Spotlight
Once upon a time in the enchanted land of Queens, a colorful borough in the City Of New York, a young boy named Seth Krasilovsky eagerly awaited the nightly ritual of his bedtime story. Spending time embraced by the warmth of his bed and the presence of his parents, Seth would drift off to sleep as he listened to the latest folk story or fairy tale.
Seth’s enjoyment of bedtime stories extended beyond quality time with mom and dad. What he enjoyed most was escaping into the imagery of the various stories being narrated. So the first time he heard, as a 3rd grader, about the New York City Public Schools’ storytelling contest, it got his attention and he wondered if he might be as good a storyteller as he was a listener.
For each of his last 4 years of elementary school, Seth entered and won storytelling contests at the class, grade, and school-wide levels. His renditions of folk stories, fairy tales and fables, delivered with animation and poise and punctuated with hand gestures, led to his selection as finalist in multiple championships of his public school district.
Years later, after he graduated from law school, Seth brought his inherent gift with him to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. There, the importance and power of the craft of storytelling were reinforced, and his ability to paint pictures for judges and juries reaped immediate rewards for the People of The State of New York. But his favorite memories of storytelling came when it became his turn to pass along the tradition of bedtime stories to his two young children.
Experience
Legal Expertise
Concentrates practice on trust, estate and conservatorship litigation and administration.
Represents corporate, private professional and individual fiduciaries in disputes and litigation, including surcharge and removal proceedings, contested accountings, claims for breach of fiduciary duty and suits involving lifetime transfers.
Represents individual and charitable beneficiaries in litigation and disputes, including breach of fiduciary duty claims, trust and will contests, and interpretation of testamentary instruments.
Representative Matters
- Successfully represented a California non-profit public benefit corporation and obtained judgments, after two trials, surcharging trustee for breaches of fiduciary duties.
- Obtained judgment on the pleadings while successfully defending trustee against claims for accounting, breach of trust and surcharge.
- Negotiated favorable settlement terms for a previously discharged corporate trustee of special needs trust in obtaining disgorgement from California Department of Health Care Services of previously over-distributed trust assets.
- Represented eight prominent charitable organizations in successful challenge of purported trust instrument.
- Successfully defended successor trustee and trust beneficiaries against petition seeking disqualification of entitlement to decedent’s property due to alleged felonious and intentional killing of decedent.
- Obtained judgment on the pleadings while successfully defending trustee against petition seeking removal and appointment of successor trustee.
- Successfully represented a college as trust beneficiary in obtaining order removing malfeasant trustee and negotiated favorable settlement of surcharge claims against trustee.
- Negotiated favorable settlement terms for a member-supported public media network and protected its beneficial interest under testamentary instrument challenged for lack of due execution.
- Successfully represented corporate trustee in arbitration resulting in approval of accounting and report of trusteeship.
- Assisted in obtaining a $113 million settlement of litigation to remove and surcharge trustee of trusts controlling Farmer Bros. Coffee Co.
- Obtained significant settlement as lead trial counsel for quadriplegic unlawfully evicted from skilled nursing facility.
Honors & Awards
- “Top 5% of lawyers in Southern California,” Southern California Super Lawyers (2013-2024)
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America© in Trusts and Estates (2018-2025)
- "Southern California Rising Stars," Super Lawyers (2009-2012)
- Elyse S. Klein Memorial Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Legal Services, Bet Tzedek Legal Services (2005)
- AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Professional, Business and civic Affiliations
- Former Co-Chair, Anti-Defamation League, Glass Leadership Institute
- Jewish Federation, New Leaders Project
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, Trusts & Estates Section
- New York State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section
- American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
- Former Gift Chair, University of Pennsylvania Penn Fund
Other Career Experience
- Assistant District Attorney, New York County District Attorney’s Office
- Judicial Intern, Hon. Leslie Crocker Snyder, New York State Supreme Court
