and comforting way of communicating with families. She is very proactive and always identifies the key issues for clients before they arise and ensures such issues are dealt with within the broader estate plan.”

Professional Experience

Miller Nash LLP

Community Involvement

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

Cambridge Forum, Private Wealth Law, Co-Chairman

University of Washington Estate and Gift Planning Council

Washington Women in Tax

Washington State Bar Association

Real Property, Probate and Trust Executive Committee (2015-2017)
Real Property, Probate and Trust Newsletter, Editor (2014-2015)
Gift and Estate Tax Committee
Real Property, Probate and Trust Section

King County Bar Association

Thought Leadership

August 15, 2024News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2025 Recognizes 128 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
July 31, 2024News
Fifty-seven Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Washington for 2024
Awards & Honors
July 18, 2024News
Lane Powell Again Receives Top Rankings in 2024 Chambers High Net Worth Guide
Awards & Honors
May 30, 2024Event / CLE
Countdown to 2025: Spousal Limited Access Trusts
Baker Tilly
August 17, 2023News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2024 Recognizes 123 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
July 31, 2023News
Forty-seven Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Washington for 2023
Awards & Honors
July 28, 2023News
Lane Powell Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2023
Awards & Honors
June 3, 2023Event / CLE
Countdown to 2025: Spousal Limited Access Trusts
Washington State Bar Association
May 18, 2023Event / CLE
All the Things We Didn’t Learn in Law School - Who We Work For, How We Manage It and How We Get Paid for It
Cambridge Forums
August 18, 2022News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Recognizes 90 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
July 14, 2022News
Forty-four Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Washington for 2022
Awards & Honors
July 14, 2022News
Lane Powell Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2022
Awards & Honors
August 19, 2021News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 Recognizes 90 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
July 22, 2021News
Lane Powell Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2021
Awards & Honors
July 15, 2021News
Forty-Three Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers for 2021
Awards & Honors
February 25, 2021Event / CLE
What the Biden Administration Means for Startups
Lane Powell & Geekwire | Virtual
January 27, 2021Event / CLE
Planning for the Domestically Migratory Client
University of Southern California Gould School of Law Tax Institute | Virtual
November 3, 2020Event / CLE
Planning for the Washington State Estate Tax – What Could Go Wrong?
65th Annual Estate Planning Seminar | Virtual
August 20, 2020News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 Recognizes 92 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
August 20, 2020Publication
2020 Gifting Considerations
Private Client Services Legal Update
July 16, 2020News
Thirty-Two Lane Powell Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Washington for 2020
Awards & Honors
July 9, 2020News
Lane Powell Again Receives Top Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2020
Awards & Honors
June 17, 2020Publication
Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Administration in Washington
Washington State Bar Association Deskbook
March 12, 2020Publication
Estate Planning for Retirement Assets After Congress slays the ‘Stretch IRA’
Puget Sound Business Journal
August 15, 2019News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2020 Recognizes 63 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
July 12, 2019News
Fiduciary Litigation and Trusts & Estates Teams Receive Top Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2019
Awards & Honors
June 10, 2019News
Thirty-one Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Washington Super Lawyers’ and Nine Named ‘Washington Rising Stars’
Awards & Honors
June 4, 2019News
Lane Powell Announces New Leaders, Reinforcing Focus on Innovation & Talent
Firm Announcement
February 7, 2019Event / CLE
Succession Planning for the Family Farm
Estate Planning Council of North Central Washington Meeting | Wenatchee, Washington
October 18, 2018News
Fiduciary Litigation and Trusts & Estates Teams Receive High Rankings in Chambers High Net Worth 2018
Awards & Honors
September 25, 2018Event / CLE
From Taxes to Taxidermy: A Taxonomy of Topics for High Net Worth Clients
Lane Powell Trusts & ‘Tinis Seminar | Seattle
August 15, 2018News
The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 Recognizes 62 Lane Powell Attorneys
Awards & Honors
June 18, 2018News
Thirty-two Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Washington Super Lawyers’ and 14 Named ‘Washington Rising Stars’
Awards & Honors
March 8-9, 2018Event / CLE
Recent Changes in Estate Planning
Washington State Bar Association | Seattle
February 8-9 2018Event / CLE
Practical & Inspired Planned Giving Seminar
Lane Powell and del Prado Philanthropy | Seattle
November 27, 2017News
MacLeod Elected Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
Awards & Honors
September 28, 2017Event / CLE
You Decant Take It With You… But We Have a Few Ideas to Share
Lane Powell Trusts & ‘Tinis Seminar | Seattle
August 15, 2017News
Fifty-nine Lane Powell Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers® in America 2018
Awards & Honors
June 11, 2017Event / CLE
Practice Drafting Tips: How to Update Our Forms to Incorporate the New DPOA Act and Directed Trust Act
Washington State Bar Association | Walla Walla, Washington
May 30, 2017News
Trusts & Estates Team Receives High Rankings in Chambers® High Net Worth 2017
Awards & Honors
July 1, 2016News
Lane Powell’s Trust and Estates Practice Group Received High Rankings in Chambers® High Net Worth for 2016
Awards & Honors
May 27, 2016News
Chambers® USA Recommends Lane Powell in Multiple Categories for 2016
Awards & Honors
May 6, 2016Event / CLE
The Nuts and Bolts of Planned Giving — Part II: Complex Gifting Methods
Seattle Children’s Continuing Education Conference on Philanthropic and Legacy Planning for Advisors | Seattle
April 26, 2016Event / CLE
Everything You Never Wanted the Public to Know About Your Estate Planning Clients
East King County Estate Planning Council | Bellevue, Washington
February 26, 2016Event / CLE
The Financial Planner’s Role in Estate Planning
Financial Planning Association of Puget Sound | Seattle
October 6, 2015Publication
Lane Powell Featured in Puget Sound Business Journal Special Insert on Startups and Emerging Companies Seminar
Puget Sound Business Journal
July 29, 2015News
MacLeod Appointed to University of Washington’s Estate and Gift Planning Council
June 13, 2015Event / CLE
Everything You Never Wanted the Public to Know About Your Estate Planning Clients: Privacy Issues in Probate and Trust Proceedings
Washington State Bar Association | Spokane, Washington
June 12, 2015News
Thirty-two Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Washington Super Lawyers’ and 11 Named as ‘Washington Rising Stars’
Awards & Honors
June 8, 2015Event / CLE
Grantor’s Remorse: Unwinding Past Planning
Children’s Hospital | Seattle
December 30, 2014News
Lane Powell Announces New Shareholder MacLeod
June 13, 2014News
Thirty-five Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Washington Super Lawyers’ and Fifteen Named as ‘Washington Rising Stars’
Awards & Honors
June 14, 2013News
Thirty-Six Lane Powell Attorneys Named ‘Washington Super Lawyers’ and Sixteen Named as ‘Washington Rising Stars’
Awards & Honors

Practices & Industries

Private Client Services

Education

University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 2005
- Washington Law Review
University of Notre Dame, B.A., summa cum laude, 1999
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Fulbright Grant, Austria (1999-2000)
- Peter Yarrow Award, “Outstanding Commitment to Public Service” (1998)

Admissions

Washington
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Washington

Language

German

Honors

Chambers High Net Worth, Private Wealth Law (2016-2024)

“Washington Super Lawyer,” Thomson Reuters, Estate Planning and Probate (2018-2024)

“Top 50: Women Washington Super Lawyers,” Thomson Reuters (2023)

"Top 100: Washington Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters (2023)

“Washington Rising Star,” Thomson Reuters, Estate Planning and Probate (2013-2016)

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