Our litigation attorneys have a narrow focus and deep experience, concentrating our practice on claims involving fiduciaries, including trustees of personal and charitable trusts, executors of decedents’ estates and owners of family-owned and other closely-held businesses.

Our litigators have a wealth of experience litigating, trying and resolving complex trust and estate disputes, shareholder and governance disputes in family and closely-held businesses, and the frequent disputes in which these issues collide, as when business interests are held in trust or transferred under a testamentary instrument.

We litigate all manner of trust and will disputes including claims for breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, intentional interference with an inheritance or expectancy, lack of capacity, claims against an estate and disputes over the administration of a trust. The experience and diligence our lawyers bring to bear provide clients with the resources to make good decisions on resolution options – settlement, the courtroom or mediation.

We represent fiduciaries and individuals in suits seeking the construction and reformation of wills and trusts when ambiguities arise or changes in tax laws or other circumstances lead to unforeseen consequences. Our combined tax and administrative experience provides the required substantive and procedural background for interpreting irrevocable documents and to present non-litigation options.

The firm also represents trustees of family trusts who may become involved as third parties in dissolution of marriage proceedings, including suits for support and disputes over the character of property held in trust.

We also represent shareholders, LLC members and other owners of family and closely-held businesses when disputes arise over governance, disclosure, control, allocation of profits and claims of oppression or breaches of fiduciary duties.

Our litigation attorneys are leaders in national bar activities focused on trust and estate litigation. They also write and speak frequently in local and national forums regarding trust and estate disputes and on closely-held business disputes.

Our Litigation Team:

• James R. Carey
• David E. Lieberman
• Robin Drey Maher
• Elizabeth A. McKillip
• Peter B. Allport
• Stephanie M. Berardi

Representative Cases:

Click here to view a list of representative cases.