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Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli

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858-453-0626
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Attorney Profile

Sanford-M.-Fisch

Michele A. Tutoli

Attorney

Michele A. Tutoli has been assisting individuals with their legal and financial management needs for more than thirty-five years. She is now a member of the San Diego law firm of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, concentrating on the practice of estate planning law.

Ms. Tutoli did her undergraduate work at George Washington University, the American College in Paris and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1978.

Before opening her own legal practice in 1988, Ms. Tutoli developed extensive experience in investments, taxes, trusts and estate administration with such companies as Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. of New York, Home Fed Trust of San Diego, IDS/American Express and the National Trust School of the American Bankers Association. She joined Armstrong & Fisch in 1995.

Ms. Tutoli is a member of the North County Estate Planning Council, the North County Bar Association, the Taxation Section of the California Bar Association, and has served on various committees of the American Bar Association, including Investments by Fiduciaries, Financial Planning, Ethics and Insurance, and the ABA’s Legal Financial Planning Committee. She is currently a Fellow of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. Ms. Tutoli is admitted to the bar in New York, New Jersey and California, and is licensed to practice before the U.S. Tax Court.

She has been certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law. In addition, she is a Certified Financial Planning© Professional and Registered Financial Consultant.  Check her out at BrokerCheck

In addition to her busy practice, Ms. Tutoli has been a consultant to the UCSD Financial Institution Management program and a guest speaker at the San Diego Adult Education Program at Mira Costa College. She has presented both professional and public seminars sponsored by the Small Business Administration and the Women’s Investor Club, and has appeared on several local television programs. Ms. Tutoli is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Resource Center as well as former chairman and member of the local Community Advisory Board and president of the Olivenhain Town Council.
She lives in Olivenhain with Steve Lord, her husband of over twenty years and their six children.

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorney Fellow

Attorney Stephanie Lord

Stephanie A. Lord

Attorney

As an attorney in San Diego, Stephanie A. Lord provides extensive estate and tax planning services to individuals. Ms. Lord’s primary focus is protecting families from the devastating legal effects of disability and death, as well as ensuring the smooth transition of assets from one generation to the next while maintaining the family legacy throughout the trust administration process. Through proper planning, individuals and families can avoid probate, protect their assets, continue their legacies through strategic charitable giving, and provide for the security of their loved ones. She will take the time to get to know you as individuals, to learn about your life and values, and work closely with you through an ongoing relationship to ensure your personal and financial goals are met as your life and the laws change over the years.

EDUCATION

Stephanie A. Lord earned her Juris Doctor Degree from Pepperdine University. During law school, Ms. Lord worked closely with one of her law professors in researching the impact of post-mortem conception on Estate Planning. Also during law school, Ms. Lord became a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and spent a semester studying abroad in London. Ms. Lord earned her B.A. Degree in Psychology from the University of California – San Diego. While attending UCSD, Ms. Lord was involved in volunteer work in the physical therapy department of a hospital.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Ms. Lord’s professional experience began while she was in college working as a paralegal for an Estate Planning firm. The immense personal satisfaction she experienced while helping so many families triggered her decision to attend law school and focus on a career in Estate Planning. During law school she gained additional experience working for trust and probate specialists in the Los Angeles area. Prior to joining Armstrong, Fisch and Tutoli in 2007, Stephanie worked for several years as an attorney at a law firm in Los Angeles, meeting with clients and managing the trust administration department of the firm. She has been certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law

PERSONAL

Currently, Ms. Lord is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the North County Estate Planning Counsel. Ms. Lord resides in Carmel Valley and has earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She also trains regularly in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. In her spare time, Ms. Lord enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, and football. Ms. Lord is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Team Godfather Charitable Foundation.

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorney Fellow

Robert-Armstrong

Robert Armstrong

Founder

As the founder and principal shareholder in the San Diego law firm of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Armstrong oversees a practice devoted to providing clients with the best in estate planning.

As founder of one of the most successful estate planning practices in the country, he is frequently sought out by attorneys from coast to coast who want his advice on how to build equally successful practices of their own.

Because of Armstrong’s deep commitment to helping these other attorneys, he co-founded the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys in 1993.

His first experience in providing products and services to other attorneys came when he helped found the first nationwide network for estate planning attorneys. As part of that organization, he helped create and market an advanced document assembly software system. His conviction that attorneys needed more than just technical support inspired the Academy.

Experience

Today, Armstrong is a widely acclaimed speaker and seminar leader on topics ranging from legal marketing, practice management, estate planning and asset protection.

His expertise in Living Trusts has made him a sought-after authority, and he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, and Money Magazine. He provided estate planning expertise for the bestseller, Terry Savage on Money and has co-authored several books including Legacy Wealth Planning and Estate Planning Basics with Sanford M. Fisch, The E-Myth Attorney with Fisch and Michael Gerber, and Creating a Loving Trust Practice with Robert A. Esperti and Renno L. Peterson.

An outstanding spokesman for the advantages of Living Trusts, he has been a frequent guest on radio talk shows, and has also appeared on PBS and CBS news programs as an estate planning authority.

He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, and the San Diego County Bar. He has been practicing law since 1976.

Education

After four years in the U.S. Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, Armstrong attended the University of California at San Diego, where he graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in classical Greek.

Next, he attended the University of San Diego for his Juris Doctor. He was a staff writer for the Law Review and was awarded the prestigious American Jurisprudence Award for excellence in insurance law.

 

Sanford-M.-Fisch

Sanford M. Fisch

Founder

As a principal in the San Diego law firm of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Sanford Fisch oversees a practice devoted to providing clients with exceptional estate planning guidance and peace of mind. This acclaimed estate planning practice has become a model of excellence for estate planning law firms across the country.

Believing that law is both a rewarding business and a noble profession, Sanford has dedicated himself not only to honing his own legal and technical expertise, but also to helping other attorneys improve their skills. His ardent desire and deep commitment to helping fellow attorneys drove him to co-found the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, an exclusive, membership organization serving the needs of attorneys and law firms nationwide.

Sanford approaches the practice of law with not just solid expertise, but also remarkable enthusiasm and vigor. By constantly seeking simpler, better and more effective ways of doing things, he continues to make a real difference in the lives of families, in the lives of attorneys and on the way estate planning law is practiced in the United States.

Experience

A solid legal education, including a Masters degree in tax law, was the foundation for Sanford’s career. In addition to building a prominent estate planning law firm, as well as co-founding the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, he has used innovative approaches to help families plan for a comfortable, crisis-free inheritance. Through his work at the Academy, he has become a recognized leader and much sought-after advisor, and consultant to law firms throughout the United States.

From 1982 through 1983, he worked as a Tax Specialist with Coopers and Lybrand, an international accounting firm. He also taught at the American College for Certified Financial Planners and Chartered Underwriters. He then started and served as principal of the Law Office of Sanford M. Fisch. In 1989, he joined forces with fellow estate planning attorney, Robert Armstrong and served as principal with Armstrong & Fisch, APLC and is currently a principal of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli. In 1993, Sanford helped co-found the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.
Sanford is the co-author of several books including both Legacy Wealth Planning and Estate Planning Basics with Robert Armstrong, and The E-Myth Attorney with Armstrong and Michael Gerber.

Education

A solid legal education, including a Masters degree in tax law, was the foundation for Sanford’s career. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston University in 1977, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, where he was a member of the National Mortar Board Honor Society.

In 1980, he went on to earn his law degree from the University of San Diego, where he received the American Jurisprudence Award for excellence in civil procedure. He was also published in the Law Review, “To Be or Not to Be – Tax is the Question?”

In 1982, Sanford earned a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Taxation, from Georgetown University Law Center.

Personal

Sanford is the Co-Founder and former Chairman of the San Diego Senior Olympics. He enjoys surfing, running, hiking, biking, basketball, martial arts and golf. He lives in Pacific Beach with his wife Julie, and their daughter Tahlia.

 

Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Attorneys at Law

Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Attorneys at Law

Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Attorneys at Law

WHERE WE ARE

Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, Attorneys at Law
6050 Santo Road, Suite 240,
San Diego, CA 92124
Phone: 858-453-0626

Securities offered through Avantax Investment Services SM, Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Avantax Advisory Services SM. Placing business through Avantax Insurance Services SM. CA# 0D57837

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Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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