Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog

USC Gould School of Law: 49TH Annual Trust and Estate Conference

Below is information about USC Gould School of Law's 49th Annual Trust and Estate Conference. Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this to my attention.

When?
The 49th Annual Trust and Estate Conference will take place on Friday, November 17, 2023, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Downtown Los Angeles.

Why Attend?
For 49 years, USC Gould’s Trust and Estate Conference has been delivering practical and real-life solutions from speakers with a proven track record of addressing unexpected problems in estate planning, probate, and trust administration. The Conference typically attracts over 500 of your peers for unrivaled networking and learning opportunities from both the speakers and your professional colleagues.

Who Should Attend?
The Conference is specially tailored for trust, estate planning, probate and elder law professionals including attorneys, paralegals, trust officers, accountants, financial institution executives, private professional fiduciaries, wealth management professionals, fiduciary officers, underwriters and insurance advisors.

What’s Included?
Registration includes all sessions, continental breakfast, networking breaks, luncheon presentation, continuing education credit, and print and downloadable copies of the practical Conference Syllabus, including the popular Resource Guide, a Trust and Estate Professional Directory covering Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

 

Practical Advice & Recent Developments in Estate Planning w/ Retirement Assets, Including Trusts

Please see below for more information about on-demand CLE course for New York and New Jersey attorneys entitled “Practical Advice and Recent Developments in Estate Planning with Retirement Assets, Including Trusts” which was recorded on May 18, 2023. 

Special thanks to Seymour Golderg (Goldberg & Goldberg, P.C., New York) for bringing this to my attention: 

Many taxpayers have accumulated a considerable amount of wealth in their retirement account arrangements, making estate and income tax planning, as well as asset protection planning with retirement type assets, especially important.

Mistakes are often made and can be extremely costly, as well as create numerous headaches.

This CLE program includes:

• • Common errors in retirement distribution planning
  • Why many beneficiary forms are defective
  • Customized Sample Beneficiary Forms
  • Advantages of trusts as IRA beneficiary (includes discussion of Effective Use of Roth IRA Trusts as a Credit Shelter Trust)
  • IRA Beneficiary Malpractice Case
  • Waiver of penalty rules under SECURE
  • Major IRS Penalty Changes Under SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022
  • Major IRS Statute of Limitation Changes Under SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022
  • Comment Letter to Treasury Department Involving an Oversight in Drafting Conduit Trusts
  • Oversight for IRA Trusts
  • IRA Trust Instructions
  • Avoiding Inclusion of Trust (includes non QTIP IRA Trusts) in the Gross Estate of certain Trustees under IRC Section 2041(b)(1) (General Power of Appointment)
  • And much more

 

Webinar: Practical Advice & Recent Developments in Estate Planning w/Retirement Assets, Including Trusts

Below is information for an upcoming Webinar for CLE/CPE credits presented by the New York County Lawyers Association:

Practical Advice & Recent Developments in Estate Planning with Retirement Assets, including Trust Issues

Thursday, May 18, 2023  

Many taxpayers have accumulated a considerable amount of wealth in their retirement account arrangements, making estate and income tax planning, as well as asset protection planning with retirement type assets, especially important.

Mistakes are often made and can be extremely costly, as well as create numerous headaches.

This CLE/CPE program includes:

• • Common errors in retirement distribution planning
  • Why many beneficiary forms are defective
  • Customized Sample Beneficiary Forms
  • Advantages of trusts as IRA beneficiary (includes discussion of Effective Use of Roth IRA Trusts as a Credit Shelter Trust)
  • IRA Beneficiary Malpractice Case
  • Waiver of penalty rules under SECURE
  • Major IRS Penalty Changes Under SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022
  • Major IRS Statute of Limitation Changes Under SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022
  • Comment Letter to Treasury Department Involving an Oversight in Drafting Conduit Trusts
  • Oversight for IRA Trusts
  • IRA Trust Instructions
  • Avoiding Inclusion of Trust (includes non QTIP IRA Trusts) in the Gross Estate of certain Trustees under IRC Section 2041(b)(1) (General Power of Appointment)
  • And much more

Special thanks to Seymour Goldberg (Goldberg & Goldberg PC) for bringing this webinar to my attention. 

Income Tax Symposium

Call for papers for Modern Studies in the Law of Trusts, Wealth Management & Philanthropy 2023

The fifth conference in the “Modern Studies in the Law of Trusts, Wealth Management & Philanthropy” series will take place on 27-28 July 2023 at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University (Singapore). The 2023 conference will be co-organised by Singapore Management University, Centre for Commercial Law in Asia, the University of York, and The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London.

The theme of the conference is “The Law of Trusts, Wealth Management & Philanthropy: Innovation and Reform in the Law of Trusts”. The conference will focus on current developments and challenges facing trust law, wealth management and philanthropy, with particular focus on the need for innovations responding to contemporary developments and emerging issues – for example, technological disruption, new forms of regulation, climate change and sustainability goals - that impact global families and how they manage their wealth. The conveners of the conference (Richard Nolan (York), Tang Hang Wu (SMU), Yip Man (SMU) and James Lee (KCL)) plan to publish a selection of the papers presented at the conference in a special edition of a journal (subject to review and availability of space). 

If you would like to offer a paper, please submit a working title and an abstract (of no more than 1500 words) by 15 March 2023 by email to James Lee ([email protected]) and Yip Man ([email protected]).  The conference conveners are particularly keen to hear from Global South, women and emerging scholars in the field. Acceptance will be on a rolling basis and the conference conveners will be grateful for early submissions. There are no speaker registration fees for those whose papers are accepted this conference. Speakers and attendees are expected to meet their own travel costs and accommodation for this conference. 

Call for Papers -- Annual Meeting on Law and Society

Trusts and Estates Collaborative Research Network (CRN56)

CALL FOR PAPERS 

Annual Meeting on Law and Society

San Juan, Puerto Rico

June 1-4, 2023 

IN PERSON ONLY 

Abstracts deadline: 8 November 2022

The Trusts and Estates Collaborative Research Network invites you to submit your paper and panel proposals for the upcoming annual meeting on Law and Society, to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This conference will be in-person only. There will be no hybrid or virtual panels. 

We invite papers and proposals that touch in any way on succession (inheritance), equity, or wealth transfers more generally. Subjects of inquiry may involve any aspect of government or social policy with respect to trusts, estates, inheritance, wealth transfer, equity or courts with jurisdiction over these issues.

The conference theme of ‘Separate and Unequal’ offers an opportunity to explore the role of law in normalizing inequality and discrimination. However, papers are not limited to these topics.

We welcome any papers on the topic of trusts and estates. For more information about the conference theme, visit:

https://www.lawandsociety.org/sanjuan2023/

How to submit:

To be included in a CRN56 Trusts and Estates session please submit your proposal directly through the Law and Society Association’s website by November 8, making sure to select CRN56 from the dropdown menu. 

We welcome any of the following submissions: 

• Individual papers (we will organize submissions into panels).
• Paper sessions: panels formed around a single theme, with 4 or 5 paper presenters, and a chair/discussant.
• Roundtables: formed around a single topic with 4 to 8 participants, and a chair. 
• Author Meets Reader (AMR): for scholarly books published in 2022. 

Individual abstracts can be submitted in English or Spanish

Session abstracts must be in English, but can be presented in Spanish as long as all papers in the session are in Spanish. 

For more information on the different submission types, and how to submit, visit: https://www.lawandsociety.org/types-of-submissions/

Important information about the conference:

More information including details regarding visa requirements, and accessibility information can be found at the conference website: 

https://www.lawandsociety.org/sanjuan2023/

Creditor’s Rights and Estate Planning Presentation

The American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section will be hosting the Creditor’s Rights and Estate Planning presentation on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.

In this presentation, panelists will address the intersection between the transfer of wealth and creditors’ rights. Given the relatively large federal estate tax exemption amount, many wealth transfers are motivated primarily by creditor avoidance. This esteemed panel, which includes a bankruptcy judge, will address a number of issues that planners should consider as it pertains to the ability of creditors to impact wealth transfer.

Topics will include:

• Bankruptcy law overview;

• Bankruptcy judge perspective;

• The intersection between wealth transfer and fraudulent transfer;

• Estate planner exposure for assisting with aggressive planning;

• Creditor discovery techniques; and

• Creditor tools to unwind the transfer of wealth.

The ABA will seek 1.5 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states, and 1.8 hours of CLE credit for this program in 50-minute states. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules. Please visit www.americanbar.org/mcle for general information on CLE at the ABA.

Speakers:

• Gabriel Aizenberg, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Chicago, IL

• Judge Catherine Peek McEwen, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa, FL

• David J. Slenn, Akerman LLP, Naples, FL

 

Advanced Estate Planning Summit Fall 2022

The following announcement was made about the WealthCounsel's Advanced Estate Planning Summit:

Gain new insight and legal strategies for your law practice from some of the most prestigious estate planning experts presenting on cryptocurrency topics at WealthCounsel’s Advanced Estate Planning Summit on October 17 & 18, 2022. Click here for more information.

Trying Times: Conservation Easements and Federal Tax Law 2022

Virtual Program – Thursday, August 11, 2022 11:00am-3:00pm ET/10:00am-2:00pm CT/9:00am-1:00pm MT/8am-Noon PT This four-hour program will address the latest case law and IRS guidance impacting conservation easements. Experts will offer practical advice to land trust staff and board members, government employees, attorneys, appraisers, and landowners. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear the IRS’s perspective and ask questions of a diverse group of panelists who collectively have almost 200 years of experience with conservation easements and tax incentives. Each of three panel presentations will be followed by time devoted solely to Q&A. This program will be streamed live (available as audio and video, or just audio). If August 11th does not work for your schedule, a recording of the program will be made available for a period of time after the event to those who register by August 10th. Panelists ·     Karin Gross, Special Counsel, IRS Office of Chief Counsel, Washington D.C. ·     Stephen J. Small, Esq., Law Office of Stephen J. Small, Esq., P.C., Massachusetts ·     Mark Weston, Consulting appraiser, former AQB Certified USPAP Instructor, and former Director, Colorado Division of Conservation ·     Wendy Fisher, Executive Director, Utah Open Lands ·     Jeanie McIntyre, President, Upper Valley Land Trust ·     Nancy A. McLaughlin, Robert W. Swenson Professor of Law, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Register online by Noon MT Aug. 10, 2022 >> General Public: $30 Early Bird (ends Aug. 1) $45 after Aug. 1 Students complimentary 4.0 hours Utah CLE (pending). Utah online attendees will need to apply for self-study CLE credits. For CLE in other states, attendees should apply directly to the relevant state bar and we cannot guarantee that other state bar requirements will be satisfied. Sponsored by the Cultural Vision Fund and Utah Open Lands in cooperation with the Wallace Stegner Center.

Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center Webcast: Wealth taxation in defense of equal citizenship

The following is from an announcement by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center:

Wealth inequality is often discussed in terms of its economic effects rather than its political implications. But money is a form of power, and the wealthy exert an outsized influence on politics. Wealth taxation has the potential, therefore, not only to reduce the concentration of economic power in America, but to strengthen democracy itself. 

On Monday, May 2, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center will host an event considering wealth taxation as a tool of democratic reform. Jeremy Bearer-Friend, associate professor of law at George Washington University Law School, and Vanessa Williamson, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, will present their new paper, exploring and updating an underappreciated wealth tax proposal made by the American revolutionary, Thomas Paine, in his 1792 book, “Rights of Man.” Phyllis Taite, professor of law at Oklahoma City University School of Law, will address the potential effects of wealth taxation on the racial wealth gap, and Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, will discuss how taxation fits into a broader reconsideration of economic policy’s political and social purposes. 

Follow this link to register for the program.