Estate Litigation -
Representative Matters

Our attorneys have represented individuals and businesses in a broad range of trust and estate litigation or tax litigation contexts:

• When the relatives of a deceased businessman were confronted with an unexpected codicil to the businessman’s will giving much of his wealth to a person who had just been disinherited, John Lang took the case to trial in Surrogate’s Court, where a jury found the codicil to be a forgery.
• When the widow of the owner of a nationwide chain of stores was faced with hostile guardianship proceedings, John Lang helped her avoid the guardianship and also obtained the suspension of a hostile trustee of a trust to which she was a beneficiary.
• When the estate planning and offshore asset protection trusts of a family of very high net worth individuals came under attack by various federal agencies, John Lang was called upon to provide advocacy and consulting services to family lawyers.
• When a trustee and holder of a power of attorney refused to provide an accounting to a co-trustee and beneficiary, our Firm obtained a court order directing that a prompt and full accounting be filed with the court.
• Provided litigation consulting services to Trust and Estate practitioner representing beneficiary of spendthift trust who was being mistreated by trustee.
• Sustained the sale of trust property and successfully defended the actions of a trustee when challenged in N.Y.S. Supreme Court by disgruntled beneficiaries.
• Represented the attorney draftsperson of a will in a Section 1404 proceeding.
• Served as lead counsel in team of attorneys representing beneficiary of estate in mediation with co-trustee of estate.  Issues mediated involved wasting and looting of estate assets.  Settlement obtained.
• John Lang has advised Trust and Estates counsel regarding ethics and professional representation disputes.