The 51st Annual Trust and Estate Conference took place on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Downtown Los Angeles, continuing its long tradition as a premier gathering for professionals in estate planning, probate, trust administration, and elder law.
Hosted by the USC Gould School of Law and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Business Law Section, the hybrid conference convened hundreds of attorneys, fiduciaries, trust officers, and legal professionals.
A central moment of the day was the luncheon keynote, “Checks, Balances and Best Interests—Ethics for Legal and Financial Professionals in Complex Cases,” which addressed ethical duties across roles including attorneys, fiduciaries, wealth advisors, and the courts, using a case study of vulnerable clients and oversight through litigation.
“It’s one thing to hire advisors and hire CPAs and hire attorneys that will just tell you what to do, but, in our opinion, the legal and ethical duty of competence includes the ability to at least have a basic understanding of the issues that you’re dealing with,” said Yevgeny L. Belous, Esq., Partner at Rodnunsky & Associates. “You have to look at the underlying documents, the people involved, and the issues involved to see if you’re the right fit.”
The morning program opened with the returning cornerstone session, “Annual Update: Recent Developments in Probate and Trust and Their Practical Applications,” featuring analyses of recent California legislation, case law, and federal tax changes, providing guidance valuable to both new and experienced practitioners.
Later in the morning, “Tax Considerations in Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution and Trust Modifications” examined how settlement structures can affect income, gift, estate, and GST tax implications during disputes and negotiations.
“The trust and estate litigator advising on a settlement strategy should always consider the impact the taxes may have on the settlement outcome. The guiding principle to consider is when a property right or asset is transferred, modified, terminated, or changes materially, even in a settlement agreement — with few exceptions — there is almost always a tax on someone,” said Adam M. Ansari, Member at Clark Hill PLC.
“In trust and estate disputes, there’s almost always a tax angle or a lurking tax trap,” said Jeryll Cohen, Partner at Saul Ewing LLP.
The final morning session, “Trusts in Transit: Is It Time to Move Your Trust to Another State?” explored the mechanics, benefits, and pitfalls of changing trust status to more favorable jurisdictions, including conflict-of-law risks.
The afternoon continued with “Death and Debt: Navigating Post-Mortem Debt in Probate, Non-Probate, and Trust Estates,” covering secured and unsecured debt, creditor priority, liquidity issues, and estate tax deductibility.
Next, “Estate Planning Traps: Lessons from Litigation and Planning Experts” bridged planning and litigation perspectives to help practitioners draft documents designed to carry out clients’ intentions and avoid future disputes.
The conference concluded with “Legal Advice or Elder Abuse? Ethical Dilemmas When Advising the Elderly,” examining liability exposure under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act and best practices for advising older clients when capacity is uncertain.
Now in its 51st year, USC Gould’s Trust and Estate Conference continues to serve as a source of practical resources, expert instruction, and industry-wide networking across Southern California and beyond. The program includes a detailed syllabus, continuing education credit, and access to all session recordings, supporting long-term reference and post-conference application.
Learn more at gould.law/TEC
About USC Gould Continuing Legal Education
USC Gould School of Law offers continuing legal education opportunities for professionals who want to learn and network with leading experts in their industries. A fixture of the Los Angeles legal community since 1948, USC Gould Continuing Legal Education hosts six annual conferences for professionals at every level to learn from, and network with, the biggest players in entertainment, estate planning, business, tax and intellectual property. To learn more, visit or subscribe at gould.usc.edu/cle – and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
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