Michele L. Abernathy

is a partner at GIFFORD, DEARING & ABERNATHY, LLP, with a practice focused on probate and trust administration and litigation. Her probate practice has a heavy emphasis on conservatorships, where she advises professional fiduciaries, family members, and other individuals in all aspects of these court proceedings, including the initial establishment of a conservatorship, personal care and estate administration, accountings, litigation, recovery of assets, substituted judgment, title issues, and complex business matters. She also litigates trust and estate cases involving lack of capacity, undue influence, elder abuse, and administration and interpretation disputes. In addition, she prepares estate plans including wills, revocable trusts, guardianship nominations, durable powers for health care and finances, life insurance trusts, and related documents.

Michele earned her J.D. from the Pepperdine University School of Law and her B.S. degree in Finance, Real Estate and Law (cum laude) from Cal Poly Pomona. While in law school, Michele worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Volney V. Brown, Jr., Chief United States Magistrate Judge, in Los Angeles, California.

Michele has served as a trustee and board member of several nonprofit entities, including Clairbourn School (Trustee 2001-2010), Pasadena Bar Association (Trustee 2009-2010), and Fiduciary Roundtable of the San Gabriel Valley (Past President and Board Member).