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Probate,
Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Apr. 16, 2026

Judge lets malpractice claims proceed in estate dispute

A judge allowed key malpractice claims against estate attorneys to proceed while trimming parts of the complaint, as a dispute over an $8 million trust and alleged concealment moves forward.

Judge lets malpractice claims proceed in estate dispute
Retired San Francisco Superior Court judge Harold E. Kahn

A San Francisco judge allowed key malpractice claims to proceed against estate planning attorneys accused of concealing evidence of a client's mental capacity, while narrowing the complaint in an ongoing trust dispute.

After a hearing Wednesday, retired San Francisco Superior Court judge Harold E. Kahn overruled a demurrer filed by the defendants -- Kato, Feder & Suzuki LLP and one of its attorneys, Melanie J. Emmons -- finding that claims for professional negligence and b...

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