C1 – Litigation Involving Real Estate in Probate, Trust & Conservatorships – What to do when it happens, How to minimize risk, How to resolve it

Todd Wohl is the Senior Partner of Braun International, BraunMIMX and Premiere Estates International Realty Organization. He is a specialist in valuation, brokerage and auctions of Real Estate, Business Assets and Partnership Interests. Todd has valued and sold over $2 Billion of business real estate. Todd has been seen on FOX Television for The Complex – Malibu television show, HGTV’s “Real Estate Confidential” show, The Today Show and been quoted in regional and national newspapers.  

Todd is also a certified Appraiser and is proficient in the appraising. He is an expert in the valuation of real estate  and minority and partnership interests. Todd serves is an expert in real estate dissolution, sale and strategy situations for Fortune 100 companies, Trust companies, Fiduciaries, Court matters for Probate, Family Law, Bankruptcy and Receivership courts.  

Todd has provided expert witness testimony in numerous state and federal courts regarding valuation of assets for clients such as GE Capital, McDonald’s, Nissan Motors, Ford Motor and Primus Financial.

Todd is the known expert in marketing and sale of Minority Interests in Real Property and Closely Held Interests and has lectured on this topic to numerous professional and legal associations such as the San Francisco Bar Association, The National Trust Closely Held Business Association, The National Trust Real Estate Association, The National Association of Federal Equity Receiver’s and many others.

Troy Martin is an astute litigator who resolves clients’ complex Trusts, Estates & Probate matters and Business disputes. His focused yet kind demeanor brings clients peace-of-mind during highly contentious situations. Applying experience gained from handling a wide range of matters in federal and state courts, mediation and arbitration, Mr. Martin carefully reviews the merits of a case to establish a strategy, discussing the benefits of alternative approaches with his client. 

Mr. Martin offers clients extensive experience resolving trust and estate disputes and probate litigation and has achieved successful outcomes in matters ranging from $300,000 to $100 million. His noteworthy cases include taking advantage of favorable estate tax laws in late 2012, prior to the Fiscal Cliff, to negotiate settlements with an aggregate value exceeding $60 million. Upon exploring deficiencies in the conservatorship laws in representing Peter Falk’s and Casey Kasem’s daughters, Mr. Martin drafted and lobbied for legislation to ensure a child’s right to visit with an ailing parent.  As a result of his efforts, he recently provided expert testimony before the California State Assembly Committee on Judiciary; has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and NBC Los Angeles; and, has appeared on CNN, Larry King Live, Inside Edition, Nancy Grace, Gurvey’s Law (KABC 790AM), and The Tim Conway, Jr. Show (KFI AM 640). 

Mr. Martin’s recent successes resolving business disputes include a verdict in client’s favor after a month-long jury trial over the misappropriation of intellectual property and breach of employment contract for a manufacturer of tactical gear for the military and law enforcement. In a breach of contract case involving a real estate agreement entered in 1924 regarding the establishment of a local cemetery, he achieved a judgment in favor of clients for the total amount of requested damages. Other noteworthy cases involved construction of the Metro Red Line, manufacturing of fire extinguishers for the engine bay of FA-18 fighter jets, and the manufacturer of French fry vending machines. 

Privately-owned companies, public organizations and their legal representatives retain Michael Kasolas to efficiently mitigate financial defaults and support recovery. Michael and his associates bring financial, business, insolvency and real estate expertise to attorneys and courts to assist them in maximizing recoveries of value and in providing fair, impartial, effective oversight in each case. 

Michael is uniquely qualified to serve multiple roles in a liquidation or restructuring process. As a CPA with over 29 years of experience he has resolved complex tax, management, employment, financial, and operational issues of small, midsize and large companies. At PricewaterhouseCoopers he was a senior manager in Tax and Legal Consulting Services. As a former CFO and COO of startup technology companies, he has experienced the challenges of a small business trying to grow in a competitive and changing market. As a real estate broker with over 35 years of experience he is fully aware of the challenges facing buyers and sellers of commercial and noncommercial rea l property. As a probate referee of over 22 years, he has developed an expertise in real property and business entity valuation. As a member of the Chapter 7 panel of trustees for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, he has vast experience in liquidating a broad array of assets. As a chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee, he has operated and liquidated businesses as going concerns in effort to maximize value, including hotels, gas stations, real property and business entities. As a state equity court receiver, he has successfully managed litigation, administered the recovery of financial assets and sold real property. As a successor trustee, he manages and administers private family trusts to afford the timely distribution of estate assets to beneficiaries. His forensic accounting and asset management skills have supported legal action in multiple Ponzi scheme cases in the U.S. Michael Kasolas applies business acumen, objective big picture thinking and timely decision making to each case and appointment. He anticipates and adapts to multiple scenarios, helping clients steer clear of procedural blind spots. His straightforward approach reduces costs and accelerates outcomes.

Mr. Cialone has represented clients in trust and estate litigation involving estates ranging from $5 million to well over $1 billion in value.  These matters have included will contests, creditor claims against estate and trust assets, claims against trust for mismanagement or misappropriation of funds, and disputes regarding the control and disposition of trust assets.  Among other matters, Mr. Cialone played a central role in the Robertson v. Princeton University litigation, considered among the largest and most significant cases involving donor intent and the use of charitable funds. Frank Cialone represents clients in fiduciary litigation matters, including disputes among partners and other co-owners of closely-held businesses, trust and estate matters, and litigation involving the duties of directors and officers. He represents clients at all stages of disputes, from pre-filing negotiations to litigation through arbitration or trial.