Melissa Busley is an associate in the Wills and Estates team and Tax team. Her practices include preparation of wills and trusts, advising clients on estate and gift tax matters, trust administration, charitable gifting, and tax-exempt organization matters.
Melissa has experience dealing with complex planning and administration issues such as coordinating retirement benefits and being involved in court actions to modify and reform trusts or to receive trustee instructions on ambiguous trust administration issues. In her work with tax-exempt organizations, Melissa has advised existing organizations regarding various operational issues as well as worked with new organizations in forming and receiving recognition of tax-exempt status.
Melissa grew up in the small southwest Washington town of Kelso and attended Washington State University, where she was named Outstanding Graduating Senior in the College of Liberal Arts. Melissa attended law school at the University of Oregon where she was an associate editor of the Oregon Review of International Law. After law school, she obtained a graduate law degree in taxation at the University of Washington. In recognition of her work at the University of Washington, Melissa received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Taxation of Trusts and Estates and Taxation of S Corporations. Prior to joining Dunn Carney in 2007, Melissa practiced in Eugene, Oregon for three years.
Melissa enjoys reading Jane Austen novels and spending time with her husband Sam and her dog Eva.
Bar Admissions
- Oregon, 2004
- Washington, 2009
Education
- University of Washington School of Law, Graduate Program in Taxation, LL.M., 2004
- University of Oregon School of Law, J.D., 2003
- Washington State University, B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude, 2000
Honors and Awards
Washington State University
- Outstanding Graduating Senior in College of Liberal Arts, 2000
- Outstanding Sophomore in Political Science Award, 1999
- Pre-Law Society (1997-1998, Secretary 1998-1999, President 1999-2000)
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, The Judges Thomas and Marshall Neil Memorial Scholarship recipient, and President’s Honor Roll
University of Oregon
- Associate Editor of the Oregon Review of International Law (2002-2003)
- Orlando John Hollis Academic Scholarship
University of Washington
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Taxation of Trusts and Estates
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Taxation of S Corporations
Publications and Presentations
- Ethical Considerations For Exempt Organizations Practitioners at the Tax Exempt Organizations From Start to Finish Seminar, Oct. 2011
- Dunn Carney Enews, “Are you spending too much time at your vacation home? The IRS may think so.”
- Dunn Carney Enews, ”A Charitable Reminder: New Reporting Rule and Other Reminders“
- Numerous speeches for Federal Executive Board and Ann Fagelson Government Seminars titled “Considerations in Estate Planning”, 2009-present
- Mass Mutual Pearls of Wisdom panelist (speaking on estate planning topics), 2009
- Oregon Health Law Manual Series, 2011 Edition, Contributing Author
- Oregon Statutory Time Limitations, 4th Edition (July 2010), Contributor
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Oregon State Bar
- Multnomah Bar Association
- Oregon Women Lawyers
- American Cancer Society Hope Ball Planning Committee, member 2008, Venue Committee Chair 2009-present
- Professional Women’s Forum, Eugene Chapter, 2005-07
- Eugene Estate Planning Council, 2005-2007
- Eugene Springfield Tax Association, member 2005-2006, board member 2007
