Nevarez and Ehrlich Secure Resolution in $12 Million Trust Dispute
Steve Ehrlich, Esq. (left) and Monique Nevarez, Esq. (right), members of the Law Stein Anderson team who helped bring long-awaited resolution to a $12 million trust battle.
Monique Nevarez and Steve Ehrlich steered a high-conflict, five-year trust dispute involving $12 million in assets to a successful pre-trial resolution, preserving substantial value and protecting the client’s long-term interests.
Key Outcomes:
- Managed complex, multi-state litigation involving income-producing properties
- Preserved substantial trust value amid disputes over management authority and cash access
- Mitigated financial and tax risks tied to prolonged litigation
- Achieved pre-trial settlement, delivering long-awaited certainty and closure
For nearly five years, a $12 million trust had been mired in a bitter dispute, with multiple adversaries claiming stakes and no clear path to resolution. Associate attorney Monique Nevarez and Steve Ehrlich, Of Counsel, guided the client through this high-stakes litigation.
At the heart of the conflict was whether the decedent’s final estate plan reflected his true intent. The trust included income-producing properties in multiple states, and disputes over management authority, access to cash, and the risk of value erosion added urgent, real-time pressure on the client.
In collaboration with Ehrlich, Nevarez played a key role in keeping the litigation team focused on long-term outcomes. Drawing on her expertise in trust administration, fiduciary duties, and the financial and tax consequences of prolonged litigation, she guided the client through competing claims while preserving the trust’s value. Her steady, analytical approach supported negotiation and practical decision-making in a case where any misstep could materially affect the client’s share.
As trial approached, the parties ultimately reached a favorable settlement for the client, preserving substantial trust value, avoiding further erosion from ongoing proceedings, and delivering long-overdue certainty and closure.