EPIC FAIL

Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Elder Financial Exploitation, Breach of Fiduciary Duty

IAR George Allen Stoutin, Edward Jones - Douglas

David Reginal Heilman, Edward Jones - Douglas

Jeffrey K. Helder of Cunningham & Dalman - Holland

Robert D. Brower of Miller Johnson - Grand Rapids

Angela M. Caulley of Miller Johnson - Grand Rapids

Thomas Kuiper of Kuiper Kraemer - Grand Rapids
Kuiper was hired by Wounded Warrior Project

Laura Morris of Warner, Norcross + Judd - Grand Rapids
Morris was hired by All Saints Episcopal Church

Mark Snitchler of Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello - Plymouth, Michigan

Mark was the second attorney retained by Linda after Neil Jansen dumped her when the heat turned up.

Mark is an honest attorney and nice man.
However, for someone with over 35 years of experience in Estate and Trust Administration and Litigation,
Mark and associate Kevin Majewski profoundly screwed up!

Notwithstanding that Brower, Caulley, and Marchand of Miller Johnson violated MRPC 1.7 by representing multiple competing interests that include: (1) Stoutin and Heilman's personal interests under the RASLT; (2) the RASLT beneficiaries; (3) the WHJJLT beneficiaries; and (4) their own personal interests attributable to their role in aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, concealment and perjury, who owed a duty to be candid with the probate court (MRPC 3.3) whether or not occurring in an attorney/client relationship (MCR 9.104(1) through (5)) (deep breath)

Mark Snitchler never asserted that Heilman was statutorily disqualified from serving as trustee pursuant to MCL 700.7303(d) for conflicts of interest, nor asserted the probate court lacked jurisdiction to enter binding orders pursuant to MCL 700.1403(b)(ii)(D) due to Heilman's conflicts of interest.

Further, notwithstanding Brower, Caulley, Marchand, Kuiper and Morris' duty to be candid (MRPC 3.3), the pleadings Mark filed failed to advise the probate court that MCL 700.7604(1)(b) requires the application of statutory definitions MCL 700.7103(n) and MCL 700.1107(k) and (n) as mandated by MCL 700.1102 in order to be accurate.

Neil Jansen of Mika Meyers - Grand Rapids

Neil Jansen was the first attorney that Linda Smith retained. Jansen charged her fees and then abruptly withdrew when the scheme was exposed at the end of 2020.

His own words: I have to work with these guys.

When Linda provided Neil the 2017 Amendment, he should have asked Linda about Kirk Siddell, Ralph's son, who is clearly identified in the 2017 Amendment to the Ralph A. Siddell Living Trust. However, he made no effort to see if perhaps Kirk knew something or could provide Linda some type of help.

Jansen knew that Heilman had conflicts of interest, and that Brower and Caulley did not inquire about the service of the other parties who involving the RASLT,

On December 17, 2020, Neil Jansen transmitted an email to Linda that attached a copy of the 2012 Amendment to the RASLT. We presumed it came from Heilman on that date. However, Neil didn't say he had just received the amendment from Heilman, he was not upset that Heilman had concealed it, and he did not tell Linda she possessed a claim to contest the 2017 Amendment to the RASLT for fraud and undue influence pursuant to MCL 700.7406.

Jansen's December 17, 2020, email leave us with questions: Did Neil have the 2012 Amendment all along; was he concealing it from Linda.

IAR Barb McNally, Edward Jones - Douglas, Michigan

Neil Marchand of Miller Johnson - Grand Rapids

Where do these Michigan lawyers come from?

The Michigan Law Schools, Michigan Bar and the Michigan Judiciary need to do better.

In the beginning we knew nothing about estate or trust administration or Michigan law, but we are now up to speed.

I have been privileged to work with some of the finest lawyers in the nation who were trained at schools from Harvard, Hastings, USC, UCLA -- honorable, ethical and intelligent attorneys and judges from tier firms such as
Latham & Watkins and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

I've never seen such incompetence and corruption as experienced in Michigan.

Miller Johnson

Kuiper Kraemer

Warner, Norcross + Judd

Mika Meyers

Hubbard, Snitchler & Parzianello

Cunningham & Dalman

Edward Jones

IAR Glen Alan McNeil, Edward Jones - Saugatuck