On May 27, 2016, the Texas Supreme Court held that an individual beneficiary of a self-directed retirement account managed by a corporate trustee had standing to bring legal malpractice claims against a law firm based on advice allegedly given regarding loans from the retirement account. Linegar v. DLA Piper US, LLP, No. 14-0767, 2016

In Lemus v. Aguilar, relatives fought over ownership of a decedent’s home.  No. 04-14-00609-CV, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 2685 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Mar. 16, 2016, no pet. h.).  Elvira, the deceased, lived in her home for over 20 years with her boyfriend, Garza.  Elvira and Garza were named managing conservators of her daughter Annette’s

A court of appeals recently issued an opinion rejecting a fiduciary’s claims regarding the excessiveness of the trial court’s judgment that awarded disgorgement and exemplary damages.  In Swinnea v. ERI Consulting Engineers, Inc., Snodgrass and Swinnea owned equal interests in ERI, a small consulting company that managed asbestos abatement projects, for approximately ten years. 

In Estate of Pursley, a husband and wife (Harold Sr. and Mildred) with three children executed a joint will in 1975 that provided the survivor would take the entire estate “to be used, occupied, enjoyed, conveyed and expended by and during the life of such survivor, as such survivor shall desire and that upon

In Gonzalez v. De Leon, two sisters (Josefina and Delfina), as part of a family estate plan, transferred certain real property to a limited partnership, formed other limited partnerships to manage and develop the property, and formed a limited liability company to act as general partner of the limited partnerships.  No. 04-14-00751-CV, 2015 Tex.

In Estate of Benson, a beneficiary of a trust sought to remove the trustee, her father, for allegedly violating his fiduciary duties in administering the trust assets. No. 04-15-00087-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 9477 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Sept. 9, 2015, no pet. h.). The trustee’s relationship with the beneficiary and her adult children (who