Trusts and Estates

Our trusts and estates attorneys take a proactive approach to ensuring our clients’ wealth is preserved and passed on to future generations. We counsel a diverse number of high net-worth individuals and families and assist them in planning, transferring and preserving their wealth to ensure that their cherished values and intentions are carried out.

Beyond the creation of legal documents and tax analysis, estate planning is a thoughtful process that involves the meticulous crafting of our client’s last wishes. Our team works collaboratively with other practices in the Firm to address issues that can come up impacting our trusts and estates clients during life and after death.

Who We Represent

• High-net-worth individuals
• Entrepreneurs and their families
• Owners of family businesses
• Entertainment and sports figures
• Trust companies and trust departments of major banks
• Individual and charitable fiduciaries
• Beneficiaries
• Trustees and creditors of substantial trusts and estates in the United States and abroad

What We Do

Estate Planning

Our estate planning lawyers offer a highly personalized service to guide our clients through a wide range of sophisticated estate planning strategies. With a deep understanding of the complexities that can arise, our attorneys make what can be an emotionally charged process comprehensible and accessible.

Our attorneys offer insightful counsel to help clients navigate the changing tax and economic landscape. Our experience spans California probate and trust law, encompassing its implications for tax matters, and extends to the administration of estate plans. We are dedicated to ensuring our clients are well-informed of the evolving legal and financial environment. At the heart of our approach is a commitment to providing not just legal guidance, but also support and clarity throughout the estate planning journey.

We cover the scope of estate planning matters, including with respect to:

• Advance health care directives
• Charitable remainder trusts
• Family limited partnerships
• Irrevocable trusts
• Limited liability companies
• Powers of attorney
• Trust
• Wills

Trust Administration and Probate

The administration component of our practice includes probate settlement and trust administration. The experience of our attorneys in this area allows us to handle administrations “in house,” including preparation of accountings and preparation and review of estate tax returns, distinguishing us from other practitioners.

Our related offerings include:

• Probate settlement
• Trust administration
• Preparation of accountings
• Preparation and/or review of estate tax returns

Trust and Probate Litigation

Our trust and estate attorneys collaborate with our litigators to deliver comprehensive trust and probate litigation services. We have a proven track record in handling complex trust and probate matters, successfully navigating probate courts across Southern California. Renowned for our combination of toughness, fairness, efficiency, and compassion, we have earned the respect of clients, peers, opposing counsel, and, notably, the judges presiding over our cases.

We specialize in providing tailored guidance and assistance to high-net-worth individuals, families, beneficiaries, and fiduciaries to safeguard and facilitate the seamless transfer of wealth and assets across generations, as well as to protect interests outlined in trusts and other probate instruments after an individual's passing. 

Our trust and probate litigation experience includes:

• Beneficiary disputes
• Breaches of fiduciary duty
• Capacity issues
• Claims of undue influence
• Contested accountings
• Contested inheritance rights
• Contested powers of attorney
• Disputed creditor claims
• Estate or trust property with environmental issues
• Financial elder abuse
• Fraudulent transfers
• Partition actions

News

Thought Leadership