DEBRA J. VELLA
Of Counsel

dvella@hcesq.com
(858) 756-6342, ext. 103

Practice Areas:
Estate Planning
Estate and Trust Administration
Charitable Foundations
Tax Exempt Organizations

Debra J. Vella is of counsel at Henderson & Caverly LLP. Prior to joining Henderson & Caverly, from 1999 to 2004 Ms. Vella was an attorney with Cowley & Chidester, LLP in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and from 1996 to 1999, with O'Melveny & Myers, LLP.

Ms. Vella received her bachelor's degree, Summa Cum Laude, from San Diego State University in 1988, where she was Phi Beta Kappa. She next attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, on a National Science Foundation fellowship, earning her master's degree in 1990 and her Ph.D. in 1993 in the field of Developmental Psychology, with an emphasis on Gerontology. Ms. Vella obtained her law degree from the School of Law at University of California, Los Angeles in 1996.

Ms. Vella is a past chair of the Exempt Organizations Committee of Taxation Section of the California State Bar. Ms. Vella also volunteers with several charitable organizations, including sitting on the board of directors of United Animal Nations, serving as Chair of the Helen Woodward Animal Center Planned Giving Committee, as a member of the Estates and Trusts Committee of the San Diego Children's Hospital Foundation, and as a member of the Scripps Health Foundation Gift Planning Advisory Board.

Ms. Vella is a Certified Specialist is Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law (California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization).