Celebrating Over 75 Years of Serving Nevada’s Legal, Business, Government, and Civic Communities

Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation

Practice Areas

Tier 1, Best Lawyers, and Lawyer of the Year Awards in Trust and Estate Litigation

McDonald Carano’s Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation Practice delivers an abundance of private wealth experience and proven litigation skills throughout Nevada. Our state-specific know-how is undeniably extensive and positions us to assist high net worth individuals and families with complex will and trust contests, inheritance disputes, fiduciary management and other probate litigation matters.

  • Five Lawyer of the Year Awards: Leigh Goddard, Chair of our Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation Practice, received the Lawyer of the Year award in Trust & Estate Litigation in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for the northern Nevada region. Mark Knobel received the Lawyer of the Year award in Trust & Estate Litigation in the 2024, 2019, and 2014 editions of The Best Lawyers in America for the northern Nevada region. Aaron Shipley received the Lawyer of the Year award in Trust & Estate Litigation in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for the southern Nevada region. Lawyer of the Year honors are awarded to only one lawyer in a specific practice and geographic region who achieves “extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction.”
  • Tier 1 Practice Ranking: Our Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation Practice is ranked in the highest Tier 1 category in the “Best Law Firms” 2025 report published by U.S. News–Best Lawyers. As the “Best Law Firms” report explains, “achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.” Firms that receive the Tier 1 designation reflect the highest level of respect a firm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients from the same communities and practice areas.

Our work is not limited to disputes and litigation. Our Trust & Estates Practice attorneys offer clients strategies for avoiding controversies by carefully navigating the trust and estate planning, preparation and administration processes, and we provide ongoing advice and counsel to assess and advise on changes and updates. Our Trust & Estates Practice is also ranked in the highest Tier 1 category in the “Best Law Firms” 2025 report published by U.S. News-Best Lawyers as well as the highest Band 1 category in Chambers High Net Worth Guide. In the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, McDonald Carano celebrates our fifth “Lawyer of the Year” award in Trust & Estates Law.

Our Reno and Las Vegas attorneys’ experience is everything when it comes to overcoming the challenges associated with generational and wealth planning, as trust and estate litigation is a multi-dimensional discipline that often includes a variety of moving parts. This encompasses issues involving fiduciary duty, real estate, tax, family business succession, bankruptcy, and creditor-related matters, and our keen understanding of all these interconnected components is employed in our service to clients. Our Nevada-focused trust, estate and fiduciary litigation prowess, earned over decades of continuous practice, allows us to effectively guide clients through even the most complex or contentious trust and estate controversies, contests, and related litigation claims.

We deliver much-needed skill in practical problem solving, as well as the ability to effectively manage and leverage the opportunities arising in will and trust contests. Our Nevada trust and estate litigation attorneys are formidable adversaries, having repeatedly resolved disputes in which substantial assets are at stake, representing fiduciaries and other parties as defense and plaintiff counsel. We routinely appear on their behalf in arbitrations, mediations, bench trials, jury trials, and appeals in matters involving:

  • Claims
  • Will and trust contests
  • Breach of fiduciary duty
  • Fiduciary misconduct
  • Fraud
  • Financial elder abuse
  • Adult guardianships

Our experience extends to all aspects of disputes regarding private wealth involving estates, trusts, and adult guardianships. As a Firm, we have practiced in Nevada since 1949, making us well acquainted with the local rules as well as the unique propensities of the Nevada Judiciary.

Practice Area News

McDonald Carano Receives 24 “Tier 1” Practice Group Awards in Best Law Firms 2026

Tier 1 Practice Groups McDonald Carano proudly announces that 24 areas of expertise in our Reno and Las Vegas offices received the highest Tier 1 ranking in the 2026 edition…

25 Reno Office Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026

McDonald Carano proudly announces that 21 of our Reno office lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and four…

17 Las Vegas Office Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026

McDonald Carano proudly announces that 16 of our Las Vegas office lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and one…

Our Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation Group

Leigh
Goddard

Managing Partner
Reno Office Trust, Estate & Fiduciary LitigationChair Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Robert E.
Armstrong

Partner Direct775.326.4339 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

James
Chisel

Attorney Direct Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Ian
DeValliere

Attorney Direct775.326.4370 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Jared C.
Dixon

Attorney Direct702.257.4563 Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

John
Galvin

Partner Direct Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Adam
Hosmer-Henner

Partner Direct775.326.4321 (Reno) Direct702.257.4571 (Las Vegas) V-Card PDF (Print)

Mark
Knobel

Partner Direct775.398.7402 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

William A. S.
Magrath II

Partner Direct Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Lance N.
McKenzie

Partner Direct775.398.7408 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

John B.
Mulligan

Senior Counsel Direct Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Cody R.
Noble

Partner Direct Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Zach
Noland

Attorney Direct775.326.4337 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Aaron
Shipley

Partner Direct Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Scott A.
Swain

Partner Direct Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Michael G.
Whittaker

Partner Direct Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

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