Press room
Everything a producer, editor or event host needs: bios, photos, quotes, story ideas and how to reach Portia fast.
Press contact: book@portiawood.com. Include your outlet and deadline.
Fact sheet
| Name | Portia M. Wood, Esq. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation and style | Portia Wood. First reference: Portia M. Wood, Esq. or attorney Portia Wood. |
| Roles | Founding Partner, Wood Legal Group, LLP · Founder, Legacy Wealth Institute · Founder, DynasticAI, Inc. · Founder, Portia In Portugal |
| Licensed | State Bar of California and Maryland State Bar |
| Education | Dual LL.M., Pepperdine University · J.D., University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law · B.A., California State University, Northridge |
| Recognition | Top 40 Under 40, National Black Lawyers, nine consecutive years · Former adjunct professor, Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law |
| Expertise | Estate planning, trusts, probate, trust administration, heirs' property, generational wealth, aging parents, AI and family wealth, moving to Portugal |
| Based in | Coimbra, Portugal. Available in person worldwide and virtually in every time zone. |
Bios
50 words
Portia M. Wood, Esq. is an estate planning attorney licensed in California and Maryland, founding partner of Wood Legal Group, founder of the Legacy Wealth Institute and founder of DynasticAI, Inc. She helps families build, protect and pass on generational wealth, and she lives in Coimbra, Portugal.
150 words
Portia M. Wood, Esq. is an estate planning and trust attorney licensed in California and Maryland and the founding partner of Wood Legal Group, LLP, the virtual estate planning, probate and trust administration firm she founded in 2018. She is also the founder of the Legacy Wealth Institute, a generational wealth education company, and of DynasticAI, Inc., an AI-powered private wealth platform. Before estate planning, she built her career in criminal and then property litigation, where she saw how families lose homes and land when property, paperwork and people are not lined up. Portia has been named a Top 40 Under 40 attorney by the National Black Lawyers for nine consecutive years and is a former adjunct professor at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. She has appeared on Good Morning America, MSNBC and ABC. She lives in Coimbra, Portugal, where she runs Portia In Portugal, helping American families move abroad.
Host introduction, to read aloud
Our next guest is an estate planning attorney who has spent her career keeping homes, land and savings in the families who built them. She is the founding partner of Wood Legal Group, founder of the Legacy Wealth Institute and founder of the AI wealth company DynasticAI. She has been named a Top 40 Under 40 attorney nine years running, she has taught at Pepperdine's law school, and today she joins us from Coimbra, Portugal. Please welcome Portia Wood.
Photos
Free to use with coverage of Portia Wood. Credit: Courtesy of Portia M. Wood.
Quotes you can use
Attribute to Portia M. Wood, Esq., estate planning attorney. Need something on a specific story? Ask and she will comment.
Families rarely lose wealth to bad investments. They lose it to missing paperwork and conversations nobody had.
On why families lose wealthThe wealth was there. The structure was not. We do this work so you and your family can protect your wealth and pass it on.
On families she has counseled, woodlegalgroup.comStructure creates freedom. Wealth without structure is fragile.
On estate planningOwnership is sacred. We work to keep homes and land in families for generations.
On heirs' property and family landThe best time to plan is while everything is calm.
On when to startI'd rather you could check me than trust me.
On sourcing every rule she teaches, portiainportugal.com
Story ideas
Angles Portia can speak to on the record, often the same day.
- From enslaved to landowner
Her ancestor Enoch George Howard bought his freedom, freed his family and came to own the land he once worked. What his story teaches families about ownership today.
- A public figure dies without a plan
What happens to the estate, how long it takes, and what every family can learn from it.
- The house that leaves the family
Heirs' property, missing deeds and the court process that quietly takes homes.
- The year-end planning checklist
Five documents to put in place before January, explained without jargon.
- The holiday money talk
How to raise inheritance, caregiving and wishes with relatives at the table.
- Can AI write your will?
Where AI helps, where it fails, and what families should never hand to a chatbot.
- The great wealth transfer, for families who were left out
Why trillions are changing hands and why many families will see none of it.
- Americans moving abroad
The paperwork, the planning and the family logistics of a move to Portugal, from someone who did it with her son.
- Named successor trustee, now what?
What a trustee has to do in the first 90 days after a death.
Questions hosts can ask
What is the biggest mistake you see families make with money after someone dies?
Why do so many families lose a home they thought was theirs?
If someone has no will and no trust, what should they do this week?
How do you start the money conversation with aging parents?
What is heirs' property, and why does it matter for generational wealth?
Can AI help with an estate plan, and where does it fall short?
What did you learn moving your family and your companies to Portugal?
Frequently asked
Who is Portia Wood?
Portia M. Wood, Esq. is an estate planning attorney licensed in California and Maryland, founding partner of Wood Legal Group, founder of the Legacy Wealth Institute and founder of DynasticAI, Inc. She helps families build, protect and pass on generational wealth, and she lives in Coimbra, Portugal.
What does Portia Wood speak about?
Estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, heirs' property, generational wealth, aging parents and caregiving, protecting children, AI and family wealth, and building a life and legacy abroad.
Is Portia Wood available for interviews and expert comment?
Yes. She gives expert comment to reporters on deadline, joins podcasts, radio and TV, and records virtually from Portugal. Press and podcast requests have no fee. Send your outlet and deadline to book@portiawood.com.
How do I book Portia Wood to speak?
Send the event, date, audience and format through the booking form on portiawood.com or email book@portiawood.com. She gives keynotes, workshops, panels, employee sessions and commencement addresses, in person or virtually.
Does Portia Wood give commencement speeches?
Yes. Her commencement and convocation talk, What Legacy Will You Leave Behind?, is built for graduates and their families. She is a former adjunct professor at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law.
Where is Portia Wood based?
Coimbra, Portugal. She travels for in-person events in the United States, Europe and beyond, and is available virtually in every time zone.
Which companies did Portia Wood found?
Wood Legal Group, LLP (estate planning law firm, founded 2018), the Legacy Wealth Institute (generational wealth education), DynasticAI, Inc. (AI-powered private wealth platform) and Portia In Portugal (relocation education for Americans moving to Portugal).