31st Annual Duke University Estate Planning Conference

October 15-16, 2009
Duke University School of Law
Durham, NC

Conference Objectives & Description

This two day conference consists of a series of lecture sessions designed to examine in detail current developments in the estate and gift tax field; strengthen the practitioner’s knowledge and application of estate planning techniques to a multitude of diverse and complex problems; and to provide a forum for the discussion of important estate planning problems and their solutions. The sessions will be led by a group of conference faculty members comprised of estate planning and tax practitioners and legal scholars. Faculty members have been selected for their knowledge of the subjects, teaching skills, and ability to communicate clearly.

Agenda

Thursday, October 15, 2009

7:30 - 8:15am - Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:15 - 8:30am - Welcome & Opening Remarks
8:30 - 9:45am - Estate Planning Under the New Tax Legislation – Ronald D. Aucutt
9:45 - 10:00am - Break
10:00 - 11:00am - Potpourri of International Hot Topics: What You Need to Know- Leigh-Alexandra Basha
11:00 - 12:15pm - Steering the Fiduciary through the Shoals of Surcharge: Recent Developments in Fiduciary Litigation - Bruce S. Ross
12:15 - 1:15pm - Lunch
1:15 - 2:45pm - Billing in a Pareto Optimal World: Creative Practice Management Techniques to Match Excellent Estate Planning with the Client’s Willingness to Pay for Services- Louis S. Harrison
2:45 - 3:00pm - Break
3:00 - 4:00pm - Protecting the Surviving Spouse: Is Momma Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy – John T. Midgett
4:00 - 5:00pm - The Twists and Turns of 529 Accounts - Susan T. Bart
5:00pm - Cocktail Reception

Friday, October 16, 2009

8:00 - 8:30am - Continental Breakfast
8:30 - 9:30am - Thinking Outside the Box: Innovative Charitable Giving in an Uncertain Economy - Michele A.W. McKinnon
9:30 - 10:30am - Failure to Allocate GST Exemption: How Does the IRS Spell Relief? - Beth Shapiro Kaufman
10:30 - 10:45am - Break
10:45 - 11:45pm - Planning with Grantor Trusts – Robert T. Danforth
11:45 - 12:45pm - Lunch
12:45 - 2:30pm - Recent Wealth Transfer Tax Developments – Jeffrey N. Pennell
2:30 - 3:30pm - Substance Abuse - Dr. Melissa L. Warner