Biography
Roee Kaufman is a Partner at Keystone Law Group, P.C. Prior to joining Keystone, Roee practiced at a boutique law firm specializing in probate litigation and civil elder abuse litigation, including claims of financial and physical abuse and neglect on behalf of elders, dependent adults, and their family members.
Since joining Keystone, Roee’s practice has primarily focused on trust, estate and conservatorship litigation. To that end, Roee has represented clients in a variety of capacities in connection with probate litigation matters, including beneficiaries, creditors, trustees, personal representatives and court-appointed conservators in a variety of probate disputes, including will contests, trust contests, 850 petitions, financial elder abuse claims, actions for removal and surcharge of fiduciaries, heirship claims, and Marvin actions, and in non-litigated probate and trust administration matters. Roee has experience in all phases of litigation, from case intake through mediation, trial and/or arbitration, and has extensive experience litigating contested law and motion matters.
Roee also has appellate experience and has successfully briefed appeals both affirming and reversing trial court orders. Roee has appeared before courts throughout California, including but not limited to Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara County.
Roee has also been sought after as a media correspondent concerning probate-related issues and has been featured on such topics in News Nation Now and Insider Magazine.
Awards / Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch: Litigation – Trust and Estates; Trusts and Estates (2024, 2025)
- Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine (2019-2023)
- “Top 40 Under 40” Attorney by the Daily Journal (2022)
Publications / Speaking Engagements
- Attorney Fees in Trust and Probate, CEB, Practitioner, January 30, 2024.
- Hawaii Tax Institute, “Common Pitfalls in Estate Planning and How to Avoid Them”, November 7, 2023
- Loyola Law School MCLE Day, Topic: “Undue Influence: How to Protect Elderly Clients From Bad Actors During Life and After Death”, August 6, 2022
- California Probate Forms, Inventory, and Tax Returns Tutorial, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “Estate Inventory: Valuing and Recording Assets”; “Final Accounting: What Must and Should Be Included”; “Estate Closing and Distribution Documents: Notices of Proposed Action, Petition to Discharge Fiduciary, and More”, November 11, 2021
- California Probate and Executor Duties, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “Estate Planning Document Review, Initial Petition, and Letters of Authority: Content and Filing Procedure”; “Executor Duties: Master Checklist Step-by-Step Walkthrough With Deadlines,” November 10, 2021
- California Probate and Trust Administration, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “California Probate Process and Overview,” “Assets, Creditor Claims and Debt Considerations,” and “Distributions, Final Accounting, and Closing the Estate”, June 28, 2021
- Interview with News Nation, Britney Spears Conservatorship. “Britney Spears Tells Court About Years Long Conservatorship: ‘I’m So Angry It’s Insane,'” June 24, 2021
Roee Kaufman
Partner
Email: roee@keystone-law.com
Biography
Roee Kaufman is a Partner at Keystone Law Group, P.C. Prior to joining Keystone, Roee practiced at a boutique law firm specializing in probate litigation and civil elder abuse litigation, including claims of financial and physical abuse and neglect on behalf of elders, dependent adults, and their family members.
Since joining Keystone, Roee’s practice has primarily focused on trust, estate and conservatorship litigation. To that end, Roee has represented clients in a variety of capacities in connection with probate litigation matters, including beneficiaries, creditors, trustees, personal representatives and court-appointed conservators in a variety of probate disputes, including will contests, trust contests, 850 petitions, financial elder abuse claims, actions for removal and surcharge of fiduciaries, heirship claims, and Marvin actions, and in non-litigated probate and trust administration matters. Roee has experience in all phases of litigation, from case intake through mediation, trial and/or arbitration, and has extensive experience litigating contested law and motion matters.
Roee also has appellate experience and has successfully briefed appeals both affirming and reversing trial court orders. Roee has appeared before courts throughout California, including but not limited to Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara County.
Roee has also been sought after as a media correspondent concerning probate-related issues and has been featured on such topics in News Nation Now and Insider Magazine.
Awards / Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch: Litigation – Trust and Estates; Trusts and Estates (2024, 2025)
- Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine (2019-2023)
- “Top 40 Under 40” Attorney by the Daily Journal (2022)
Publications / Speaking Engagements
- Attorney Fees in Trust and Probate, CEB, Practitioner, (forthcoming) January 30, 2024.
- Hawaii Tax Institute, “Common Pitfalls in Estate Planning and How to Avoid Them”, November 7, 2023
- Loyola Law School MCLE Day, Topic: “Undue Influence: How to Protect Elderly Clients From Bad Actors During Life and After Death”, August 6, 2022
- California Probate Forms, Inventory, and Tax Returns Tutorial, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “Estate Inventory: Valuing and Recording Assets”; “Final Accounting: What Must and Should Be Included”; “Estate Closing and Distribution Documents: Notices of Proposed Action, Petition to Discharge Fiduciary, and More”, November 11, 2021
- California Probate and Executor Duties, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “Estate Planning Document Review, Initial Petition, and Letters of Authority: Content and Filing Procedure”; “Executor Duties: Master Checklist Step-by-Step Walkthrough With Deadlines,” November 10, 2021
- California Probate and Trust Administration, National Business Institute (NBI), Topics: “California Probate Process and Overview,” “Assets, Creditor Claims and Debt Considerations,” and “Distributions, Final Accounting, and Closing the Estate”, June 28, 2021
- Interview with News Nation, Britney Spears Conservatorship. “Britney Spears Tells Court About Years Long Conservatorship: ‘I’m So Angry It’s Insane,'” June 24, 2021
Education
Roee received his undergraduate degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and received his law degree, cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law.
Bar Admissions
- California
Memberships
- California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates and Litigation Sections
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Executive Committee Member
- ProVisors
Representative Matters
- Successfully defended trustee against Will Contest and Trust Contest filed by beneficiary.
- Successfully litigated trust contests and will contests involving claims of mental incapacity, undue influence, fraud, duress and forgery.
- Assisted clients in obtaining accountings from executors, administrators and trustees on behalf of heirs and beneficiaries.
- Successfully obtained appointment of conservator in contested conservatorship proceeding.
- Provided guidance and assistance to personal representatives and trustees on probate and trust administration matters for estates valued as high as $60 million.
- Successfully recovered millions of dollars on behalf of clients in pre-trial settlements.
- Successfully represented elderly beneficiary in an action to recover title to her home, and in recovering financial elder abuse damages, including attorney’s fees and costs, from beneficiary’s daughter.
- Successfully represented beneficiary in action to cancel a trust amendment that disinherited the beneficiary and was procured by undue influence and fraud.
- Obtained favorable settlement for a spouse of a decedent based upon Marvin v. Marvin even though the spouse was disinherited from the decedent’s trust and there were divorce proceedings pending at the time of decedent’s death.
- Represented beneficiaries in petitions to recover trust property under Probate Code section 850, and actions to remove trustees.
- Represented Administrator of an Estate in an action to cancel estate planning documents procured by the decedent’s unrelated co-worker.
- Represented Conservator in action to recover the Conservatee’s property from the Conservatee’s daughter, who had obtained the property by undue influence and fraud.
- Resolved numerous cases based upon abuse and neglect of elders by healthcare providers.