Trusts & Estates

Classic Exam Question in Benoit Case: Who Died When?

Most lawyers probably remember a case or two from law school that dealt with the issue of short-term survivors. Estate attorneys often address it by drafting wills that require a brief period of survivorship (perhaps as little as 48 hours or as much as a month) before a beneficiary can…

Aug 15, 2007 9:08 PM CDT

Charities Could Contest Astor Will

Public institutions that stood to inherit more money from earlier versions of Brooke Astor’s will are most likely to object to changes made in the final years of her life. The New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum Art are among the charities that will receive smaller donations from…

Aug 15, 2007 1:17 PM CDT

The Multimillionaire Rat Race

An estate planning lawyer who advises Silicon Valley millionaires says his clients don’t feel particularly rich. Lawyer David Hettig told the New York Times that well-to-do high-tech executives compare themselves with others who have even more money. “People around here, if they have 2 or 3 million dollars, they don’t…

Aug 6, 2007 3:37 PM CDT

Erosion of Trust

Hawaii’s Bishop Estate: a cautionary tale of mismanagement at a charitable organization

Aug 1, 2007 11:57 AM CDT

In Vitro Kids Are Beneficiaries

Two children conceived by in vitro fertilization after the death of their father are beneficiaries of trusts he created for his “issue” and “descendants,” a New York judge has ruled. Surrogate Renee Roth said it appeared the father intended that “all members of his bloodline” share in the trusts, created…

Aug 1, 2007 11:36 AM CDT

Arrested Attorney Gambled Away $800 K

A run of good luck has apparently ended for a graduate of Yale Law School who has been a member of the Connecticut bar for more than 40 years and reportedly until now has had an unblemished record as a trusts and estates attorney. Richard C. Hannan Jr. was arrested…

Jul 23, 2007 10:37 PM CDT

Lawyers Key to WSJ Sale

Will the Wall Street Journal be sold to Rupert Murdoch? The answer may well depend on lawyers from a Boston firm who are trustees with power to control the fate of the company, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Lawyers from Hemenway & Barnes hold two out of three…

Jul 2, 2007 8:26 PM CDT

The Body in Question

Coroners eye Ohio suit demanding they tell families about removal of body parts

Jul 2, 2007 12:33 AM CDT

Attorney Appointed for Dog in Estate Dispute

A four-way custody dispute over a 13-year-old golden retriever became so intense that a Tennessee probate judge appointed an attorney as a guardian ad litem to represent the canine’s best interest. The dog, named Alex, was in need of a new home because of the suicide of his owner, Roy…

May 8, 2007 6:30 PM CDT

Heirs of Marilyn Monroe Lose Photo Rights

Marilyn Monroe’s popularity lives on, but laws passed after her death do not give heirs rights to her photos, a judge has ruled.

May 4, 2007 12:35 PM CDT

Crisis Pending

Can a patent on a legal strategy prevent a client from taking your advice? The courts may soon decide.

May 1, 2007 10:25 AM CDT

Battle Over Diet Doc’s Estate

A legal battle over the management of a diet doctor’s $400 million estate offers lessons in estate planning, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal (sub. req). Financial advisers say in a lawsuit filed in state court in Miami that the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins breached a…

Apr 27, 2007 8:34 PM CDT

Paternity Decided for Anna Nicole’s Baby

It wasn’t Howard K. Stern, lawyer and live-in companion of Anna Nicole Smith, although she named him on her baby daughter’s birth certificate. It wasn’t the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, although he publicly claimed possible paternity based on a decade-long affair he said he had with Smith. It…

Apr 10, 2007 11:56 PM CDT

Where There’s a Will ...

A lightbulb went on above James Haroutunian’s head after watching countless women buy jewelry from his wife via the home-based sales parties she organized.

Apr 2, 2007 6:02 AM CDT

Up in Smoke

How greed, hubris and high-stakes lobbying laid waste to the $246 billion tobacco settlement

Mar 18, 2007 11:31 AM CDT