Best Lawyers Near You in Los Angeles, California for Trusts and Estates
Stu Tobisman focuses his practice on estate and tax planning for individual clients and on the administration of estates and trusts. His clients include prominent individuals in industry, commerce and entertainment, as well as individuals, banks, and trust companies acting in fiduciary capacities. He also advises owners of closely held businesses in connection with estate and tax-planning matters. Known for his technical abilities and personable approach, Stu enjoys helping his clients identi...
Alan S. Watenmaker is the managing member of the Firm. He practices in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust administration and probate, and charitable planning. Mr. Watenmaker has twice been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Southern California by “Super Lawyers” and has been selected as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” every year since 2004, when the list was first determined. He has also been listed in Best Lawyers in America every yea...
Jeffrey Loeb practices in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration. He represents many high net worth individuals and families, including a large number in the film, television, and music industries. For those clients who own intellectual property, including copyrighted works, Jeffrey advises as to the approaches needed to ensure that his client’s post-mortem wishes will be carried into effect. Jeffrey also represents individuals and financial institutions servin...
Sean D. Muntz serves as Managing Partner of RMO LLP. Sean is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, with litigation experience spanning a broad range of subject matters, including banking, general commercial, employment, probate, real estate, securities, intellectual property, maritime and environmental disputes. Sean has litigated matters in state and federal courts throughout California, and in alternative dispute resolution forums, including AAA and JAMS, and before the NASD/FINRA and ...
Adam L. Streltzer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Adam handles probate, estate, trust and fiduciary litigation, with a special emphasis in creditor’s rights and judgment enforcement. His services concern the rights, duties, money and property of the deceased, incompetent, spendthrift and bankrupt. Adam, who practices law in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area with offices in Los Ang...
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.
Paul is of counsel in the private client and tax team at Withers Bergman LLP. He has over 35 years’ experience focused on global planning matters. Paul is widely recognized for his practice in cross-border and entertainment tax planning. His clients have ranged broadly from high-net-worth individuals; foreign investors in U.S. real estate and other U.S.-situated assets; Americans with offshore investments, acquisitions and business activities; and actors, musicians, writers, producers, ...
Rachel Harris counsels clients in connection with all aspects of domestic and international estate planning for individuals and families, pre-immigration planning prior to arrival in the U.S., trust and estate administration, trust and estate income taxation, charitable giving, and operation of tax-exempt organizations. Her practice extends to all facets of estate and gift tax planning and encompasses multijurisdictional and international matters. Highly regarded for her breadth of experience...
Lawrence H. Heller focuses his practice on counseling individuals and members of their families on matters relating to domestic and international estate and income tax planning. Many of his clients are high net worth individuals. Lawrence writes and lectures extensively on subjects relating to domestic and international wealth transfer techniques and has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Oversight in 1995 on proposed legislation to tax U.S. citizens who renou...
Eric M. Tokuyama practices in the areas of tax and estate planning, probate and trust administration, and probate and trust litigation. He has more than 20 years of experience and is dedicated to helping high-net-worth individuals achieve their estate planning goals. Mr. Tokuyama is well-versed in all aspects of probate and trust administration, including the preparation and filing of federal estate tax returns. He also utilizes his tax and estate planning experience to help resolve trust and...
Alyse Pelavin focuses her practice on estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. She also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Her clients range from young entrepreneurs and corporate executives to multigenerational family groups. Alyse works closely with clients at every stage to implement tax-efficient wealth transfer and preservation strategies t...
Paul Frimmer focuses on estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, postmortem tax planning, probate litigation, art law, charitable giving, and tax issues relating to these matters. Widely regarded as one of the top estate planning attorneys in the country, Paul has received numerous accolades for his work. He’s known for taking a collaborative approach with his clients and guiding them toward the best decisions tailored to meet their individual needs. Paul has...
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, ...
Elizabeth R. Glasgow focuses her practice on multigenerational wealth preservation and tax minimization, including the creation and implementation of dynasty trusts, business succession plans, asset protection strategies and charitable giving structures for business owners, real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and families managing inherited wealth. She provides comprehensive advice on a wide range of issues facing mobile high net worth individuals and geographically dispersed families, incl...
Shawn S. Kerendian is the founder and Managing Partner of Keystone Law Group, P.C., and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization). Shawn founded Keystone to provide clients with specialized, focused and efficient legal services in probate, trust and estate matters. Shawn supervises and manages a team of probate attorneys in the administration and litigation of estates, trusts, conservatorships, and guardiansh...
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.