Attorneys
Chad O. Dorr
Mr. Dorr practices in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, and probate, as well as business and real estate transactions. He is a hands-on estate planner that helps his clients navigate the often-unsettling discussions that arise when preparing for one’s death or incapacity. In his business law practice, he advises non-profits, professional corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies on issues from formation through dissolution. He frequently advises clients (and other attorneys) on matters relating to property tax reassessments, Proposition 13 base year transfers, and intergenerational reassessment exclusions under Proposition 19.
Areas of Practice
Professional Experience
Mr. Dorr joined PJAMM in 2018. Prior to joining the firm, he was an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Jones Day, where he was a part of the firm’s international trade and national security practice. In that role, he advised U.S. and foreign corporations on a wide variety of regulatory matters, such as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and U.S. economic sanctions laws administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). He also represented both buy-side and sell-side companies before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in cross-border transactions.
Prior to law school, Chad served 21 years as a commissioned officer and combat helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. His operational deployments included the Persian Gulf; Mogadishu, Somalia; and counter-terrorism patrols in the Strait of Malacca following the September 11 attacks. Outside the cockpit, Chad served as a Major Department Head aboard an aircraft carrier, authored transformative logistics policies for NATO, and managed the nearly $2 billion Atlantic Fleet Flying Hour Program. He retired in 2009 as a Commander.
Education and Memberships
Mr. Dorr is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Mr. Dorr received his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley School of Law in 2012, with awards for excellence in Wine Law and Business Associations. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in English (with Distinction) and earned his Master of Arts in English Language & Literature from the University of Maryland, both in 1988.
He is an active member of the California bar, is an at-large director of the Sonoma County Bar Association, and the Attorney Director of the Redwood Empire Estate Planning Council.
Community Involvement
Mr. Dorr was born and raised in Santa Rosa and is a graduate of Cardinal Newman High School. He is a Director and member of the Executive Committee of the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) that provides support to the county’s 60 parks and related programs.
