Scottsdale
Patrick Nguyen
Associate Attorney
- B.B.A. in Accounting — Kennesaw State University
- J.D. — University of San Diego School of Law
- LL.M. in Taxation — University of San Diego School of Law
- Bar admissions: Arizona and Nevada
Patrick Nguyen is a tax and estate planning attorney at Dana Whiting Law, where he advises individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, wealth preservation, and tax-efficient planning strategies. His practice includes both foundational estate planning for individuals and families and sophisticated planning for clients with complex wealth transfer and tax planning objectives.
Patrick works closely with the firm's partners on sophisticated planning matters for high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, and closely held business owners. He assists with advanced estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, charitable planning, trust design, and wealth transfer strategies designed to preserve wealth and facilitate its efficient transfer across generations. He also helps individuals and families establish comprehensive estate plans that protect loved ones, preserve assets, and provide peace of mind for the future. Patrick believes effective estate planning extends beyond preparing legal documents. It requires understanding how legal, tax, and financial considerations work together to achieve each client's long-term objectives. He collaborates closely with the firm's attorneys, CPAs, wealth managers, and insurance professionals to develop coordinated planning strategies tailored to each client's unique circumstances. Patrick is committed to explaining sophisticated concepts in a practical and understandable manner, empowering clients to make informed decisions with confidence.
Patrick's background uniquely combines accounting, taxation, and law. Prior to joining Dana Whiting Law, he worked at a boutique tax law firm, where he assisted attorneys with tax planning, estate planning, and federal and state tax controversy matters involving the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. His experience included researching complex tax issues, preparing Tax Court petitions, drafting reasonable cause submissions, analyzing tax implications affecting businesses and estate plans, and assisting with a variety of sophisticated tax planning matters. This experience provided him with a practical understanding of how tax issues intersect with wealth preservation and estate planning.
Before becoming an attorney, Patrick worked as a tax accountant preparing federal and state income tax returns, financial statements, and bookkeeping for individuals and closely held businesses. This practical accounting experience enables him to understand the financial considerations underlying estate planning and communicate effectively with clients and their professional advisors.
Patrick earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Kennesaw State University, his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law. Throughout law school and his graduate studies, he focused on federal taxation, estate and gift taxation, tax planning, tax controversy, tax policy, and estate planning.
During law school, Patrick gained practical experience through the University of San Diego's legal clinics, where he represented clients in federal and state tax controversy matters and assisted with estate planning. He also represented taxpayers before the California Office of Tax Appeals, helping secure penalty relief in a challenging case.
In addition, Patrick served as the 1L Representative and later Vice President of the Tax Law Society, where he helped expand the organization's educational programming and professional networking opportunities.
Patrick's broad tax background continues to inform his estate planning practice today. His experience in accounting, tax planning, tax policy, and tax controversy enables him to identify planning opportunities and tax considerations that might otherwise be overlooked, helping clients implement estate plans that are both practical and tax-efficient. Whether helping a young family establish its first estate plan or working alongside the firm's partners on sophisticated planning strategies for high-net-worth families, Patrick is committed to providing thoughtful, strategic, and personalized counsel that helps clients protect what they have built and confidently plan for the future.