The Trusts and Estates Law Blog aspires to inform the general public and professionals in the estate planning community, including fiduciaries, CPAs and attorneys, about trusts and estates litigation, estate planning, elder law, estate & gift tax and all of the facets of estate and probate administration. The blog’s objective is to serve as a forum to discuss issues concerning trusts and wills.

Photo of Kay Brooks
Kay Brooks
Shareholder

Kay is a shareholder in the firm’s Estate Planning, Tax & Fiduciary Abuse group. She is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Kay advises individuals and families on all aspects of estate and tax planning, including family trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care documents, life insurance trusts, education trusts, charitable giving, business succession planning, gifting programs, and family business entities such as limited liability companies and family limited partnerships. She also assists clients with estate and gift tax issues, and probate and trust administrations.

Photo of Janet Z. Chediak
Janet Z. Chediak
Of Counsel

Janet is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates group. She advises individuals about all aspects of estate and tax planning, including as to trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. She also assists clients with estate and gift tax issues, property tax issues, real estate issues, and probate and trust administration issues, including advising executors, administrators, and trustees.

Photo of Kelly Dankbar
Kelly Dankbar
Shareholder

Kelly is a shareholder in the firm’s Estate Planning, Tax and Fiduciary Abuse and Litigation groups. Kelly was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1996, after receiving her J.D. from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, in December of 1995. Kelly focuses her practice on estate and trust litigation, financial/fiduciary abuse, elder financial abuse, trust and probate administration, and conservatorships. Kelly also has extensive trial, mediation and appellate experience, and has successfully litigated a number of high profile trust disputes and elder financial abuse cases.

Photo of Ed Corey
Ed Corey
Shareholder

Ed is a shareholder in the firm’s Trusts and Estates: Planning, Administration, and Litigation group. Ed’s practice focuses on estate and trust litigation, fiduciary abuse, elder financial abuse, contested trust administrations, probate, and contested conservatorships. Ed has extensive trial, arbitration, mediation, and appellate experience, and has successfully litigated a number of high-profile trust and elder financial abuse cases in Northern California.

Photo of Mary deLeo
Mary deLeo
Shareholder

Mary is a senior attorney in the firm’s Estate Planning, Tax & Fiduciary Abuse group. She advises individuals and families on all aspects of estate and trust and probate litigation, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, trust and probate controversies, conservatorships, guardianships, fiduciary counseling, trust and probate administration, elder law and public benefits planning.

Photo of Hilary Lamar
Hilary Lamar
Shareholder

As a shareholder in the firm’s Estate Planning, Tax & Fiduciary Abuse group, Hilary counsels individuals and businesses in all aspects of estate and tax planning, including trusts, wills, and powers of attorney, health care documents, life insurance trusts, education trusts, charitable giving, gifting programs, and family business entities such as limited liability companies and family limited partnerships. She also assists clients with estate and gift tax issues, and probate and trust administration, including advising executors, administrators, and trustees.

Photo of Carlena L. Tapella
Carlena L. Tapella
Of Counsel

Carlena Tapella is Of Counsel in the firm’s Trusts and Estates practice group. Her practice encompasses all areas of trust, estate, and conservatorship litigation and administration.

Photo of Daniel C. Kim
Daniel C. Kim
Senior Attorney

Daniel Kim is a Shareholder in Weintraub Tobin’s Trusts and Estates Litigation practice group. His practice focuses on all aspects of Trusts and Estates litigation including fiduciary abuse, elder financial abuse, contested trust administrations, probate, and contested conservatorships.

Photo of Danielle Diebert
Danielle Diebert
Associate

Danielle is an associate in the firm’s Trusts and Estates group. Her practice focuses on all aspects of trust and estate litigation, including contested trust and probate administration, and contested conservatorships.

Photo of Gary D. Rothstein
Gary D. Rothstein
Shareholder

Gary Rothstein is a shareholder in the Firm’s Trust and Estates practice group.  His practice has focused on trust administration, probate matters, and estate planning since 1993. Gary represents corporate and individual fiduciaries and beneficiaries in all aspects of trust administration, including representing clients in connection with disputes between fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and creditors. He counsels fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and creditors through contested and uncontested probate and trust administration proceedings in Northern and Southern California Probate Courts.  His practice includes prosecution of will and trust contests, preparation and arguing of petitions for instructions, petitions for construction of trusts, and petitions for termination of trusts.