Timothy B. Gulbranson and Jenny L. Juehring successfully represented a trust beneficiary in the appeal of a decision finding that the trust’s co-trustees breached their fiduciary duties in administering the trust.

On September 4, 2025, the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision that the bequest to a co-trustee of an interest in a construction company had adeemed, leaving no interest in the company to pass through the trust. Further, the Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision that the co-trustees breached their fiduciary duties as co-trustees by attempting to relieve a co-trustee of his obligation to pay the balance of a promissory note owed to the trust, leading to their removal as trustees. The district court’s award of attorney fees to the beneficiary was also upheld.

A copy of the Iowa Court of Appeals opinion can be found here.

Tim Gulbranson joined Lane & Waterman in 2015 and practices primarily in the areas of estate planning and litigation, probate and trust administration, and real estate. He also counsels companies with securities, formation, governance, and contractual matters.

Jenny Juehring joined Lane & Waterman in 2020. Her practice focuses primarily on litigation with focus areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, medical malpractice, and appellate practice.