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Lana Muranovic Presents at Advanced Topics in Customs Compliance Conference

California Employment Laws Related to States of Emergency

BakerHostetler continues West Coast expansion with addition of leading trust and estate litigator Denise Chambliss in San Francisco

Proposed TDHCA Rule to Require Local Approval for Property Tax Exemptions on Certain Properties

Denise has first chaired numerous trials and/or binding arbitrations, using her deep experience in fiduciary litigation to effectively attain positive outcomes for clients. Her vast experience with trust and estate contested matters includes undue influence trust and will contests, defense of breach of fiduciary duty claims, adjudication of accounting objections, financial elder abuse and mediation with negotiated settlements. She also assists clients with the intricate post-death administration of trusts and estates, accusations of trust mismanagement, creditor claims and surcharge.

Denise has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” since 2015 and by The Best Lawyers in America® since 2021 for her trust and estate litigation practice in Northern California. She has authored dozens of articles and papers for industry publications and participated in many speaking engagements regarding trusts and estates.

Prior to focusing her practice on fiduciary litigation, Denise handled civil litigation, including an array of matters ranging from contract disputes and business fraud to tort claims, corporate disputes, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation and real estate conflicts.

core/freeform

J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 1996, 

B.A., Music Theory and Composition, University of Houston, 1992

<ul>
<li>Northern California “Super Lawyer” (2015 to 2024)</li>
<li>The Best Lawyers in America® (2021 to 2022)
<ul>
<li>California: Litigation &#8211; Trusts and Estates</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

San Francisco

Private Wealth Planning

<ul>
<li>Prevailed at trial on a will contest involving question of whether married spouse&#8217;s community property was controlled by her will with defeat of breach of spousal fiduciary duties claim. Opinion of first impression for equitable reformation of will published at Wilkin v. Nelson (2020) 45 Cal.App.5th 802 (trial before Santa Barbara County Probate Court).</li>
<li>Obtained an order granting trust modification of designated successor trustees provision to eliminate unqualified party from future trustee appointment.</li>
<li>Successful trial against ownership of real property allegedly acquired by an “asset protection” irrevocable trust in quiet title case, with a subsequent negotiated settlement to resolve eight years of related litigation in three separate legal proceedings. Reported at Foust v. Foust, 2015 Verdicts Lexis 7891</li>
<li>Negotiated settlement of beneficiary disputes with their stepfather over community property and separate property to resolve a four-year-long probate.</li>
<li>Negotiated settlement of judicial foreclosure on commercial parcels, with full recovery on amount lent.</li>
<li>Successfully negotiated settlement of disputes between co-trustees involving allegations of self-dealing over eight rental properties.</li>
<li>Successful pre-litigation settlement in favor of trustee against beneficiary’s claim on breach of fiduciary duties claims and failure to account.</li>
<li>Obtained default judgment against corporation and, by post-judgment motion, its alter ego shareholder on fraud claims arising from business purchase; judgment affirmed by the Court of Appeal; review denied by the California Supreme Court. Guo v. Luminary Spa, Inc. (2010)</li>
<li>Successfully negotiated settlement of financial elder abuse claim against predatory lender.</li>
</ul>

Denise E. Chambliss

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