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ESTATES & TRUSTS

Our estates and trusts litigators are recognized nationally for their experience and thought leadership in all aspects of complex probate, trust and fiduciary litigation.

  • Represented a Pittsburgh-based financial services corporation, a corporate trustee, in litigation in the Orphans’ Court regarding objections filed by the son and daughter of late publisher and billionaire, to the depletion of a disputed trust fund, claiming that the payouts in excess of $350 million constituted abuse of discretion. Recently defeated a motion to add a claim for punitive damages.
  • Represented a regional bank in connection with litigation involving a $500 million charitable trust foundation. The case involved a request for Trustee removal as well as a varied assortment of claimed breaches of fiduciary duty.
  • Represented an international bank as corporate trustee in litigation involving a request for removal at the outset of the litigation and a challenge to Trustee fees.
  • Represented a wealth management firm in its role as corporate trustee in connection with a charitable trust with respect to matters allegedly adverse to a non-profit research society.
  • Represented multiple successors in various litigation matters surrounding claims involving breaches of fiduciary duty, abuse of discretion by trustee and various alleged failures in portfolio management including requests for removal emanating from the corporate trustee role.
  • Represented a worldwide banking and financial services company in litigation involving breach of fiduciary duty claims.
  • Represented a world-class wealth management firm in the Mercer County Orphans’ Court in a multi-million dollar custodial duty claim in which the plaintiff has also made a breach of fiduciary duty allegation.
  • Represented a global bank and financial services firm involving its role as custodian of trust assets at various times.
  • Represented individual fiduciaries in claims involving their alleged breach of fiduciary duty regarding investment strategy, retention of professionals and other similarly related claims.
  • Helped to negotiate a favorable settlement for the canonical sponsor of a Catholic hospital in litigation that involved issues including whether the sponsor had the power to remove hospital trustees and whether the hospital is ecclesiastical, or “church” property, or a community asset subject to a public or charitable trust.