Post-Death Estate Litigation: Navigating Legal and Other Challenges for Charities
Presented By: Andrew Fussner and Frederick Weber
This presentation will examine post-death administration of estates and trusts with a focus on how estate and trust litigation may impact charitable beneficiaries. Attendees will learn about different types of legal challenges, including will and trust contests, disputes over the proper identification of heirs and beneficiaries, objections to expenses and fees and allegations of potential breaches of fiduciary duties. We will also look at the fiduciary duties that are most pertinent to charitable beneficiaries and explore actions (legal and non-legal) that charities may take to hold fiduciaries accountable. The presentation will address practical considerations to help charities make informed decisions about pursuing litigation and examine how charities may need to respond to litigation initiated by other parties to a donor’s estate or trust. We will also include tips for minimizing the financial and reputational costs to charities in the event that a dispute over a donor’s estate or trust cannot be avoided.
Meet Andrew Fussner:
Andy Fussner oversees the receipt of $90M to $110M in annual Estate Settlement Income for the American Heart Association. Prior to his current position, he was a Vice President of Planned Giving for the AHA and was in private legal practice with a national firm's Tampa office, handling estate planning, probate, and tax matters. He received his B.S. in Accounting and his J.D. from the University of Florida. Go Gators!
Meet Frederick Weber:
Fred Weber is Counsel in the Private Clients, Trusts & Estates group at ArentFox Schiff LLP. He represents fiduciaries on post-death matters, and he helps prepare families for post-death administration before a death occurs. Fred previously worked in private wealth management as a professional fiduciary, as a gift planner for a public charity, and as an aide to a U.S. Senator. He is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and the Professional Advisory Committee to the Chicago Jewish Federation. An Illinois licensed attorney, Fred holds a J.D. from DePaul University, and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Minnesota.
Pricing for individuals: $35 for members (log in to see member pricing); $79 for non-members Not yet a member? Join today and access member discounts.
Pricing for groups: $149 for councils; $209 for organizations The group host will receive one Zoom access link. [Group webinar FAQs]