Episode 30 – A Conversation with Patrick Riley: Litigator, Judge, and Trustee

In this episode, David Warren – Co-Founder & Chairman of Bridgeford Trust Company – sits down with guest, Judge Patrick Riley, who’s impressive career began as a young lawyer in the DA’s office, then started his own law firm where he became a prolific civil and criminal litigator doing both plaintiff and defense work followed by his appointment as judge and finally his focus on trustee services. During their conversation, Judge Riley speaks about some of the big cases he’s handled and how being a plaintiff’s lawyer and recovering sizable amounts of money for people who didn’t know how to handle large sums of money introduced him to the concept of a financial fiduciary which is really what transitioned him into the trusts and estates world, working as an independent trustee. As the conversation continues, Judge Riley discusses his judicial time and after his retirement, his subsequent focus on trustee services for families and the corporate world fueled by his tremendous fiduciary training and background. Recognizing the many differences in family needs and structures, as well as the different approaches of processing the trusts, Judge Riley became a resource for someone who is in need of a fiduciary position – not just as a co-trustee, but special trustee, trust protector, distribution advisor – allowing the families that he works with to have pure independence in the choice.