Virtual Representation – It’s Really Here! (No, Really)

California has a new virtual representation statute! What does this mean for your trusts and estates practice?  In this episode of Trust Me!, our guests, Kelly Cooksey of Loeb and Loeb in Los Angeles, and Anna Soliman of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles will review the nuts and bolts of the long-awaited virtual representation statute, which became effective on January 1st, 2026.  Our host will be Jeff Loew, Managing Partner of Trust Law Partners and Education Chair for TEXCOM, the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the CA Lawyers Association.

Jeff Loew is the managing partner of Trust Law Partners LLP, with offices in Silicon Valley, Pasadena and Newport Beach.   Jeff’s primary areas of practice include trust and estate litigation, fiduciary litigation, and financial elder abuse actions.  Jeff is certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Jeff is the Chair of the Education Subcommittee for TEXCOM, the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association and is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He is licensed to practice in California, Nevada, and Texas.

Kelly Cooksey focuses her practice on estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals, as well as probate and trust administration.  Her experience includes drafting living trusts and gift trusts, handling complex trust administration and probate proceedings and coordinating tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies among numerous advisors.  She regularly advises clients on the wide range of sophisticated issues arising in these transactions, including income, gift, estate and property tax issues, the modification of irrevocable trusts through methods such as trust decanting as well as charitable planning issues, particularly compliance with private foundation self-dealing rules. 

Anna Soliman is special counsel in the Tax, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles office. 

Anna specializes in estate planning and trust administration for high-net-worth individuals. She has broad experience in drafting and preparing complex estate plans and business succession plans for high-net-worth individuals. She also assists clients in matters ranging from trust administration and probate to IRS audits. Anna was most recently the Chief Fiduciary Officer and Trust Counsel of a prominent trust company. Earlier in her career, Anna worked as an Estate and Gift Tax Attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, where she examined high profile tax returns.

Thank you for listening to Trust Me!

Trust Me is Produced by Foley Marra Studios
Edited by Cat Hammons and Todd Gajdusek