Bridget O'Toole Purdie
Partner
Pete Thorpe
713.223.2300 x2467
Bridget Purdie's practice focuses primarily on trust and estate administration, fiduciary litigation and guardianships. Ms. Purdie assists clients in all aspects of estate and trust administration. She also has broad trial experience in the areas of probate and trust litigation, will contests, breach of fiduciary duty cases and contested guardianships.
Ms. Purdie counsels a broad range of individual and financial-institution fiduciaries, including executors, trustees, agents or attorneys-in-fact, regularly advising them on their fiduciary responsibilities. She also represents beneficiaries in suits against their trustees or executors.
Representative Matters
Cause No. 332,782-401; Luise Maudr v. K. Graham and James M. Skelton Jr. Defense of will contest, breach of fiduciary duty proceeding.
Cause No. 326,222; Robyn M. Rogers v. Kanaly Trust Company, Harris County, Texas. Prosecution of numerous breach of fiduciary duty claims involving a $165 million trust.
Cause No. 336,423-401/402; In Re: Guardianship of Mary S. Snodgrass, Harris County, Texax. Served as attorney ad litem and guardian ad litem for Mrs. Snodgrass in a contested guardianship proceeding.
Cause No. 2002-51427; Morgan Keegan Trust Company F.S.B. v. Joan Daivs Cone, as primary beneficiary of the Sadie Waldman Weintraub Trust, et al in the 11th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas. Judicial modification of trust proceeding.
Cause No. 15332; Elizabeth Hammons Davis v. Tom Sawyer, individually and in his capacities as independent executor of the estate of Pryor Hammons, Deceased and et al. in the 154th Judicial District in Lamb County, Texas. Breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with inheritance rights case.
Cause No. 03-20915-P-401; In Re: Estate of Curtis N. Richardson; West Walden on Lake Houston Limited Partnership #1 et al v. Temporary Administrator Paula Malecek, Montgomery County, Texas. Conversion, fraud, breach of contract case.
Cause No. 351,919; In Re: Estate of William H. Bruyere; Plaintiffs William R. Bruyere and Robert T. Bruyere v. Defendant Elizabeth M. Bruyere, Harris County, Texas. Breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with inheritance rights, conversion, undue influence case
Cause No. 301,438; Estate of Doris DeMontrond v. George A. DeMontrond III, Harris County, Texas. Will contest proceeding.
Cause No. 231,806-401; In Re: Estate of Aileen Copley Townes, Deceased; John Charles Townes IV et al v. Donna Lou Townes, Harris County, Texas. Breach of fiduciary duty proceeding.
Cause 294,738-401; In Re: Estate of Theodore Boodry Sr., Deceased, Harris County, Texas. Breach of fiduciary duty proceeding.
Cause No. 323,306; In Re: Temporary Guardianship of the Person and Estate of Ruth Brouse Bauer, Harris County, Texas. Contested guardianship proceeding.
Cause No. 309,578; In Re: Estate of Karl Heinz Goedereis, Deceased, Harris County, Texas. Contested temporary administration.
Cause No. 348,190427-01; Charles L. Stephens III, as next friend of Watt Pendleton Stephens et al v. Watt Pendleton Stephens, individually and as beneficiary of the Watt Pendleton Stephens Trust et al, Tarrant County, Texas. Judicial modification of trust.
Cause No. 01-07-04605-CV; Daniel F. Madeley et al v. Mary Ann Madeley Metcalf et al, Montgomery County, Texas. Judicial termination of trust.
Publications and Speeches
"Taking Stock – A Guide to Probate and Guardianship Inventories," presentation South Texas College of Law, Wills and Probate Institute, Houston, Texas, September 24, 2009.
"Get it in Writing: HIPAA Makes it Vital to Get Documents Signed Early," Houston Business Journal, October 3, 2008.
"Proper Planning Can Reduce Stress," Well Being Journal, September/October 2008.
"Help! I Need Somebody and Not Just Anybody – From Application to Appointment: An Overview of the Process to Appoint Temporary and Permanent Guardians," presentation South Texas College of Law, Guardian and Ad Litem Certification Course, Houston, Texas, September 5, 2007.
"Abuses of Powers of Attorney, or Why Guardianships Can Be Good," presentation South Texas College of Law, Wills and Probate Institute, Houston, Texas, September 11-12, 2003.
Education
J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 1990
B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1985
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas
Affiliations
Houston Bar Association Probate Council, since 2009
Houston Bar Association, Probate, Trusts and Estate Section
State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section
Texas State Bar College
Texas Bar, Fellow