Best Lawyers in California, United States for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
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ROBERT C. EROEN is a partner at Hill, Farrer & Burill, LLP in downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Eroen has practiced primarily in the field of trust, estates and probate for over 25 years, and has been certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law since 2003. Mr. Eroen’s practice focuses primarily on litigation, including trust and will contests, fiduciary breaches and removal, and the increasingly important area...
William G. Benz is a seasoned litigator in the firm’s trust and estate litigation and business transactions departments. He assists a broad array of clients, ranging from private professional fiduciaries to privately-owned companies. Mr. Benz represents both beneficiaries and fiduciaries in complex probate court matters – including family-member, paid professional, and public fiduciaries. Due to his background in business and corporate law, Mr. Benz brings to bear a unique set of ...
Danielle C. Humphries, a partner in the firm’s San Diego office and Chair of San Diego’s Trusts & Estates practice group, is a trusted wealth advisor to her clients and their families through her trusts and estates work. The majority of Danielle’s practice focuses on trusts and estates, including estate planning, wealth transfer and preservation, business succession planning, trust administration, probate, and probate litigation. Danielle also has extensive experience re...
Roland Achtel is a trust and estate attorney with extensive litigation experience. In his practice, Mr. Achtel prioritizes establishing clear expectations with his clients and maintaining close contact with them throughout each case. Though his legal expertise is highly specialized – trust and probate litigation, trust and probate-related elder abuse, probate conservatorships, trust administration, and general probate matters – his cases are highly diverse. His typical clients inc...
Erika is the Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley's Trust and Estate Litigation practice. She represents and advises professional fiduciaries, trustees, beneficiaries, high net-worth individuals, family offices, and businesses on a range of trust and estate litigation and trust administration matters.
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, ...
Stacie Polashuk Nelson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Stacie Polashuk, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stacie Polashuk is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joshua D. Taylor is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Joshua D., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joshua D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Verlan Y. Kwan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Verlan Y., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Verlan Y. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Marc M. Stern is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law, Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Marc M., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marc M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jared A. Barry of Barry Law Group is a seasoned litigator with expertise in the areas of trusts & estates, business & real estate disputes, and personal injury. He represents clients throughout Southern California, which have included individuals, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, during his long and successful career. Mr. Barry was named a Southern California Rising Star by SuperLawyers for seven years in row from 2009 to 2016 and a SuperLawyer for Southern California for t...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.