Trust, Estate & Probate Litigation – Victoria V. Tsylina

Together with Steve Hogan, represented the trustee of a high net worth trust with a diverse array of assets, including numerous brokerage accounts and complex real estate holdings, in a case involving allegations of a breach of fiduciary duty by the trust’s beneficiaries. While the beneficiaries claimed substantial damages, through thorough defense, Ms. Tsylina and Mr. Hogan resolved the case for only 2% of the claimed damages amount. Among other things, Ms. Tsylina and Mr. Hogan’s discovery strategy proved that the trustee was wholly transparent with the beneficiaries and that the beneficiaries’ complaints were prompted by their own personal issues as opposed to any improper actions of the trustee. Ms. Tsylina and Mr. Hogan successfully argued that the trustee could not be held responsible for the actions of the prior trustee under the facts of the case. Additionally, Ms. Tsylina and Mr. Hogan obtained over $60,000 in discovery sanctions for discovery abuse by beneficiaries.