ACTEC 2025 Fall Meeting

Private Wealth Services attorneys Kelly Hellmuth and Shari Levitan will speak at The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel's (ACTEC) 2025 Fall Meeting in Austin, Texas. The conference will feature several seminars alongside ACTEC committee meetings and professional networking opportunities.

Ms. Levitan will join a discussion on the intersection of legal ethics, privilege and parental involvement in a client's legal affairs. Speakers will share how to respond when parents become involved in their children's planning conversations or divorce proceedings, such as through attending meetings with attorneys or paying legal fees. They will provide tips for maintaining professional boundaries, protecting attorney-client privilege and managing the ethical implications of third-party involvement when interfacing with clients and their parents.

Ms. Hellmuth will participate in a presentation on private foundation self-dealing rules. Established by Congress in 1969, the counterintuitive nature of these rules catches even seasoned practitioners off guard and can pose obstacles to both the estate administration of foundations as well as settlements for estates leaving assets to foundations. The session will share case studies of issues including gifts and bequests of problematic assets, co-investments with foundations and family entities, and the application of private foundation rules to other vehicles. Panelists will also address alternative strategies to avoid self-dealing rules, such as charitable gift annuities and special purpose trusts.

Session Times and Topics

Helicopter Parents, Prenups and Plans
October 21, 2025 | 10:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. CT
Speaker: Shari Levitan

Lessons from the Front Line – Private Foundation Self-Dealing Traps and Landmines
October 22, 2025 | 9:25 – 10:40 a.m. CT
Speaker: Kelly Hellmuth