Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
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Robert has been affiliated with Pray Walker since 1992 and has focused on trials of civil disputes. Robert’s practice began with the defense of personal injury and product liability lawsuits, but has grown to include handling cases involving business fraud and interference, breaches of corporate duties, and problems arising from business agreements. The contractual disputes range from commercial warranty claims to construction problems to oil and gas accounting issues and surface damage...
Stacey D. Spivey's practice focuses on estate planning and trust and estate administration and litigation. Ms. Spivey works with individuals to prepare and implement their estate plans to meet family, tax and other goals, including business succession planning. She also works with individuals and fiduciaries on the management and settlement of trusts and estates, including probate administration, preparation of federal estate and gift tax returns, and estate and trust litigation matters. Ms. ...
Tom’s practice includes design and implementation of sophisticated estate plans, active administration of trust accounts, settlement of decedent’s estates, estate taxation, and charitable gift planning. He advises many of Varnum's family business owners and is a member of our Family Business Team. Tom currently serves as the Firm's Executive Partner, one of our two Managing Partners. Previously, he served five years as the chair of the Firm's Estate Planning, Tax, and Employee Ben...
John N. Bisanz, Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. John N. practices law in Minneapolis, Minnesota Best Lawyers has recognized John N. Bisanz, Jr. since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition refl...
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...
Mario A. Bianchi is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Mario A. practices law in Seattle, Washington Best Lawyers has recognized Mario A. Bianchi since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Mario A. Bianchi is held by other lawyers.
Thomas Boulden is a partner at Timoney Knox and focuses his practice in estate litigation. In his 20 years of representation of clients in the Orphans’ Courts of Pennsylvania, he has extensive experience in the areas of will contests, trust, fiduciary and surcharge litigation as well as guardianships for incapacitated persons. He has experience representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries. In addition to litigation matters, Mr. Boulden assists and counsels clients in estate planning ...
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...
Michael J. Willis is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Michael J. practices law in Kalamazoo, Michigan Best Lawyers has recognized Michael J. Willis since 2013. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Michael J. Willis is held by other lawyers.
Representing wealthy individuals and their family members, trustees and beneficiaries, Grant Kindrick has resolved numerous high-profile private wealth litigation matters, including trust, probate and guardianship matters, and closely held business disputes. His experience includes asserting and defending will contests, contentious trusts and estates disputes, breach of fiduciary duty and trust modification cases, competency proceedings, spousal rights litigation, family business succession-r...
Mark T. Hurst is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Mark T. practices law in Covington, Kentucky Best Lawyers has recognized Mark T. Hurst since 2014. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Mark T. Hurst is held by other lawyers.
Stephen Brown focuses his practice on business formation and structuring, wealth transfer planning, and litigation involving fiduciaries, trusts, estates and guardianships. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. Stephen regularly advises individuals on a range of estate planning strategies, including the use of simple and complex trust arrangements to achieve their personal and charitable objectives in a tax advantaged manner. He also has extensive experience a...
Ms. Hunt is a Partner of Osborne, Helman, Scott, Knisely & Stanton, LLP. She focuses her practice in the area of fiduciary litigation, primarily involving trusts, estates, family limited partnerships, powers of attorney, community property and financial account disputes. Ms. Hunt currently serves as a Board Member for the Texas Real Estate & Probate Institute (“T-REP”), and is Chair of Estate and Trust Legislative Affairs for TREP, where she participates in the development...
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.
