Adam Streisand

“Adam F. Streisand is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top trial attorneys, particularly in high profile litigation involving private wealth disputes, fiduciary litigation, business succession and partnership disputes and litigation involving trusts, estates and conservatorships.” Mr. Streisand is best known for his victories in courtroom battles over celebrity estates and, as Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Streisand was the lawyer who … rescued both local NBA teams.” Mr. Streisand’s trial victory for former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer against Donald Sterling resulted in Ballmer’s $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers.

But, as the Los Angeles Daily Journal explained, what captured the legal world completely by surprise was his “particularly adept legal gambit involving a rarely invoked clause of California’s probate code” that made it all happen. As the Los Angeles Times noted, two years later, it was again that “in a very real way, he [was] being asked to save the Lakers.”

Mr. Streisand went back to court, this time for Jeanie Buss, and in one quick, preemptive strike, defeated a threatened coup of the Los Angeles Lakers by Jim and Johnny Buss. News organizations across the country quoted Mr. Streisand as promising: “There is not going to be a palace coup. Not now. Not ever.” And true to his word, Mr. Streisand not only won the case but also walked away with Jim and Johnny Buss’s resignations from all four Buss family trusts as a guarantee against any threat in the future.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Streisand teaches other lawyers the art and science of trial work as an instructor with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and as a frequent lecturer and author. He is also active in authoring probate law, including legislation he drafted at the request of the Marilyn Monroe estate, to protect the right of a celebrity’s heirs to control his or her name, image and likeness after death.

Mr. Streisand is well-known for his victories in courtroom battles over celebrity estates, including the estates of Ray Charles, Marlon Brando, Rodney Dangerfield, Alan Thicke, Michael Crichton and Barry White, his representation of Mrs. Katherine Jackson in the estate of Michael Jackson, Larry Birkhead in the estate of Anna Nicole Smith, and Britney Spears in her conservatorship proceedings, among many others.

Mr. Streisand is equally acclaimed for his trial victories in some of the most complex cases in the probate courts. He obtained an eight-figure result for the widow of famed race car driver and high-performance automotive designer, Carroll Shelby. Mr. Streisand won a judgment in the eight figures, including an award of double damages, against a trustee, in a case involving the ownership of 70 real properties and 25 bank and brokerage accounts, unwinding 40 years of fraudulent creditor and tax avoidance schemes.

Mr. Streisand won three successive trials against a former trustee, obtaining judgments for a total of more than $10 million, double damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs. Mr. Streisand won a an action to remove a trustee together with $3 million in damages. Mr. Streisand has won numerous will and trust contests and actions to remove and impose damages on trustees and other fiduciaries.

He has won numerous cases involving family law matters, such as community property issues and palimony claims, and obtained an award of twice the highest legal guidelines for child support in California in a trial to compel a parent to pay adult child support of behalf of his severely mentally disabled son. Winning in trial is the best leverage for obtaining favorable settlements.

For example, Mr. Streisand obtained a $113 million settlement in an action by family members owning a minority interest in a public food service company against the CEO who was controlling the company as trustee of family trusts owning a majority block of the stock.

Education:

• J.D., American University, 1991, cum laude, Honor Society, Editorial Staff, American University Law Review
• B.A., Trinity College, 1985

Admissions : California

Memberships:

• Former Member, Executive Committee, Section on Trusts and Estates, State Bar of California
• Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
• Member, Long-Range Planning Committee, Fiduciary Litigation Committee and Professional Responsibility Committee of ACTEC
• Member, CEB Estate Planning Advisory Committee
• Member, Planning Committee of the USC Probate and Trust Conference
• Former Chair, Trusts and Estates Section, Century City Bar Association
• Volunteer Attorney, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, offering pro bono publico legal services to the poor and elderly