Michael S. Brophy

Partner | Los Angeles


Secretary Briana Kress

 

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. He is also the Office Managing Director of the Los Angeles office.

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 has been recognized in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for his leadership in Private Wealth Disputes in California since 2021. The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized him as a 2024 Litigation & Trial Attorney Leader of Influence and as a Minority Leader of Influence in 2020-2023. The Legal 500 US recommends him as a lawyer for international tax and not-for-profit tax. 
Headshot of Michael S. Brophy

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.