Illinois Appellate Court Victory in Trust Case of First Impression

Client:	Beneficiaries of Multimillion-Dollar Trust
Representation:	Defense of Lawsuit by Fellow Beneficiary
Date:	2007
Locations:	Illinois

Summary:

In 2007, the Illinois Appellate Court ruled in our clients' favor on a question of first impression concerning the application of a Trusts and Trustees Act provision, unanimously reversing the trial court and holding that the Act permitted the severance of a 1948 trust into multiple separate trusts. Schiff Hardin played the lead role in drafting the appellate briefs on behalf of multiple defendants, and we were selected by our fellow counsel to present the winning oral argument to the Appellate Court.

This case was closely watched by corporate trustees, and the Corporate Fiduciaries Association of Illinois filed an amicus brief in support of our position. Other issues in the case included the application of res judicata to a foreign judgment and questions of multi-state jurisdiction over trusts.