Closing General Session – Rules Of Engagement: When You’re The Only Ethical Adult In The Room

Liza and Robyn will bring you tips from the trenches of litigation representing fiduciaries and interested
persons to protect elders, disabled individuals, and children. We will review the duties we share to: (1)
avoid and prepare for ethically-managed litigation; (2) ensure fiduciaries understand the rules of
engagement in litigation; and, (3) present real-life examples of how to work as a team to always and
only pursue the best interests of our wards.

Speakers

Liza de Vries, Esq.

Liza de Vries, Esq.

De Vries Law, P.C.
https://www.devrieslawsf.com/

After vigorously prosecuting civil rights and elder abuse cases over sixteen years at the Scott Law Firm, Liza launched her own practice in 2020.

Committed to preserving the civil rights of those whose voices cannot be heard, Liza represents children who have suffered from wrongdoing by those erroneously entrusted to keep them safe and adults whose rights have been trampled. She also represents elders, adults with disabilities, consumers, and those who have suffered from a prism of scenarios constituting abuse of power, government misconduct, employment discrimination, harassment or retaliation.In addition, Liza represents professional fiduciaries who protect those who cannot protect themselves from abuse or neglect. She also staunchly defends fiduciaries falsely accused of wrongdoing for nefarious purposes. Common opposing parties are so-called friends, colleagues, associates, care providers, disgruntled family members, strangers, state actors, and all who take advantage of a victim’s frailties, diminished capacities, and inability to withstand undue influence, fraud or duress.

Her clients recover their losses through civil litigation, conservatorships, and estate or trust litigation.

Robyn Christo

Robyn Christo

Epstein Holtzapple Christo LLP
https://ehc.law/

Robyn specializes in trust, probate, and fiduciary litigation as well as elderrelated litigation and contested conservatorship matters. Robyn also has experience handling real-estate and business disputes including partition actions that often arise in the context of estate litigation.

Robyn started her legal career in 2009 with an Am Law 100 firm in San Francisco, California, where she handled a broad range of litigation and transactional matters involving intellectual property rights, labor and employment, construction projects, real estate, and land use. In 2012, Robyn joined Gaw Van Male, LLP in Napa, California, a law firm well-known for its handling of complex estate planning and administration issues, where she began developing her estate litigation expertise. During law school, Robyn worked at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, where she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Vaughn R. Walker (Ret.).
Robyn is a member of the Litigation Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association (formerly a section of the State Bar of California). She has also appeared eight times on both the Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list and the list of Top Women Attorneys in Northern California.

Robyn graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2008. She completed her undergraduate education at Sonoma State University and then worked as a special events coordinator and wine educator before attending law school. Robyn was born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County, where she currently resides with her husband and their three children.