Find An Attorney
Richard A. Heller
Partner
Practice Areas |
Admissions |
|
Litigation Trust, Estate and Probate Litigation |
California |
Contact Information
1917 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 300 Carlsbad, CA 92008 Direct Phone: 760.496.0774 Direct Fax: 619.744.5454 rah@procopio.com v-Card Download BioProfessional Summary
Mr. Heller has extensive trial experience. His practice emphasizes complex business litigation and trust, estate, and probate litigation.
Prior to joining Procopio, Mr. Heller was a principal in the law firm of Lodge & Heller in Carlsbad, California.
Prior to joining Procopio, Mr. Heller was a principal in the law firm of Lodge & Heller in Carlsbad, California.
Representative Matters
- Successful representation of trustees in defending $40 million challenge to separate property character of trust corpus
- Successful representation of court-appointed conservator in trust contest litigation resulting in over $25 million being returned to family members
- Successful representation of court-appointed guardian ad litem in breach of fiduciary duty case resulting in over $12 million being returned to trust
- Successful representation of real estate developer in action challenging developer's $7 million interest
- Successful representation of beneficiaries in undue influence/breach of fiduciary duty case resulting in over $3 million in additional bequests to beneficiaries
- Judgment for over $3 million for breach of fiduciary duty against trustee
- Judgment upholding $2.8 million real property claim against breach of contract claims
- Jury verdict in defamation action for over $1 million
- Represents clients in a wide variety of complex business litigation, including commercial, real estate, fraud, contract, partnership, and corporate disputes
- Represents clients in trust and will contests and a wide variety of trust and estate litigation including elder financial abuse, breach of fiduciary duty, accounting and surcharge, property characterization, creditor claims, and no-contest clause disputes
Education, Distinctions & Community Involvement
Mr. Heller completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley in 1971, having completed the honors program in political science. He received his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1975, where he was a staff writer for the San Diego Law Review. Mr. Heller is admitted to practice in California, the District of Columbia, and in Federal courts. He previously served as President and member of the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of Northern San Diego County and also served as chair of the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of Northern San Diego County. Mr. Heller lectures on trust, estate, and probate litigation and was the moderator and a panel member for many years for the Continuing Education of the Bar course on estate and trust litigation. He is a Master of the Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Mr. Heller co-chaired the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the San Diego County Bar Association in 1996 and served on the Judicial Evaluation Rules Revision Committee for the San Diego County Bar Association in 1999. He is an AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.
News*, Publications & Events
Recent Articles/Publications
- "Managing Litigation Costs", Interviewed by Leslie Stevens-Huffman, SmartBusiness San Diego, July 2007