Skip to content
Logo
  • About Us
    • Awards and Honors
    • Representative Clients
    • Community Service and Pro Bono
  • Attorneys
  • Services
  • News & Insights
    • News
    • Publications
    • Speaking
  • Careers
    • Attorneys
    • Professional Staff
  • Contact
Cialone

Frank A. Cialone

Partner

Cialone
  • Email
  • 415-773-7298
  • vCard
  • Print-to-PDF

Areas of Expertise

  • Litigation
  • Contract Disputes
  • Trust & Estate Disputes
  • Fiduciary Duty, Shareholder & Partnership Disputes
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Activities
  • Publications
  • News

Frank represents clients in trust and estate disputes, fiduciary litigation, and professional liability matters. His clients include trustees and beneficiaries of trusts and estates and co-owners of partnerships and other closely-held businesses. He regularly advises lawyers and law firms in matters concerning the departure of law firm partners.

Frank represents clients at all stages of disputes, from pre-filing negotiations to litigation through arbitration or trial and appeals.

In addition, Frank has represented clients in trust and estate litigation involving estates ranging from $5 million to well over $1 billion in value. These matters have included will contests, disputes over trust administration and management of assets, and creditor claims against estate and trust assets. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in the area of Trust & Estate Litigation. Among other matters, Frank played a central role in the Robertson v. Princeton University litigation, considered among the largest and most significant cases involving donor intent and the use of charitable funds.

Frank frequently represents investors and partners in business divorces, as well as in claims of fraud, breach of contract or fiduciary failures. Keeping his clients’ business goals in mind, he has successfully represented entities and individuals when both assets and reputations are on the line.

Education

University of California – Berkeley, School of Law; J.D., 1994

Brown University; B.A., history, 1987

Bar Admissions

California

All California State Courts

U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

California Supreme Court

Experience

  • Representation of trustees and co-owners of real estate business in disputes regarding management of entities and assets.
  • Arbitration of buy/sell agreement arising from real estate partnership dispute.
  • Successful defense through arbitration of lawyers following departure from law firm, against claims including breach of fiduciary duty and trade secret misappropriation.
  • Seven-figure arbitration award and judgment confirming award on behalf of minority members of an LLC against the managing member for self-dealing, interested transactions, and excessive compensation.
  • Successful defense of a partnership and its general partner and prosecution of cross-claims, including trial and appeals, resulting in the limited partner relinquishing all claims and entire partnership interest.
  • Representation of a majority LLC member in the termination of an LLC agreement, in which a terminated minority member sought an enhanced buyout payment and damages, resulting in the terminated member settling after arbitration for less than the guaranteed payments due, in order to avoid negative public findings.
  • Federal jury trial of claims against an ERISA fiduciary, resulting in jury verdict for the plaintiff on all claims and for full amounts sought.
  • Defense of attorneys in federal sanctions proceeding in the Qualcomm patent litigation in the Southern District of California, resulting in dismissal of all sanctions proceedings.
  • Successful appeal of a ruling on an anti-SLAPP motion, including award of all attorney’s fees. See Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc. v. Happening House Ventures, 184 Cal. App. 4th 1539 (2010).

Activities

  • East Bay Community Law Center
  • ProVisors

Publications

  • On PROBATE March 8, 2022 | ABTL Report (Volume 28 No 3, Winter2021/2022)
  • Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: A Primer on “Business Divorce” Litigation for Transactional Lawyers July 21, 2015 | California Business Law Practitioner

Additional Publications

  • “On PROBATE,” ABTL Report; 2022

Related News

View All Related News

News

31 Shartsis Friese Lawyers Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for 2026

News

Twelve Shartsis Friese Attorneys Named Northern California “Super Lawyers” or “Rising Stars” for 2025

News

Seventeen Shartsis Friese Attorneys Named “Super Lawyers” or “Rising Stars” for 2021

What's Happening

  • News Shartsis Friese Earns Numerous Rankings on 2026 Best Law Firms List
  • Publications Federal, State and Local Tax Developments

Join Our Team

We invite you to explore what Shartsis Friese offers for your professional growth. View careers.

Let's Connect

425 Market Street, 11th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94105-2496

Phone: 415-421-6500 Email: hello@sflaw.com Fax: 415-421-2922

© 2025 Shartsis Friese LLP

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Cookie Policy

Site by Clockwork Design Group, Inc

While we would like to hear from you, you should be aware that any of the information you submit to us via this website will not be treated as confidential or privileged as a lawyer/client communication unless we have previously sent you an engagement letter. You are not a client of the Firm until you receive and execute an engagement letter. Please click the “Agree” button if you understand and accept the foregoing statement and wish to proceed.

Agree