Lou A. Mezzullo

Of Counsel | San Diego

 

Lou is of counsel in the private client and tax team.

His principal concentration is in the areas of taxation, estate and business succession planning, and employee benefits. Lou was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law Graduate Program in Estate Planning from 2004 to 2007 and on the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009. He was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School from 1978 until 2006.

He is a past Chair of the American College of Tax Counsel; a Past President of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; a Charter Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel; an Academician and a former Vice President of the International Academy of Trust and Estate Law; a former Vice-chair of the ABA Section of Taxation; and a past Chair of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law.

Lou frequently serves as an expert witness in matters related to estate, tax, and business planning and trust administration, including malpractice matters on behalf of defendant attorneys.

Lou was named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in 2025 for Trusts and Estates. He has been consistently ranked in Chambers, The Best Lawyers in America®, San Diego Magazine 'Top Lawyers,' Best Lawyers San Diego, Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating™, Who's Who in American Law, Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers and Top Attorneys in Business Services in the Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers. He is also the recent lifetime achievement honoree of Bloomberg's Leonard L. Silverstein Award for Distinguished Service in Tax for his contributions to estate planning during his career.

Headshot of Louis A. Mezzullo

Me in a minute

I am involved in very interesting cases

I wanted to be a lawyer since I was in the fourth grade. I thought it would be a great way to spend my life and I have not been disappointed. I have had the good fortune to have been an adjunct professor for 28 years, and to speak and write on my practice topics. I have also been blessed by having great associates who listened to me, challenged me, and ultimately enhanced my practice.