10 August 2018 - Firm News
Michael S. Brophy
Partner | Los Angeles
Michael is a partner in the trust and estate litigation team.
His broad knowledge is in the areas of trust and succession disputes, family business and commercial litigation, and intellectual property matters.
Michael has extensive experience in trust and estate litigation, including 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.
He also has experience in contract, real estate, copyright, Lanham Act, trade secret, and unfair competition matters.
In addition to litigation matters, his experience includes risk assessment and counseling, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative proceedings.
Michael has successfully represented a wide range of clients from successful individuals and families to multinational Fortune 500 companies. He has also represented large institutional fiduciaries, individual trustees, and charities.
Track record
Admissions
Publications
Memberships
Talks
Represented an individual trustee in a bench trial obtaining a complete and decisive verdict in favor of the fiduciary. Defeated allegations of breach of duty and requests for surcharge.
Represented the co-trustees of the living trust of a deceased celebrity in defeating fraud claims in arbitration. Also represented the co-trustees in resolving untimely claims, including arguing and winning an appeal of a judge’s decision dismissing the barred claims.
Represented the co-executors of the estate of a deceased celebrity in defeating and resolving creditor and contract claims.
State of California, 1998
9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2000
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 2000
‘Animal Capital,’ Family Capital - February 27, 2019, quoted
‘Preventing and Avoiding Costly Conflicts’, Trusts & Estates - July 25, 2018, co-author
‘Uber to Pay Waymo $245 Million to Settle Blockbuster Self-Driving Secrets Case,’ San Francisco Chronicle - February 9, 2018, quoted
LGBT Bar Association Board of Governors
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Diversity in the Profession Committee
Beverly Hills Bar Association
California State Bar
‘The Kids Are Not Alright: Drafting Estate Plans to Prevent Future Public Family Disputes,’ Conejo Valley Estate Planning Council
‘Help! The Gardener is Stealing My Inheritance!’ Beverly Hills Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Section
‘What Every Future Lawyer Needs to Know About Serving as the Family Fiduciary’, UCLA Tax and Estate Planning Law Association
Education
Languages
- English
Dates
Joined
2015
Partner
2015
