Jennifer Vane

Of Counsel

Jennifer A. Vane is Of Counsel with WKD, specializing in probate and trust administration and litigation.  She received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Government with a minor in Politics, Philosophy & Economics from the University of Notre Dame, graduating with honors.  She received her law degree (J.D.) from the USC Gould School of Law in 1990. She has been licensed to practice law since 1990.

Ms. Vane began her legal career during law school at the Inner City Law Center, the only legal-services provider on Skid Row in Los Angeles.  She then transitioned to insurance coverage, managing litigation of both first-party and third-party construction defect, environmental and earthquake claims, among others.  As an associate and then a partner at Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, LLP for 9 years, Ms. Vane developed strategy and directed litigation of multi-party pollution coverage cases, typically involving interpretation of dozens of contracts, novel and complex legal issues, and multi-million dollar claims for damages from Superfund sites.

Ms. Vane’s credentials are unique.  She obtained her Certificate in Fiduciary Management for both Trustees and Conservators from the California State University Fullerton program.  As a result, she brings her extensive complex litigation experience to the complex world of trust and estate litigation.

Ms. Vane has always been active in her community.  She has been a member of her preschool’s School Board and Parish Long-Range Planning Committee, as well as the Parish Women’s Retreat Leader and Speech and Debate Coach.  When she is not attending her teens’ track meets, Ms. Vane can be found at her “homes away from home” – Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena and the Huntington Library in San Marino.

Tamra Otten

Partner

Tamra Otten is a Partner at WKD. Ms. Otten received her J.D. from the City of New York School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Justice Studies, with a minor in Political Science from San Jose State University. She was admitted to the California Bar in January 2015.

 
At WKD, Ms. Otten specializes in probate matters, including trust and will contests and contested conservatorship proceedings along with probate, trust, and conservatorship administration. 
 
Prior to WKD, Ms. Otten practiced criminal defense as both a Public Defender and private counsel where she conducted multiple jury trials and evidentiary hearings.
 
In her free time, Ms. Otten enjoys the outdoors with her husband, crafting, and spending time with her family and her cat. 
 
 

Hayley Herrera

Paralegal

Hayley is a Senior Paralegal and has been with WKD since 2017. Ms. Herrera graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in Law and Society in 2017. She earned her Paralegal Certificate in 2020 from Pasadena City College.

Hayley has been passionate about the legal field since beginning her Political Science degree, and she continues that same passion as a paralegal at WKD. Since working with WKD, Hayley has worked on many probate matters involving conservatorships, trusts, and estates.

 
 
 

Kacie Akau

Paralegal 

Kacie Akau is a Senior Paralegal with 20 years of total paralegal experience, including civil litigation, employment law, and probate experience.  For the past 11 years at WKD, she has worked on conservatorship, guardianship, trust, and estate administration matters as well as the related litigation matters.  

 
 

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