Christina Tanti
Partner
Christina P. Tanti is a California attorney whose practice focuses on complex trust and estate litigation. She represents beneficiaries, trustees, and fiduciaries in high conflict matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, financial elder abuse, trust construction, contested accountings, and disputes concerning real and personal property. Her work frequently involves substantial asset portfolios, forensic accounting issues, and litigation arising from long term trust administration. Ms. Tanti regularly litigates matters involving invalid or disputed transfers, allocation of income and principal, fiduciary surcharge claims, and challenges to trustee conduct, and has significant trial and appellate experience. Ms. Tanti earned her J.D. from John F. Kennedy University College of Law with honors and graduated at the top of her class, receiving multiple academic distinctions. Ms. Tanti has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in trust and estate litigation since 2022. She has authored professional publications on probate and elder law topics. Ms. Tanti regularly handles matters requiring detailed financial analysis and strategic litigation planning, and brings a disciplined, trial focused approach to resolving complex trust and estate disputes.
Erin Norcia
Partner
Erin Norcia has been practicing since 2006, exclusively in trusts and estates. Her practice includes drafting comprehensive estate plans, administering trusts and estates, conservatorships, and all related litigation. Ms. Norcia was elected to the California Lawyers Association Trusts and Estates Executive Committee (TEXCOM) in 2019. She is also a fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC).
Robert Eugene Temmerman, Jr.
Of Counsel
Robert Temmerman has 43 years of experience in the Trust & Estate field. He guides families both in planning their estates, as well as administering trusts and estates following an incapacitating event or death. Graduate of Santa Clara School of Law in 1980, Mr. Temmerman focuses exclusively on estate planning and administration. He oftentimes serves as an expert witness in the trust and estate field. Mr. Temmerman is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has served for six years as a Regent of the College. In addition, he was the California State Chair for ACTEC for five years.
J. Melissa Schmitt
Senior Associate
Jennifer Melissa Schmitt (commonly known and referred to as Melissa) joined Temmerman, Cilley & Kohlmann, LLP, in 2016. She provides representation in the areas of probate and trust litigation, as well as trust and estates administration. Ms. Schmitt’s litigation practice includes will and trust contests; fiduciary accounting and surcharge actions; trust litigation; contested and non-contested conservatorship matters; elder abuse litigation; and probate and trust-related civil litigation, including preparation of trust accountings. She is also fluent in Spanish.
