TomaseneA.
Knight

Associate
LINKEDIN
Tomasene Knight

Overview

Tomasene is a member of Sheppard’s nationally recognized team representing clients in some of the most high-profile trust and estate disputes in the country. An experienced trial attorney, she has represented individuals, families, professional fiduciaries, trustees, beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators, creditors, corporations, non-profit organizations, conservators, and guardians in a wide range of matters at the both the superior court and appellate court level since 2013.

Her practice encompasses a broad range of trust and estate controversies, including elder abuse claims, trust and will contests, breach of fiduciary duty actions, disputed accountings, property ownership disputes, and contested conservatorships. Although based in San Francisco, Tomasene has litigated matters throughout California and in Nevada, most recently as part of the trial team that secured victory for Rupert Murdoch in the dispute over succession of his media empire. 

Prior to joining Sheppard’s Private Wealth and Fiduciary Litigation Group in 2020, Tomasene also represented high-net-worth individuals in estate planning and family law matters. This background gives Tomasene a uniquely comprehensive perspective on trust and estate litigation, including the tax and family law issues that frequently arise in complex disputes. She also has significant experience representing fiduciaries in complex administrative matters throughout California and in Wyoming.

Tomasene is active in the Bay Area legal community and regularly speaks on trust and estate litigation topics. She is a member of the San Francisco County Bar Association, the San Mateo County Bar Association, and the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Leadership Committee. She has been consistently recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer and was named by Chambers & Partners, High Net Worth as an Associate to Watch in the area of Private Wealth Disputes in California for 2025.

Credentials
Honors
Thought Leadership