Duties Within Duties
Trustee Ownership of Business Entities
Presented by:
Ryan Cunningham, Senior Counsel
Hansen Bridgett LLP
Scott Fraser, Partner
Crist | Biorn | Shepherd | Roskoph, APC
Chelsea Suttman, Shareholder and Managing Director
Barulich Dugoni Suttmann & Cummins Law Group, Inc
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Presentation Summary:
Speakers will discuss how a trustee's fiduciary duties are affected by ownership of business entities, in particular, the standard of care, the duty to inform and report, and the duty to diversify and make property productive. The presentation will also discuss the beneficiary's rights, including rights to information and derivative rights. In the event that the fiduciary has both an ownership and management role, the presentation will highlight any additional duties imposed by the Corporations Code and/or the Corporate Transparency Act.
Learning Objectives:
- Fiduciary duties when business interests are owned
- Strategies to resolve fiduciary/beneficiary level disagreements regarding business entities
- A better understanding of the structure and function of business entities
About Our Speakers:
Ryan Cunningham, Senior Counsel
Hansen Bridget LLP
Ryan represents fiduciaries, individuals and companies navigate trust and probate litigation. He has over 10 years of experience litigating high-stakes trust matters, real estate disputes, elder abuse claims and related civil litigation. His practice involves all aspects of a dispute from pre-litigation planning and litigation avoidance all the way through the appellate courts. When not practicing Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and travelling.
Scott Fraser, Partner
Crist | Biorn | Shepherd | Roskoph APC
Mr. Fraser’s practice encompasses estate planning, administration, and litigation matters ranging from complex tax planning for high-net-worth individuals to litigation of will and trust contests and disputed property claims through trial. Mr. Fraser particularly enjoys utilizing his insight and experience as both a planner and a litigator to counsel clients in complex intra-family disputes and transactions. Mr. Fraser is a frequent contributor to CEB, authoring chapters in California Estate Planning, Drafting Revocable Trusts, and California Will Drafting.
Chelsea J. Suttmann, Shareholder and Managing Director
Barulich Dugoni & Suttmann Law Group, Inc.
Ms. Suttmann’s law practice focuses on high net worth estate planning, estate and trust administration, specifically inter-family business succession planning. Ms. Suttmann presently serves as the Practice Area Leader for the estate administration department. Areas of Practice include: Estate Planning; Estate Administration; Probate; Trusts and Estates; Business Planning; Corporate Law; Real Property.
A Special Thanks to Our Event Sponsor:
A Special Thanks to Our Wine Sponsor:
Meeting Agenda/Schedule
May 8, 2025
6:00pm - Check In, Networking & Reception
6:30pm - Sit Down Plated Dinner
6:45pm- Welcome & Announcements
7:00pm- Speaker Presentation
8:00pm- Event Concludes
REGISTRATION COST
Members - $95 | Guests - $115
AFTER 5/6/2025
Members - $105 | Guests - $125
The Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council is a multi-disciplinary group of estate planning and related professionals focused on delivering exceptional services to clients by providing and strengthening:
Cutting-edge continuing education to develop best practices in estate planning, wealth preservation and legacy; Communication and collaboration with peers across disciplines; A reliable network of referral sources with experienced, like-minded professionals
