Widely recognized by his peers as a leading trusts and estates lawyer, Robbie has served on the California Lawyers Association’s Trusts and Estates Executive Committee and was the editor in chief for the Association’s Trusts and Estates Quarterly. Robbie is also the co-chair of the Probate and Fiduciary Litigation Committee as part of the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section and is an Articles Editor for Probate and Property magazine. He publishes and speaks on new laws and cutting-edge legal issues. Robbie is co-leader of the Firm’s Private Client Disputes Affinity Group.

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• Obtained the removal of trustees improperly managing the assets of a valuable closely held business, ultimately resulting in the court-ordered sale of trust assets and distribution to the client
• Successfully defended a US financial institution against allegations of financial elder abuse and intentional interference with an expected inheritance
• Successfully defended an international financial institution against allegations of breach of fiduciary duty
• Represented an heir to multibillion-dollar business in litigation proceedings pending in multiple states brought by individuals who sought ratification of elder financial abuse they committed and who sought to overturn the estate plan to their financial benefit. Successfully resolved with the estate plan being affirmed by the court and a confidential amount repaid by the abusers to the elder*
• Obtained complete dismissal of a $10 million creditor’s claim made against an Estate by the decedent’s former business associates*
• Successfully resolved a $40 million trust contest brought by the Decedents’ former children*
• Obtained $4.9 million settlement representing widow against a former corporate trustee over its mismanagement and oversight of the sale of the trust’s primary asset, the widow’s marital residence and the trustee’s subsequent failure to distribute the sale proceeds*
• Represented co-personal representatives in probate and trust proceedings pending in multiple states as contentious litigation took place between and among family members of the decedent over a multimillion-dollar estate and trust. Assisted the co-personal representatives in resolving the litigation and guiding the estate through complex issues arising from an Internal Revenue Service audit of the estate’s Form 706 Estate Tax Return*
• Represented a US charity in resolving litigation over a charitable bequest, resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement to the charity*

*Matter handled prior to joining the McDermott.

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