Trust and Estate Litigation

Controversies over the administration of wills, trusts, and estates can be highly emotional matters, requiring both sensitivity and experience. We advise and represent grantors, settlors, administrators, heirs, trustees, and beneficiaries through every stage of these disputes. Our lawyers combine deep knowledge of procedure with high-stakes trial experience to prevail for clients in both U.S. and international trust and estate litigation, including cases that involve allegations of undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud.

Experience

  • Successfully represented the trustees of a charitable trust in a $50 million federal lawsuit against a financial advisor and his firm for securities fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Represented the beneficiaries of a trust in an action against the trustee for the theft of $15 million in distributions.
  • Successfully represented a trustee against claims of breach of fiduciary duty brought by beneficiaries.
  • Represented the father of the deceased in a high-profile wrongful death claim against the deceased’s husband in proceedings in Surrogate’s Court, New York Supreme Court, and the New York Appellate Division. (Read about the case here.)
  • Defended a nonprofit executive in a criminal investigation involving alleged elder abuse.
  • Represented a decedent’s romantic partner, a member of an international royal family, in an estate dispute with the decedent’s children.
  • Represented the owners of a real estate business in a dispute with co-owners over distribution of founder’s estate, contract issues, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
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