B2 – Are You Afraid of Conservatorships of the Person? Risks, Exposures and Solutions

The panel will utilize their combined experience to demonstrate through three case studies how
Professional Fiduciaries can team up with an Aging Life Care Manager, a Home Care Agency and trusted
counsel to develop solutions to tricky family situations. The team will address how best to “wow” and
persuade the judge to implement their solutions. The case studies will be derived from the practices
and experiences of the panel.There will be ample opportunity for the audience to ask questions and
receive concrete advice on how to build their confidence in dealing with difficult Conservatorships of the
Person.

Speakers

Brenda Shorkend

Brenda Shorkend

Shorkend Care Management

Brenda Shorkend is a Certified Aging Life Care Professional®/Geriatric Care Manager, with decades of experience advocating for older people and people with special needs, disabilities and their families. She has a background in Rehabilitation Psychology and is a Fellow of the Leadership Academy of the Aging Life Care Association.

She has strong working relationships with leading professionals, and in addition to working directly with clients, she conducts 730 evaluations and in-depth assessments for Professional Fiduciaries and attorneys. Brenda is the past Chair of the Aging Life Care Association’s Standards Committee and on the Board of JLA Special Needs Trust.

Sam Gopinathan

Sam Gopinathan

New Wave Home Care
https://www.newwavehomecare.com/

A former corporate executive, New Wave Home Care founder Sam Gopinathan exchanged his Fortune 500 background for a more gratifying venture — developing a new standard of geriatric care in home care. Sam is a Mechanical Engineer with MBA in Business Strategies.

Sam founded New Wave in the year 2010. Since then, New Wave Home Care has worked very closely with fiduciaries, conservators, care managers and attorneys, handling very conservatorships.  Currently New complex Wave is closing in on 2 million hours of care. and difficult Sam and his team excels in working in a very collaborative manner with other professionals to provide exception al care for the clients and supports conservatorships in depth.

David Kim

David Kim

Wright Kim Douglas, A Law Corporation
https://wkdlegal.com/

David Kim, Managing Partner of Wright Kim Douglas, is an experienced litigator with an extensive business and real estate background, and handles exclusively probate and trust matters, both litigated and non-litigated. He has successfully conducted several notable trials involving probate and trust disputes on behalf of Private Professional Fiduciaries. Mr. Kim also counsels’ clients in all phases of conservatorships and trust administration.

Additionally, Mr. Kim serves as Court Appointed Counsel in highly contested conservatorships and Guardian ad litem in trust matters.

Mr. Kim’s fiduciary duties also extend to several non-profit boards. He is Board Chairman at Dignity Health, Glendale Memorial Hospital. Mr. Kim is also on the Board at the YMCA of the Foothills (Former Chairman), and former President at the National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers.

He has been named a Super Lawyer in Trust and Estate Litigation consistently since 2020, among several other awards in the areas of Trust and Estate Litigation.

Mr. Kim is also listed as one of “The Best Lawyers in America” in Litigation- Trust & Estates, by Best Lawyers of U.S. News & World Report and his law firm has been named consistently as Best Law Firm.

Hon. Judge Ana Maria Luna

Hon. Judge Ana Maria Luna

Superior Court of California Los Angeles

Judge Ana Maria Luna has served as a bench officer in the Los Angeles County since 1992. She holds undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish from the University of California, Irvine. She received her juris doctorate degree from the University of Southern California Gould Law School in 1984. Before joining the bench in 1992, Judge Luna practiced as a family law attorney and as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County. Judge Luna has extensive experience in handling family law matters involving issues of child custody, support and property division. Since 2020, Judge Luna has handled a probate calendar where she manages estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship cases including long cause trials. She has lectured to bar associations and professional organizations including best practices as to case management and evidentiary hearings.