Fiduciary litigation involves a potentially explosive combination: complex family dynamics, high financial and emotional stakes, and elevated legal duties. Dave views these disputes as problems to be solved, not wars to be waged.
As leader of Schiff Hardin’s nationwide trust and estate litigation practice, Dave is a powerful advocate for his clients. But he understands that reason and finesse are more effective than brute force – and that they leave fewer scars. While guiding clients through litigation to reach long-term solutions, Dave is mindful that the parties will generally have a relationship long after their lawsuit ends, and he formulates his strategy accordingly.
Dave has applied this approach successfully in scores of trust disputes, contested estates, and related matters. He regularly represents corporate fiduciaries in significant and sensitive cases, including "rescue" situations in which he is called upon to assist or replace prior counsel.
Dave’s fiduciary litigation practice extends far beyond his home office in Chicago. He has represented clients in fiduciary litigation and related matters in state and federal courts across the country. In addition to his extensive trial court work in this area, he has orally argued four trust/estate disputes on appeal and prevailed in all four.
