Adam T. Gusdorff

Adam Gusdorff’s practice focuses on litigation involving trusts, estates, guardianships, and other fiduciary matters. He represents individual and corporate clients throughout Pennsylvania in a variety of Orphans’ Court, Register of Wills and appellate court matters, including will contests, guardianship proceedings, fiduciary surcharge actions and compensation disputes, will and trust interpretation cases, trust modifications, probate disputes, and matters involving charitable organizations. Although Adam focuses his practice on litigation, he also has experience in estate planning, and he advises individual and corporate fiduciaries regarding estate and trust administration issues.

Adam frequently speaks and writes on matters concerning Orphans’ Court practice, including general practice and procedure, the use of expert witnesses, evidentiary issues, prosecuting and defending claims against an estate, and the Dead Man’s Rule. He is a member of the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Montgomery Bar Associations. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association Probate and Tax Section, and is a past chair of the Section’s Orphans’ Court Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.

Adam is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and its Fiduciary Litigation Committee and its Fiduciary Administration Committee.  He previously served as a member of the Professional Responsibility Committee. He also has completed a 20-hour Probate Mediation Training program sponsored by ACTEC. Adam is recognized as a Super Lawyer for Estate and Trust Litigation and is listed in Best Lawyers for Trusts and Estates Litigation. In 2022, Adam was recognized by Best Lawyers as the Lawyer of the Year for Trusts and Estates Litigation in the Philadelphia area.

Adam was an adjunct professor in the graduate tax program of James E. Beasley School of Law at Temple University, where he taught a class with Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Anne E. Lazarus on Orphans’ Court pleading and trial practice from 2013 – 2023. Before attending law school, Adam worked for eight years as a sportswriter in suburban Philadelphia and won a Keystone Press Award for outstanding sports writing in 1998.

• Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Probate and Trust Law Section
    • Executive Committee (2010 – 2012; 2021 – 2023)
    • Chair, Orphans’ Court Litigation Committee (2014 – 2017)
    • Co-Chair, Orphans’ Court Litigation Committee (2020 – 2022)
    • Rules and Practice Committee

• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Montgomery Bar Association
  • Vice Chair, Rules of Orphans’ Court Committee (2020)

• Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Elected 2016
  • Member, Fiduciary Litigation Committee (2020 – present)
  • Member, Fiduciary Administration Committee (2024 – present)
  • Member, Professional Responsibility Committee (2020 – 2024)
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Rising Star (2008, 2010 – 2011)
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2015 – present)
• Best Lawyers in America (2016 – present)

• Adjunct Professor, Graduate Tax Program, Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (2013 – 2023)

• 2024 “’Til death (or divorce) do us part … or maybe not”, Cambridge Forum on Private Wealth Litigation (course planner, author, moderator), Nashville, Tenn., April 19, 2024
• 2024 “Recent Developments in Orphans’ Court,” Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, Mid-Annual Meeting (speaker), Philadelphia, Pa., February 23, 2024
• 2023  “Our Communications Are Privileged, Right? … Right?”,  ACTEC Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (author, speaker), Philadelphia, Pa., September 10, 2023

• 2023 “Litigating in Orphans’ Court: Rules of Professional Conduct in the Context of Estate Litigation,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (course planner, author, speaker), Mechanicsburg, Pa., August 11, 2023

• 2023  Author/Speaker, “Litigating In Terrorem Clauses: When Will Contests Are Only Half the Battle,” ACTEC National Meeting, Fiduciary Litigation Committee, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2023.
• 2023  Author/Speaker, “Setting the Table for Successful Retention and Billing,” ACTEC National Meeting, Washington, D.C., June 21, 2023.
• 2023 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “Dead Men Tell No Tales – Can You?”, Berks County Bench-Bar Conference, April 19, 2023 and Bucks County Bar Association, Orphans’ Court Section, May 10, 2023.
• 2023 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “Orphans’ Court Nuts and Bolts for Appellate Practice,” presentation to Pennsylvania Superior Court Judges, law clerk and staff (author, speaker), March 13, 2023.
• 2023 Speaker, “Remote and Hybrid Proceedings: What you Need to Know,” ACTEC National Meeting, Fiduciary Litigation Committee, New Orleans, La., March 2, 2023.
• 2023  Author/Speaker, “In Terrorem Clauses,” Estate and Elder Law Symposium, February 15, 2023.
• 2022 Author/Speaker, “In Terrorem Clauses,” Estate Law Institute, November 29, 2022.
• 2022  Author/Speaker, “Are We There Yet?  McAleer and the Fiduciary Exception to the Attorney-Client Privilege,” Pennsylvania Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Tax Section Annual Retreat, Pittsburgh, PA., August 5, 2022.
• 2022 Adam T. Gusdorff, Moderator, “Court Approval of Non-Judicial Settlement Agreements: A Blessing, But Not In Disguise?”, Cambridge Forum on Private Wealth Litigation, Dallas, Tex., May 6, 2022.
• 2022  Author/Speaker, “McAleer and the Fiduciary Exception,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, March 30, 2022.
• 2021 Speaker, “Dealing with a ‘Bad’ Trustee,” Cannon Financial Institute, Inc., November 16, 2021.
• 2021 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence Pertaining to Opinion Testimony,” Estate Law Institute, November 12, 2021
• 2021  Author/Speaker, “The Intersection of Death and Divorce: Estate Planning & Family Law Implications under Marital Agreements,” Philadelphia Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section Quarterly Meeting, October 12, 2021.
• 2021  Author/Speaker, “Settlement Agreements: Getting Across the Goal Line,” ACTEC National Meeting, October 8, 2021
• 2021 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, “Oops! I Did It Again,” a panel discussion about the Britney Spears conservatorship, The Temple American Inn of Court, May 19, 2021.
• 2021 Adam T. Gusdorff, Course Planner/Author/Speaker, “Litigating in Orphans’ Court: Special Evidentiary Issues; Modification of Charitable Trusts,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 16, 2021.
• 2021 Adam T. Gusdorff and Erica A. Russo, Co-Authors, “Once a Stepchild Always a Stepchild: the Fallacy of ‘Former Stepchildren’ and Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax,” Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section Newsletter, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Summer/Fall 2021.
• 2021  Author/Speaker, “Settlement Agreements: Getting Across the Goal Line,” American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”) National Meeting, October 8, 2021.
• 2021  Author/Speaker, “The Intersection of Death and Divorce: Estate Planning & Family Law Implications under Marital Agreements,” Philadelphia Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section Quarterly Meeting, October 12, 2021.
• 2021 Adam T. Gusdorff, Course Planner/Author/Speaker, “Litigating in Orphans’ Court: Special Evidentiary Issues; Modification of Charitable Trusts,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute , April 16, 2021.
• 2021 Speaker, “Oops! I Did It Again,” a panel discussion about the Britney Spears conservatorship, The Temple American Inn of Court, May 19, 2021.
• 2020   Speaker, “Ethical Obligations to Clients with Diminished Capacity: Concerns and Best Practices” and “Using Declaratory Judgments to Resolve Claims in the Orphans’ Court Division,” 27th Estate Law Institute, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, November, 2020.
• 2020 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author, “Attorney-Client Privilege in Estate Planning, Administration and Litigation,” Estate and Elder Law Symposium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2019  Co-Speaker and Co-Author (with Jennifer A. Kosteva, Esquire), “Estate of Han Solo: Estate Administration Problems of Galactic Proportions,” National College of Probate Judges, Fall 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2019 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author and Speaker, “Will Contests,” Montgomery County Paralegal Association, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
• 2019 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author, “Terminating the Representation,” Estate Planning in Pennsylvania, Fifth Edition (PBI Press 2019).
• 2019 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, Author, “Attorney-Client Privilege in Estate Planning, Administration and Litigation,” American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting, New York, NY.
• 2019 Speaker/Author, “The Pennsylvania Dead Man’s Rule,” Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, Mid-Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 22, 2019.
• 2019 Speaker/Author/ Course Planner/Moderator, “Litigating in the Orphans’ Court,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, “Orphans’ Court Practice and Procedure,” (Author and Speaker, Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg) and “Modification of Trust and Nonjudicial Settlement Agreements,” (Speaker, Mechanicsburg), Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
• 2018 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, “Hot Topics in Orphans’ Court litigation,” Montgomery Bar Association, Membership Celebration & Legal Symposium, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, November 9, 2018.
• 2018 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author, “Will Contests: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?”, Philadelphia Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section Quarterly Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 9, 2018.
• 2018 Speaker/Author/Planner, “Dead Man’s Rule,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, August 27, 2018.
• 2017 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “Resolving Trust Issues – Hopefully Without Court Intervention,” ACTEC Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting, Long Branch, New Jersey.
• 2017 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “Will Contests: Preparing your Case,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2016 Adam T. Gusdorff and Jennifer A. Kosteva, Co-Course Planners/Co-Authors/Co-Speakers, “Estate of Han Solo: Unusual Aspects of Estate Administration,” Montgomery Bar Association, Norristown, Pennsylvania.
• 2016 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author, “Terminating the Representation,” Estate Planning in Pennsylvania , Fourth Edition, (PBI Press, 2016).
• 2016 Adam T. Gusdorff, Author/Speaker, “The Pennsylvania Dead Man’s Rule,” Monroe County Bar Association, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
• 2016 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, “New Orphans’ Court Rules,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
• 2016 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, “The New Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
• 2015 Adam T. Gusdorff, Course Planner/Author/Speaker, “The Dead Man’s Rule,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Mechanicsburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• 2015 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author/Co-Course Planner/Moderator, “Litigating in the Orphans’ Court,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Course Planner with Margaret E.W. Sager), “Discovery in Orphans’ Court,” (Author and Speaker, Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg) and “Orphans’ Court Practice and Procedure,” (Author and Speaker, Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg), “Powers of Attorney and Trust Modification,” (Moderator and Speaker, Pittsburgh) Philadelphia, Mechanicsburg, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• 2014 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker, “Hot Topics in Fiduciary Litigation: Discovery in Orphans’ Court,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2014 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author and Bradley D, Terebelo, Speaker, “Orphans’ Court Litigation Update: The Pennsylvania Uniform Trust Act and Family Settlement Agreements,” Montgomery County Estate Planning Council of Pennsylvania, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
• 2014 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author/Course Planner, “Trial of a Will Contest,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2013 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author, “The Dead Man’s Rule,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, co-presented with the Hon. Lois Eisner Murphy , Orphans’ Court Division, Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and David Inscho, Esquire, of Kline & Specter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2012 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author, “Orphans’ Court for the Estate and Trust Practitioner,” with Alison Gross, Esquire, Mary Kenney, Esquire, the Honorable Lois E. Murphy, Quarterly Meeting of the Philadelphia Bar Association Probate Section, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 2012 Adam T. Gusdorff, Speaker/Author, “Utilizing Experts in the Orphans’ Court,” (with Jennifer Gayle, Esquire, and Amanda DiChello, Esquire) Pennsylvania Bar Institute, “19th Annual Estate Law Institute,” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.