Find Lawyers in Los Angeles, California for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Practice Area Overview
Trusts and Estates Litigation proceedings encompass a variety of matters including conservatorships, guardianships, will contests, claims or defense of claims of breaches of fiduciary duties by trustees and other fiduciaries (e.g., self-dealing, conflicts of interest, breach of trust), accountings, petitions for court instructions, issues of trust modification and reformation, allegations or protection from allegations of undue influence or fraudulent conveyances, and interpretation, advocacy, or defense of testamentary capacity and decedent’s intent.
The practice of Trusts and Estates also includes litigation prevention matters including review and consultation of the policies, practices, and proposed actions of corporate, charitable, and individual fiduciaries against national or state standards for acceptable fiduciary conduct, such as the Uniform Prudent Investor Act, Uniform Principal and Income Act, and malpractice standards.
All of these proceedings take place under the auspices of state Probate Codes and the nuanced procedures of the probate and surrogate courts – the statutory authority and venue under which nearly all trust, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship matters are adjudicated.
Clients vary widely by case and include corporate or individual fiduciaries, such as trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, and conservators, and also include corporate and individual beneficiaries, conservatees, and wards.
Lawyers practicing in this area combine substantive expertise in their states' laws governing the administration of decedents’ estates, wills and intestate succession, trusts, conservatorships, guardianships, and other fiduciary issues with years of experience trying cases before both judges and juries. Lawyers also must take a collaborative and cross-disciplinary analytical approach with other disciplines such as estate planning, real estate, bankruptcy, corporate, and securities law, as well as complex civil and appellate law.
Beyond the difficult legal proficiencies demanded of lawyers in this practice area, cases involving Trusts and Estates issues also require special skills and experience in dealing with the psychology of difficult family relationships, shattering emotional experiences, such as death and incapacity, and often ill-thought-out estate plans.
In selecting counsel in a Trusts and Estates Litigation matter, it is critical to select experienced counsel as these types of cases are fraught with procedural, ethical, and state and federal tax minefields. The best of the best in this field not only bring substantial litigation and probate court experience, but also have additional skills as mediators, arbitrators, and negotiators in the non-litigated resolution of trust, estate, and protective proceedings controversies, helping resolve extremely difficult cases without costly litigation.
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James K. Andrade is a Senior Associate at Keystone Law Group, P.C. Prior to joining Keystone, James practiced at a boutique law firm in estate and trust litigation, estate and trust administration, estate planning, and general business advising. He has represented trustees, administrators, executors, beneficiaries, heirs, professional fiduciaries, and creditors in active litigation matters as well as administration of trusts and estates. In trust administration matters, James has advised trus...
Joel Boxer, one of the founders of the Bird Marella, has 40 years of experience as a lawyer representing parties in complex civil trials in the state and federal courts, and in arbitrations. Mr. Boxer has particular experience and expertise in handling suits involving accounting or other complex issues requiring the presentation of expert opinion testimony. These cases often involve real estate, entertainment industry, contract, probate or trust issues or the representation of lawyers and law...
Michael is a partner in the trust, estate and inheritance disputes team at Withers Bergman LLP and is the regional division leader of the US private client and tax team. Michael has extensive experience representing individuals, families, charities, corporate trustees, private professional fiduciaries and creditors in litigation involving complex trusts and estates. Michael’s diverse practice includes will and trust contests, accounting disputes, breach of duty actions, elder abuse and ...
For high-net-worth individuals with interests on both coasts and around the globe, Abby Feinman acts as a trusted counsel for all their estate, trust and tax-planning needs. She puts advanced creative strategies to use in advising clients on wealth transfer, administering trusts and estates after death and resolving disputes over trusts and estates. She has extensive experience with philanthropic and charitable giving. Abby's clients include family offices, owners of closely held businesses, ...
Rachel Harris counsels clients in connection with all aspects of domestic and international estate planning for individuals and families, pre-immigration planning prior to arrival in the U.S., trust and estate administration, trust and estate income taxation, charitable giving, and operation of tax-exempt organizations. Her practice extends to all facets of estate and gift tax planning and encompasses multijurisdictional and international matters. Highly regarded for her breadth of experience...
Shawn S. Kerendian is the founder and Managing Partner of Keystone Law Group, P.C., and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization). Shawn founded Keystone to provide clients with specialized, focused and efficient legal services in probate, trust and estate matters. Shawn supervises and manages a team of probate attorneys in the administration and litigation of estates, trusts, conservatorships, and guardiansh...
Rodney Lee is a seasoned trial attorney focusing on private wealth and general business disputes for clients ranging from high net worth individuals, including professional athletes and entertainers, to entrepreneurs and startup companies. With more than 15 years of experience in general business and trust and estate matters, he navigates his clients through complex business and interpersonal issues obtaining favorable results in state, federal, and alternative dispute resolution forums. Rodn...
Jeffrey Loeb practices in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration. He represents many high net worth individuals and families, including a large number in the film, television, and music industries. For those clients who own intellectual property, including copyrighted works, Jeffrey advises as to the approaches needed to ensure that his client’s post-mortem wishes will be carried into effect. Jeffrey also represents individuals and financial institutions servin...
Jeff Marvan is the lead attorney at MarvanLaw, A.P.C. MarvanLaw, A.P.C. is a boutique firm focused on probate litigation, trust litigation, estate planning, guardianships, and conservatorships. After graduating from UC Davis’ King Hall School of Law, Jeff began his legal career a public defender in Yolo County. Over the four years at the public defender office Jeff handled misdemeanors, felonies, juvenile delinquencies, dependencies, and LPS Conservatorships. This time period allowed Je...
Cliff Melnick is a Partner at Keystone Law Group, P.C. where his practice focuses on trust, estate and conservatorship litigation. With more than 23 years of litigation experience overall, including the last 18 years in probate, Cliff has successfully represented a broad range of clients state-wide including trustees, beneficiaries, executors, administrators, conservators, guardians, private professional fiduciaries, life insurance companies, and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Key...
Lindsey F. Munyer, a Partner at Keystone Law Group, P.C., is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization), and has an LL.M. in Taxation. Lindsey has experience litigating trust and estate matters, and is adept at handling all stages of litigation, including discovery, mediation, law and motion and trials, as well as representing fiduciaries in the administration of estates and trusts. Lindsey has represented client...
David Nelson is co-chair of Loeb & Loeb’s Trust and Estate Litigation Practice. Previously, he served as chair of the firm’s Los Angeles Trusts and Estates Practice. He concentrates on trust, probate and conservatorship litigation including: litigation and disputes involving trusts, decedents’ estates and conservatorships; will and trust contests; breach of fiduciary duty claims; and interpretation of testamentary instruments. David also has an appellate practice. His pr...
Ron Pearson focuses his practice on estate planning for high net worth individuals, owners of closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. His clients include prominent individuals in the entertainment industry and commerce. Ron's areas of practice include sophisticated tax planning techniques relating to high net worth individuals. His estate planning services include living trusts, gift and insurance trusts, continuing trusts for children and other beneficiaries ...
Scott Rahn is regarded as a top probate trial attorney, focusing on high-stakes private wealth disputes, fiduciary litigation, and contentious trust, probate estate and conservatorship cases. Mr. Rahn deftly helps guide clients - heirs, beneficiaries, trustees, executors, administrators, charities, creditors and conservators - through the emotional, legal and financial issues that arise when a loved one becomes compromised, is taken advantage of, and after they pass, whenever the theft, manip...
I help litigators and clients keep their trial court victories, and reverse their losses, on appeal. That involves handling appeals and writ petitions in California and federal appellate courts, and partnering with litigators on significant trial court motions and record preservation. My practice spans a wide range of subjects including trusts and estates; profit participation disputes between talent and studios; breaches of contract; employment; federal civil rights; anti-SLAPP; and appellat...
Vivian Lee Thoreen chairs the firm's California Private Wealth Services Group. She is a litigator and experienced trial attorney whose practice – both in Superior Court and in the California Courts of Appeal – focuses on complex trust, estate, conservatorship and guardianship matters. She represents individuals, families, charities and financial institutions in cases including will and trust disputes, contested conservatorships and guardianships, breach of fiduciary duty matters, ...
Gabrielle Vidal is co-chair of Loeb & Loeb’s Trust and Estate Litigation Practice. She concentrates on high-net-worth trust, probate, conservatorship, and guardianship litigation, and is known for her success at trial in high profile private wealth disputes. Most recently, she served as lead trial counsel to Sumner Redstone, controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp., securing complete dismissal of the matter after the first day of trial. Cited by The Wall Street Journal a...
Dominic Nunneri's practice focuses on civil litigation in state and federal courts. He has experience in all stages of litigation, including taking depositions, motion practice, alternative dispute resolution, and general case management. Dominic has experience representing defendants and plaintiffs in high-profile disputes, including product liability, business litigation, healthcare litigation, and trust and estates litigation. Dominic earned his J.D. from USC Gould School of Law. During la...
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