Trusts & Estates Section

This Section and its working committees deal with issues such as estate planning; trust administration; probate of decedents’ estates; avoidance of probate; and the protection of incompetents and their assets through guardianships and conservatorships.

Section Leaders

Andrew G. Smith

Co-Chair

Dina Y. Nam

Co-Chair

Executive Committee

Elizabeth G. Acevedo

Program Co-Chair

David A. Shapiro

Program Co-Chair

Courtney Cole Patton

Assistant Program Co-Chair

Jacqueline Yu

Assistant Program Co-Chair

Jennifer McNeil-Lozano

Legal Updates Co-Chair

Teal M. Schoonover

Legal Updates Co-Chair

Jordan C. Parr

Co-Secretary

Mina Sirkin

Co-Secretary

Terry M. Magady

Elder Law Subcommittee Chair

Joseph G. Goldman

Immediate Past Co-Chair

Kevin W. Harrington

Immediate Past Co-Chair

Official Section Sponsors

Upcoming Section Events

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Proposition 19 Revisited: Proactive Planning Techniques and Practice Pointers

Jun 20

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Proposition 19 Revisited: Proactive Planning Techniques and Practice Pointers

Export Events

Timothy Whitehouse Awards

March 16, 2021 – Presentation of the Timothy Whitehouse Award to Managing Probate Attorney Dean J. Silliman at the BHBA event “Updates from the Probate Judges”.

August 4, 2020 – Presentation of the Timothy Whitehouse Award to Judge David J. Cowan. Judge Cowan was the Supervising Judge of the Probate & Mental Health Department of the Los Angeles County Superior Court before he became the Assistant Supervising Judge of the Civil Division. The Hon. Kevin Brazile, Presiding Judge of the LA Superior Court, and the Hon. Eric Taylor, now Assistant Presiding Judge of the LA Superior Court and incoming Presiding Judge for the 2021-2022 term, attended the BHBA event to congratulate Judge Cowan. More than 200 people virtually attended the BHBA event “Catching Up with the Probate Judges”.

Timothy Whitehouse Award Winners List:

2022 – Carmen Alberio

2021 – Dean J. Silliman

2020 – Judge David J. Cowan

2019 – Judge Maria E. Stratton

2018 – Kenneth S. Wolf, Esq.

2017 – Commissioner Robert S. Wada

2016 – Bet Tzedek

2016 – Dana Hopkins, Esq.

2015 – Commissioner Brenda Penny

2015 – Harold Weinstock, Esq.

2014 – Judge Mitchell Beckloff

2013 – Harlean Carroll, Esq.

2012 – Judge Aviva K. Bobb

2011 – James R. Birnberg, Esq.

2010 – Sandy Riley, Esq.

2009 – Robert Spaak, Esq.

2008 – Commissioner H. Ronald Hauptman

2007 – Matthew Sanderson Rae Jr., Esq.

2006 – Ms. Christine Oshima

2005 – Carmen Alberio, Esq.

2004 – Commissioner Ann E. Stodden