In Union Trust Company v. Souther, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a trust company could be held liable for the wrongful acts of its officers. The case arose when the Union Trust Company of New York was sued by the Souther family for the misappropriation of funds by the company's officers. The Souther family argued that the trust company was liable for the wrongful acts of its officers because it had failed to exercise proper oversight and control over them. The Supreme Court held that the trust company was not liable for the wrongful acts of its officers. The Court reasoned that the trust company had acted in good faith and had taken reasonable steps to ensure that its officers were acting in accordance with the company's policies and procedures. The Court also noted that the trust company had not been negligent in its oversight of its officers and had not breached any of its fiduciary duties. The Court's decision in this case established that trust companies are not liable for the wrongful acts of their officers unless they have been negligent in their oversight of those officers. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases and has become an important precedent in the area of trust law.

In Union Trust Company v. Souther, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a trust company had authority to act as an executor of a will without being appointed by the court. The majority opinion held that it did not have such authority and reversed the lower court's decision in favor of the trust company. Justice Field dissented from this ruling, arguing that under state law, a trust company could be appointed as an executor without requiring formal appointment by a court. He argued further that even if there were some ambiguity in state law on this point, it should be resolved in favor of allowing trusts companies to serve as executors since they are better equipped than individuals to handle complex financial matters related to estate administration and distribution.