Michael is a partner in the trust, estate and inheritance disputes team and is the regional division leader of the US private client and tax team.
Michael has extensive experience representing individuals, families, charities, corporate trustees, private professional fiduciaries and creditors in litigation involving complex trusts and estates. Michael's diverse practice includes will and trust contests, accounting disputes, breach of duty actions, elder abuse and conservatorship disputes, document interpretation matters, and other contested probate and fiduciary-related matters.Michael also has experience in business and commercial litigation, including contract, real estate, copyright, Lanham Act, trade secret, and unfair competition matters.
In addition to litigation and trial work, his practice includes risk assessment and counseling, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative proceedings. Michael frequently writes and speaks on trust and estate litigation topics and is active in bar leadership and committee work.
Michael is recognized as a “standout individual” by the Legal 500 US 2021 and is ranked in the 2022 and the 2021 Chambers High Net Worth guides in the area of Private Wealth Disputes. He has also been selected as a “Minority Leader of Influence” by the Los Angeles Business Journal since 2020.
Recent recognition
Me in a minute
I find successfully resolving a thorny family issue to be particularly fulfilling
Becoming a lawyer was not in my initial plans. During my last year of college, I interned at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, working on issues relating to crime prevention and criminal justice. When discussing my future in international service, my UN supervisor told me that if I truly wanted to make a difference in the world, I needed to experience how the world worked. He said one of the best ways to do that was to go to law school. I followed his advice. After three years at Harvard Law and excellent training at a global law firm, I discovered that I had a passion and talent for legal work and found myself committed to private practice.
I now advise individuals, families, fiduciaries, businesses and charities on ways to resolve disputes, including those involving trust and estate law, fiduciary duties, undue influence and capacity concerns, partnership and corporation law, or contracts. Protecting my client's rights frequently involves litigation, including trial and appellate work, but also can involve mediation and other alternative dispute resolution. I enjoy practicing in this field because it involves personal problem solving and counseling not always present in other litigation fields. I find successfully resolving a thorny family issue to be particularly fulfilling.