Matthew W. McMurtrey - a Los Angeles, US Trust and Estate Litigation Lawyer

Los Angeles Trust and Estate Litigation Lawyer

Updated: 04/30/2026

Areas of Practice

Trust and Estate Litigation
Conservatorship Litigation
Estate and Trust Appeals

Attorney Information

Overview

Matthew W. McMurtrey focuses his practice exclusively on probate litigation, with a particular emphasis on trusts and estates. His practice includes litigation at all levels of California's judicial system. He has successfully tried matters before the Probate Department of the Superior Court and has also handled appeals before several districts of the California Court of Appeal, resulting in multiple published appellate decisions.

Mr. McMurtrey serves as an advocate for a spectrum of clients, including high-net-worth institutions and individuals seeking to defend their claims and enforce their rights. His result-oriented approach offers each client an honest, unbiased, and realistic assessment of his or her case.

Representative examples of Mr. McMurtrey's practice include prosecuting and defending will and trust contests, pursuing creditor's claims in decedents' estates, seeking interpretation of wills and trusts, and prosecuting and defending surcharge claims against trustees. Mr. McMurtrey has successfully represented a trustee petitioner at trial, and respondent on appeal, in an action to determine that her efforts to reform a trust to correct a drafting error would not be a contest. In another case, he successfully defended a trustee against a surcharge petition and obtained court approval of the trustee's voluminous accounting (approximately 5,000 pages) based on the Uniform Prudent Investor Act.

An active member of the legal community, Mr. McMurtrey is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a peer-elected organization committed to maintaining excellence in the trust and estate legal field and to continually improving the practice of trust and estate law.

He previously served as Chair of the Executive Committee for the California Lawyer's Association Trusts and Estates Section (TEXCOM) as well as former Chair of TEXCOM's Litigation Subcommittee. He was also the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Trusts and Estates Quarterly, a publication of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyer's Association, Additionally, Mr. McMurtrey was a former trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and served as Chair of the Executive Committee’s Trusts and Estates Law Section.

Mr. McMurtrey is recognized as a “Notable Practitioner” by Chambers and Partners for High Net Worth Private Wealth Disputes, the world's leading legal ranking guide. He has also been named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers list for Probate Litigation, and is ranked by Southern California Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers for Trusts & Estates Litigation.

Mr. McMurtrey obtained his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside, where he graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyers® Selectees

Matthew W. McMurtrey included in a Super Lawyers® list

Honors

500 Leading Lawyers, Probate Litigation – Lawdragon, 2025
"Notable Practitioner" - Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Private Wealth Disputes
Southern California Super Lawyers, 2015 - present
Best Lawyers in America

Other Sources of Feedback About Matthew W. McMurtrey

Included on the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers list

Past Lists

2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2020 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2018 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2016 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2015 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2008 Southern California Super Lawyers list
2007 Southern California Super Lawyers list

Education

Legal Education
- University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, Los Angeles, California, 1996
  J.D.
Non Legal Education
- University of California, Riverside, California, USA, 1993
  B.A.
  Honors: cum laude
  Honors: Phi Beta Kappa

Current Employment Position(s)

```
Managing Partner
```

Classes and Seminars

Motion Practice: Demurrer, Anti-SLAPP, MSA/MSJ, Los Angeles County Bar Association Litigation Symposium, April 2026
“Know Your Role When Representing Clients with Diminished Capacity in Conservatorship Proceedings,” Beverly Hills Bar Association, Speaker
Preparing witnesses to testify, and preparing for evidentiary hearing that's not a trial: putting on your best case, and possibly coordinating with other side(s) to expedite, Aviva K. Bobb Advanced Probate Volunteer Panel Attorney Training Symposium, 2017, Speaker
Pre-Mortem Probate Disputes in the Context of Conservatorship, San Fernando Valley Bar, Probate and Estate Planning Section, Lecturer
Death, Debts and Taxes: Creditors’ Claims Against a Decedent, California Continuing Education of the Bar, Lecturer
Common Issues to Be Prepared for in Litigation and Probate, National Business Institute, Lecturer

Bar Admissions

California, 1996

Other Affiliations

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow
American Bar Association, Member
California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section, 2020-2021 Vice-Chair, Chair of the Litigation Subcommittee, Member of the Executive Committee
California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section, 2021-22 Chair of Executive Committee (TEXCOM)
California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section, Past Co-Editor-in-Chief of Trusts and Estates Quarterly
California State Bar, Trusts & Estates section, Past Executive Editor of Trusts and Estates Quarterly
California State Bar, Trusts & Estates section, Past Managing Editor of Trusts and Estates Quarterly
International Network of Boutique and Independent Law Firms (INBLF), Member
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Past Chair, Executive Committee
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, Chairperson of Symposium Sub-Committee, Executive Committee, 2007 - 2010
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, Member, Executive Committee
Moot Court Honors Program, UCLA, Member

Be the first to write a review!

There are currently no reviews for Matthew W. McMurtrey. Be the first to share your experience.

Write a Review

Contact

Los Angeles, CA

350 S. Grand Avenue
Suite 3500
Los Angeles, CA 90071 - 3475

Directions

Phone: 213-617-0751

Fax: 213-617-9350

Email: Send a message

Website: https://www.trustlitigation.la/

Disclaimer

Your Profile? Update Now

When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.

How do I choose a lawyer?

Consider the following:

Comfort Level – Are you comfortable telling the lawyer personal information? Does the lawyer seem interested in solving your problem?
Credentials – How long has the lawyer been in practice? Has the lawyer worked on other cases similar to yours?
Cost – How are the lawyer's fees structured — hourly or flat fee? Can the lawyer estimate the cost of your case?
City – Is the lawyer's office conveniently located?

Not sure what questions to ask a lawyer?

Here are a few to get you started:

How long have you been in practice?
How many cases like mine have you handled?
How often do you settle cases out of court?
What are your fees and costs?
What are the next steps?

Want to check lawyer discipline?

It is always a good idea to research your lawyer prior to hiring. Every state has a disciplinary organization that monitors attorneys, their licenses, and consumer complaints. By researching lawyer discipline you can:

Ensure the attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state
Gain an understanding of his or her historical disciplinary record, if any.
Determine the seriousness of complaints/issues which could range from late bar fees to more serious issues requiring disciplinary action.

Matthew W. McMurtrey - Los Angeles, CA