Trust and Estate Litigation Attorney

About Us: Murtaugh Treglia Stern & Deily LLP (MTSD) is a mid-sized firm founded in 1979 with approximately 25 lawyers in our principal office in Irvine. MTSD boasts one of the largest and most active trust and estate practices in Orange County. The Firm’s trust and estate practice provides comprehensive private client services including high net worth estate planning, complex trust and estate administration, and trust and estate litigation. The Firm also boasts multiple attorneys that are certified specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California. Our attorneys lecture and publish to other professionals throughout the community and serve in the leadership of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association, the Trusts and Estates Section and Elder Law & Special Needs Section of the Orange County Bar Association. If you are an experienced trust and estate litigation attorney (with 5 years of experience) interested in joining a busy, sophisticated practice or if you have experience as a civil litigation attorney (at least 3 years of experience) looking to transition into a thriving personal practice, we want to talk to you. How We Can Help: Quality service comes from quality professionals, and we are committed to your development both as a legal professional and as a member of our Firm. To that end, we provide direct partner-associate mentoring, regular group training sessions, monthly Firm dinners, and – for those who may be interested – roster spots on our softball team. We also provide one experienced legal secretary for every two to three attorneys, plus office staff and paralegal support, and the opportunity to work remotely on an as-needed basis. MTSD is also a highly diversified firm. While this specific opening is for an attorney dedicated to trust and estate litigation, you will have the opportunity to meet and learn from attorneys in other fields such as business litigation, architect and engineer litigation, civil litigation, real estate, and business transactions. Base salary ranges between $125,000 and $180,000, depending on experience, with bonus opportunities based on your performance. We also provide a full benefits package including 401(k) plan with three percent annual matching, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, and other benefits. How You Can Help: Our ideal candidate will have at least some background in private client litigation services and we encourage candidates to highlight experience in their application materials. We will also consider applicants with civil litigation experience who are interested in transitioning to work in probate court. Our primary requirement is an interest in the trust and estate practice and the ability to work collaboratively with our clients and their advisors to understand and respond to their unique goals. Other requirements include: 1. Admission to the California State Bar. 2. Attention to detail: We pride ourselves on exceptional service and our “Care for the Client” ethos. To meet those standards and have long-term success in the Firm, candidates should take pride in the quality of their work. 3. Strong communication and negotiations skills. We are in the business of understanding and effectively solving our clients’ problems, not just billing hours. 4. Exceptional legal writing ability. Please submit at least one persuasive writing sample with your application which demonstrates your ability to communicate the context and main point of your argument. At MTSD, our associates are treated like real attorneys and human beings, not just trainees and work horses. Associates will have the opportunity to work closely with partners and clients through all levels of the litigation process, from the initial case intake and evaluation through trial. This associate would work on a full range of trust, estate, and fiduciary litigation matters for high-net-worth individuals and families, professional fiduciaries, and charities. These matters may include trust and will contests; disputed petitions under Probate Code section 850 and 17200; and claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fiduciary misconduct, accounting disputes, and financial elder abuse cases. Every associate is expected to prepare a case evaluation for each file they handle which includes a realistic plan of action. Associates are also expected to handle pleadings and discovery as necessary to follow through on that plan. Other responsibilities will depend on experience level, but our associates will never be stuck doing document review for days on end. If you are able and interested, you will draft advanced motions, argue in court, take and defend depositions, directly advise clients about case strategy, independently attend mediations and negotiating case resolutions, and assist with trial. We want our associates to advance their professional skills and handle more advanced matters so they can continue to improve those skills. If you want to move your career forward and become a better attorney in a sought-after, niche area of practice at a Firm with sophisticated clients, send us your resume and writing sample today.