Ervin Cohen & Jessup Expands California Presence with Combination of Carico McDonald Kil & Benz LLP
Beverly Hills, CA – January 6, 2026 – Ervin Cohen & Jessup (ECJ) announced today that they have joined forces with the preeminent Trust & Estate firm, Carico McDonald Kil & Benz LLP strengthening our services and expanding our footprint with the opening of our Beach Cities office effective January 1, 2026. The combination brings six attorneys Christopher Carico, Partner, Bill Benz, Partner, Angela Kil, Partner, Bruce Macdonald, Partner, Taylor Carico, Partner, Katherine Lasko, Associate, two paralegals and one legal secretary to ECJ, expanding the firm’s team by nine professionals. Carico’s offices located in El Segundo, California offices will continue to operate as part of the firm.
Chris Carico, Founding Partner of Carico McDonald Kil & Benz LLP, said, “From our first conversations, it was clear that ECJ shares our commitment to excellence, collaboration and client-centered advocacy. Joining ECJ allows us to enhance the breadth of services we offer while maintaining the high level of attention and care our clients rely on. We are excited to collaborate with ECJ’s talented team and look forward to the opportunities this partnership creates for both our clients and our attorneys.”
Barry MacNaughton, managing partner of Ervin Cohen & Jessup, added, “We are excited to welcome Chris and his exceptional team to ECJ. Their deep experience in trust, estate and probate law significantly enhances our capabilities and presence in California.”
This combination underscores ECJ’s ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality legal services while strategically expanding the firm’s geographic reach. It follows the firm’s recent East Coast expansion with the addition of Partner Matthew S. Blum and two associates in New York City.
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Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP is a Chambers California Spotlight-ranked law firm that provides a broad range of business-related legal services including real estate transactions, finance and construction; corporate; employment; intellectual property and technology; trusts, estates and probate; tax planning and controversies; bankruptcy receivership and reorganization; health care law and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.ecjlaw.com/
