Matthew D. Kanin

Matt Kanin is Of Counsel at Ruttenberg Cutler Broomer, LLP where his practice includes trust and estate litigation, conservatorships, probates, trust administration, and appeals. He is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law (by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization).

 Mr. Kanin is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Trust & Estates Executive Committee, and (from 2024-2026) president of the Woodland Hills Tax & Estate Planning Council. Since 2014, Matt has served actively on the CAC panel and has served as appointed counsel in approximately 200 cases. He is also a native Angeleno and a third-generation California attorney.

 Mr. Kanin is a 2007 graduate of Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, and a 2004 graduate of the George Washington University in Washington D.C., where he majored in International Affairs and Philosophy.


Education

B.A., International Affairs and Philosophy, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 2004
J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA 2007

Bar Admission

California, 2007
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Clerkships / Externships

Mr. Kanin served as a judicial extern for Hon. Robert M. Letteau (Ret.), Los Angeles Superior Court.

Professional Associations & Volunteer Activities

Mr. Kanin is a member of the Trusts & Estates and Litigation Sections of the California Lawyer's Association (CLA), the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Woodland Hills Tax & Estate Planning Council (of which he is President, from 2025-2026) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, where he serves on the Trusts & Estates Section Executive Committee as committee chair for public outreach and education, and as a volunteer fee arbitrator for LACBA's ACMAS program. Matt is also a volunteer settlement officer for the San Fernando Valley Bar Association's Probate Settlement Conference program.

Publications & Editing

Author:

Mr. Kanin is the author of seven articles and self-study CLE features, that have appeared in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, including:
May 5, 2025 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: “The Complexities of Managing Large Estates””
December 15, 2024 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: “Clear, Certain & Undisputed: Who holds the estate planners accountable?”
April 29, 2024 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: “Will Contests" (A Self-study CLE)
April 24, 2023 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: “Telling the story of a trust administration, in numbers: an introduction to trust accountings” (co-authored with Nancy A. Reinhardt)
April 29, 2022 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: Demystifying Conservatorships: Frequently Asked Questions (Part III).
January 31, 2022 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: Demystifying Conservatorships: Frequently Asked Questions (Part II).
October 25, 2021 – THE DAILY JOURNAL: Demystifying Conservatorships: Frequently Asked Questions (Part I).

Editor:

Mr. Kanin has edited for the CEB Practitioner series of practice guides, including contribution to the following:
Section Author: Information About the Pros and Cons of a Power of Attorney for Financial Management, Single Client (Standard Document)(2022)
Section Author: Information About the Pros and Cons of a Power of Attorney for Financial Management, Married/RDP Clients (Standard Document) (2022)
Section Author:  Confidentiality and Conflict Waiver for Married-RDP Clients Engaging Estate Planning Services (Standard Document) (2022)
Section Author: Strategic Considerations in the Use of Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (How-to Guide)(2022)
Section Co-Author: Strategic Considerations Regarding Estates Including Firearms (2022).
Editorial Review Panel: Pour Over Will: Married and RDP Clients (Standard Document) (2022)
Editorial Review Panel: Trust: Married or RDP Clients, No Issue (Standard Document) (2022)
Editorial Review Panel: Married-RDP Client Advanced Directive for Heath Care Questionnaire (How-to Guide)(2022).