April 8, 2026
Topic: Serving As Trustee, A Blessing, or A Burden?
Selected Issues in How Banks, Private Professional Fiduciaries and Individuals Differ as Trustees. Jennifer Campbell will moderate, Alla Kutz will represent the Corporate Trustee’s point of view, Rich Barsumian will speak to the Private Professional’s point of view and Sean Muntz will address the perspective of the individual.
Panel:
Alla Kutz, Director, Trust Administration and Fiduciary Advisory Services, Southern California BMO Wealth Management
Alla specializes in providing customized services for high net-worth individuals and families in the areas of trust and estate administration, conservatorships and guardianships, special needs trusts and charitable trusts, as part of an overall personal wealth management strategy. She joined the organization in 2024 and has 35 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Prior to joining BMO, Alla served as a Senior Vice President and Senior Fiduciary Specialist at BMO Mellon Wealth Management. She studied at UCLA for her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
All stays active in her community and is a current Member at Large of the Estate Counselors Forum, Los Angeles Estate Planning Council, Woodland Hills Tax and Estate Planning Council, Beverly Hills Bar Association, and Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council.
Alla has one child and in her spare time she enjoys reading and attending live theatre and concerts.
Rich Barsumian, an independent Private Professional Fiduciary
Rich Barsumian brings near two decades of hands-on experience helping families preserve harmony and navigate sensitive fiduciary responsibilities with integrity and care. As a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary, he serves as trustee, conservator, and estate administrator, prioritizing impartial advocacy and smooth resolution in complex personal and financial matters. He has been actively involved in the Professional Fiduciaries Association of California, including serving as Southern Region President. Rich holds both a BS in Management and an MBA, grounding his practice in strong business fundamentals and a commitment to clients’ best interests.
Sean Muntz, Managing Partner of RMO
Sean D. Muntz is a seasoned probate litigator with more than 20 years of experience handling complex and highly contested trust, estate, and conservatorship matters. He serves as Managing Partner of RMO LLP, where for the past decade he has focused exclusively on contentious trusts and estates litigation.
Sean is recognized for delivering practical, results-driven strategies that position cases for efficient resolution or trial. An accomplished trial and appellate attorney, his litigation experience spans a wide range of matters, including banking, commercial, employment, real estate, securities, intellectual property, maritime, and environmental disputes. He has represented clients in state and federal courts throughout California, as well as in arbitration and mediation forums such as AAA and JAMS, and before NASD/FINRA and the Pacific Stock Exchange. Through strategic firm partnerships, Sean also has experience handling cross-border matters.
Sean represents beneficiaries, heirs, executors, trustees, and other fiduciaries in inheritance disputes involving trust and will contests, undue influence, incapacity, fraud, financial elder abuse, and breaches of fiduciary duty. He is dedicated to advancing a professional and results-oriented approach to contentious trusts and estates cases, and
the private client disputes community at large. The effective solutions he and the firm have been able to bring to even the most fraught trust and estate fights have earned him well-deserved recognitions, including being named to Best Lawyers in America in Trusts & Estate Litigation.
Jennifer Campbell, of Counsel at Venable, LLC
Jennifer Campbell is a Counsel at Venable and is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She advises high-net-worth individuals and fiduciaries on complex estate planning, and trust and probate administration, as well as related tax matters. Jennifer draws on decades of experience as a trusts and estates lawyer to help clients practically navigate sensitive personal and financial matters with clarity and confidence.