Under Virginia law, when a party is considering filing a lawsuit, the most important thing to consider is whether or not the cause of action that is the basis for the lawsuit is time-barred. This is determined by the...more
A court should not enforce a trust in terrorem clause if its enforcement under the particular facts and circumstances would frustrate settlor intent. Assuming that the settlor intended to impress a trust upon the property,...more
The Restatement (Third) of Trusts, specifically §104, lists four general areas in which the beneficiary’s actions may lead to an assumption of internal liability to the trust estate: (1) A loan or advance to the beneficiary...more
In California, trustees have a fiduciary duty to act impartially and in the interest of all beneficiaries. But what happens when a trustee uses trust funds to finance litigation that benefits only certain beneficiaries—or...more
In a recent decision, the Court of Appeals of Virginia upheld a lower court’s ruling that Kositzka, Wicks and Company (KWC) breached its fiduciary duty to Edward Joseph Ryan, awarding his estate $999,050 in damages, attorney...more
Assume sole trustee of an irrevocable discretionary trust for benefit of deceased settlor’s descendants living from time to time suffers a sudden unforeseen mental disability that causes trustee to imprudently administer the...more
"The law on 'knowing receipt' has perplexed judges and academics alike for several decades" – Lord Burrows (paragraph 99). In a decision with significant implications for claims involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty...more
If the trustee in breach of trust conveys the trust property to a third party to the trust relationship, would the transferee be a necessary party to any action for breach of trust that the trust beneficiaries might bring?...more
In In re McIntire, trust beneficiaries sued a trustee for multiple allegations of breach of fiduciary duty. No. 07-22-00249-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 60 (Tex. App.—Amarillo January 5, 2023, original proceeding)....more
Narcotics Anonymous established a revocable trust to manage its literature and other intellectual property assets for the benefit of its many members. A “regional delegate group” filed a petition in Los Angeles probate court...more
Robert Lindley and Wesley O’Brien provide a step-by-step guide to dealing with missing or uncooperative beneficiaries - It will be important for the trustee to be capable of demonstrating that it has made sufficient...more
A California trustee can be excused from liability for breaches of trust if a judge determines that it would be equitable to do so. We see many situations where a family member trustee strays from the requirements of the...more
Effective Oct. 1, 2018, Maryland enacted a one-year statute of limitations for most breach-of-trust actions. To trigger the one-year limitations period, however, trustees must provide certain information to beneficiaries....more
When attorneys advise errant trustees, how vulnerable are they to breach of trust claims by injured beneficiaries? A case published last week by the California Court of Appeal provides a defensive roadmap to attorneys who are...more
The Fourth Circuit found in favor of an insurer on a claim for life insurance benefits, finding the insured’s failure to submit the required evidence of insurability was not excused by his employer having wrongly deducted...more
Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Chris Lazarini examined a case of alleged breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty against a bank acting as the indenture trustee related to a foreclosure action on defaulted mortgage revenue...more
• A decision by the Court of Federal Claims has important implications for breach of trust claims involving tribal trust funds. • Most claims for mismanagement of tribal trust resources are limited to the six-year period...more
In Passero v. Fitzsimmons et al., No. 16-P-1314, 2017 WL 3567496, (August 17, 2017), the Appeals Court affirmed the lower court’s finding that the defendant trustees committed a breach of trust, as well as the lower court’s...more