2023 Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute featured valuable plenary, breakout sessions

The 2023 Annual Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 19, with keynote speakers providing estate, trust and elder law lawyers with the opportunity for continued legal education through case law updates, plenary sessions, and networking opportunities.

This year, more than 100 legal professionals attended both online and in-person at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet in St. Louis, where they heard from experts on topics such as:

·         Ethical representation of unethical fiduciary

·         Anything but administration

·         Expanded remote public access

·         Legislative and case law updates

·         Let’s talk about implicit bias

·         The subtle art of lawyering clients through trauma

"Through insightful discussions and comprehensive sessions, this year's Annual Estate, Trust & Elder Law Institute offered an invaluable platform for legal professionals to delve into the latest developments and nuances in estate, trust and elder law," said Maria Sanders, director of CLE and member services at The Missouri Bar.

This year, the conference offered a variety of breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics.

On Thursday, Commissioner William Gust reviewed evidence in probate court.

Russell “Rusty” Fracassa reviewed the Hallam decision and key takeaways to understanding the case law and federal statutes involved in the case, as well as crisis planning for married couples.

Jennifer Sanwald also helped attendees navigate trust distribution language to identify the legal and fiduciary obligations of corporate trustees in interpreting trust distribution language and understand the potential consequences of vague or imprecise standards.

Friday morning’s breakout sessions featured Mike Bartolacci discussing the effective use of experts in trust and estate litigation, where attendees reviewed the practical aspects of selecting, preparing and presenting testimony from expert witnesses in litigation matters involving trust and estate issues, including capacity/undue influence, breach of duty, and investment matters.

A panel discussion with Timothy Weaks, Commissioner Misty Watson, and Joshua S. rose gave an overview of the challenges Missouri’s Public Guardianship currently faces due to unprecedented caseloads, more complex cases, understaffing, and lack of uniformity across the state.

Other speakers on Friday included:

·         Jeffrey Glogower, “Salvaging the broken charitable remainder trust”

·         Lori Rook, “Exceptions to the five-year look back”

·         Emily J. Kembell and Shane Rader, “Corporate transparency act”

·         Jeffrey Glogower, “International aspects of estate planning”

When not attending CLE programming, lawyers also had the opportunity to visit exhibitor booths. Sponsors such as the Clio, Midwest Trust, Krause Financial Services, and Tri Trust True Integrity Fiduciary Services networked with lawyers about their companies and the benefits of their products.

Visit The Missouri Bar’s Facebook page to view photos from the conference.