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D. Steven Yahnian

Experienced. Tenacious. Responsive. Effectual. Creative.
  • Tax Law, Business Law, Estate Planning ...
  • California
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Biography

D. Steven Yahnian, JD, CPA (California), CFP® , LLM (Tax), MS (Taxation)* has been a member of the California State Bar since 1980. In addition, Mr. Yahnian is one of a small group of attorneys who are California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Specialists both in Taxation Law, as well as Estate Planning, Trusts, and Probate Law. Mr. Yahnian is the only attorney in Tulare County and Kings County with both designations.

*UCLA Extension Equivalent

Practice Areas
    Tax Law
    Business Taxes, Estate Tax Planning, Income Taxes, International Taxes, Payroll Taxes, Property Taxes, Sales Taxes, Tax Appeals, Tax Audits, Tax Planning
    Business Law
    Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
    Estate Planning
    Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
    Municipal Law
    Real Estate Law
    Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
    Intellectual Property
    Employment Law
    Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, ERISA
    Health Care Law
    Probate
    Probate Administration
    Securities Law
    Trademarks
    Trademark Registration
Additional Practice Areas
  • Asset Protection Planning
  • Tax Litigation
  • Tax Resolution, Offers in Compromise, Payment Arrangements
Fees
  • Does Not Currently Practice Law
  • Not Currently Accepting Clients
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
California
State Bar of California
ID Number: 96240
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Attorney / Founder
Yahnian Law Corporation
- Current
DSA ACCOUNTING (owned by Steve Yahnian)
CPA (California 1984)
- Current
Steve Yahnian has a separate accounting practice called DSA ACCOUNTING. He has prepared thousands of tax returns and rendered other accounting services since 1984. Steve is also a CFP(r) and provides financial planning services to his accounting clients as part of his accounting practice.
Education
University of California - Los Angeles
M.S. (2021) | Taxation
*UCLA Extension-MS Equivalent
Honors: With Distinction (3.98/4.00)
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New York University
LL.M. (2010) | Taxation
Honors: 3.50/4.00
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Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
J.D. (1980) | Business, Estates, Real Estate and Tax
Honors: Dean's List every semester
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University of Southern California
B.S. (1977) | Accounting
Honors: Dean's List
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Professional Associations
California State Bar  # 96240
Member
- Current
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Certifications
Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialist
California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
CFP
CFP Board
Taxation Law Specialist
California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
Certified Public Accountant (California)
California State Board of Accountancy
Websites & Blogs
Website
YAHNIAN LAW CORPORATION
Website
YAHNIAN TAX
Website
YAHNIAN BUSINESS LAW
Website
YAHNIAN ESTATE PLANNING
Website
YAHNIAN REAL PROPERTY LAW & PLANNING
Legal Answers
9 Questions Answered
Q. Non-solicitation agreement between me and LLC; also between LLC and client.
A: First, you should immediately seek legal counsel from a California employment law attorney. The following is a general discussion of the law and should not be relied on as the complete and total answer to your question. Generally, with some exceptions, an Employer cannot prevent an employee from seeking employment with a customer of the Employer, under California law. The Employer can prevent sharing of trade secrets or solicitation by a former employee of its other employees to go to work for a competitor. But, as a rule, California has been one of the leading states to look unfavorably on contractual restraints on competition, especially in the context of employment agreements seeking to restrict an employee's ability to compete post-employment. This position is rooted in public policy and codified in Bus & P C §16600, and courts have broadly held (with certain limited statutory exceptions) that §16600 applies to every contract that imposes "a restraint of a substantial character," regardless of whether the contract includes an express noncompete clause. Golden v California Emergency Physicians Med. Group (9th Cir 2015) 782 F3d 1083, 1091; SPS Technols., LLC v Briles Aerospace, Inc. (CD Cal, Oct. 30, 2019, No. CV 18-9536-MWF (ASx)) 2019 US Dist Lexis 219610, *39.

The types of contractual restraints on competition can vary, but in the employment context they fall into five basic categories including "No-hire" provisions between a business, its competitors, and/or its customers, which are designed to prohibit or deter the customer from hiring the employee away.

An employer's attempts to restrain employee mobility or the ability to compete, whether by contract or otherwise, are viewed with circumspection by California courts, and as a violation of the state's strong public policy. A person has a substantial interest in the unrestrained pursuit of their livelihood and must, within limits, be allowed to change employers and compete for available business and customers.

The public policy underlying Bus & P C §16600 is also designed to protect California-based employers (such as the county in your case), by allowing them to compete for the most talented, skilled employees in their own industries, wherever they may reside. It bears remembering that employers enjoy almost complete freedom to downsize, restructure, or otherwise lay off employees. The rules should not be, and are not, so one-sided as to allow one party to the relationship to terminate it at will and deny the other party an opportunity to pursue a career in their area of expertise.
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Q. If my mom died and in her will left me the house how do go about legally getting the deed and house
A: Generally, the executor named in the will, will have to file a probate with the Superior Court of the county that your mother lived in when she died. Pursuant to that, there would be a hearing appointing the executor after notice to certain persons. Soon thereafter, the executor would file an inventory and appraisal of all probate assets with the court. The executor also has to send notice to the Medi-Cal office in Sacramento notifying them of the death and letting them know that if your mother was receiving medi-cal assistance at her death, they can file a claim for recovery, subject to certain exceptions. Then, if all goes well, and there are no creditor's claims (watch out for California Medi-Cal recovery claim if your mother was receiving Medi-Cal when she died), and also if the property is not sold by the executor during the probate (with notice to the will beneficiaries, heirs, etc), the executor would thereafter file a petition to close the estate and obtain the Judges ruling as to who the property would go to (presumably you based on your facts). That court order is then certified by the court clerk at the request of the executor, and then recorded with the county recorder. That recording of the certified court order works as the 'deed' to the property putting it in your name. There is no separate deed under these circumstances.

I strongly recommend that the executor retain a probate attorney to handle this matter rather than trying to do it themselves. It is not as easy as it may look and Probate judges tend to be sticklers.
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Q. My living trust includes my rental home. If I create an LLC for that rental, does the LLC need to be added to the trust
A: Yes. If you want to help your family avoid having to probate the LLC interest when you die, you need to either own the LLC as Trustee of your living trust, or name a beneficiary for your LLC shares in the LLC operating agreement. The best approach is to make the owner of the LLC yourself, as trustee of your living trust.
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Contact & Map
Yahnian Law Corporation
3130 W. Main St.
Suite F
Visalia, CA 93291
Telephone: (559) 733-8505
Fax: (559) 627-6785