Press Release

Boston, MA, February 12, 2020 – Burns & Levinson announced today that partner Brian Bixby, co-chair of the firm’s Private Client Group and chair of the Probate & Trust Litigation Group, was named to the Massachusetts Clients’ Security Board (CSB), which works to preserve the public’s trust in the legal profession by reimbursing client-victims who have suffered financial losses due to misappropriations by Massachusetts lawyers.

Throughout his 40-year career, Bixby has earned the reputation as the go-to lawyer for some of the most challenging probate and trust cases. He is regularly called upon by the courts to serve as a guardian and conservator in trust and probate family law cases involving financial exploitation. His practice is focused on all aspects of estate planning, fiduciary administration, probate court litigation, and family law, and he often serves as an expert witness at trials.

The CSB is funded by the members of the Massachusetts Bar through licensing fees. The Board manages the fund, which is used to compensate losses caused to clients who were victims of lawyer malfeasance. A valid claim requires that the lawyer in question, while providing legal services within a lawyer-client relationship, stole, embezzled or misappropriated money or other property that rightfully and legally belonged to the client.

“The CSB has done an impressive job providing support to clients who were harmed by the infrequent, but highly unfortunate, experience of working with an unscrupulous Massachusetts-licensed attorney. I am honored to join the organization’s board to continue providing this assistance to members of the public who use the services of Massachusetts lawyers,” said Bixby.

Bixby also serves as a board member for the Visiting Nurses Association of Boston Foundation, VNA Care Network Foundation and VNA Private Care, Inc., as well as the Family Firm Institute, New England Chapter. He has served as a Fiduciary Litigation Committee Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel for 13 years, and currently serves on many committees/sections with the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association and American Bar Association. He received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1977 and his A.B. from Brown University in 1974.

About the Clients’ Security Board

The all-volunteer CSB was established by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1974 to reimburse clients whose lawyers misappropriated client money. For the last 25 years, the CSB has paid an average of $2 million per year to reimburse client-victims. The Board has jurisdiction to make reimbursements only when the lawyer who is the subject of the claim was a member of the Massachusetts bar and has been disbarred or suspended by the Supreme Judicial Court, has resigned or has died.