October 21, 2026 Agenda (all times ET)

11:00 am	Doors Open Pre-Conference Table Topics
11:30 am	Conference Begins
11:30 - 11:45 am	Virtual Networking Exhibit Hall Open
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	Opening Remarks Annual Meeting Acknowledgment of 2026 Awards & Honors
12:15 - 1:05 pm	Federal Tax Update Samuel A. Donaldson, JD, LL.M., AEP® (Distinguished) This informative and entertaining presentation recaps the important cases, ruling, regulations, and legislation from the past 12 months related to federal estate and gift taxes. Special emphasis is on items of interest to estate planning professionals.
1:05 - 1:30 pm	Break Exhibit Hall Open Wellness Moment
1:30 - 2:20 pm	Premium-Financed Life Insurance in Litigation: Lessons from the Expert Witness Stand Lawrence J. Rybka, JD, CFP®, AEP® (Distinguished)
2:20 - 3:10 pm	Digital Estate Planning: Afterlife in the Cloud, Challenging Due Diligence and Competency of Traditional Estate Planning Jamie P. Hopkins, JD, MBA, LL.M., CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, RICP® Our entire life is becoming stored online in the cloud, but very few people understand or plan for what this means from an asset transfer, management, and ownership standpoint. What happens to your emails, passwords, photos, and websites when you pass away? Honestly, it really depends on your level of planning. Most states now require you to do affirmative planning in order to pass on these assets to your heirs or to allow others to access the information. Failure to do such planning could leave your assets tied up forever in the cloud, unavailable to business partners or loved ones, causing tremendous hardship and financial damages. So, learn the rules around digital asset ownership, transfer, and how to set up a digital asset estate under the new law RUFADAA.
3:10 - 3:30 pm	Break Exhibit Hall Open Wellness Moment
3:30 - 4:20 pm	Being an Ally: Basics of LGBTQIA Community Natalia K. Gentry, JD Many LGBTQIA individuals avoid professional help for fear of judgment. Attorney Natalia Kujan Gentry draws on 20+ years of practice to cover the ethical considerations facing LGBTQIA clients, essential terminology and pronoun practice, and the concrete effects of Obergefell v. Hodges on benefits, tax elections, and spousal rights. Attendees leave with three actions to implement this week.
4:20 - 4:30 pm	Closing Remarks

May 12, 2026 Agenda (all times ET)

11:30 am	Doors Open Pre-Conference Table Topics
12:00 pm	Conference Begins
12:00 - 12:15 pm	Virtual Networking Exhibit Hall Open
12:15 - 12:30 pm	Opening Remarks
12:30 - 1:20 pm	AI Is Transforming Estate Planning: Practical Applications and Ethics Considerations Martin M. Shenkman, CPA/PFS, MBA, JD, AEP® (Distinguished)
1:20 - 1:35 pm	Break Exhibit Hall Open Wellness Moment
1:35 - 2:25 pm	Retirement Assets for First and Second Marriages: Let the Fun Begin Christopher R. Hoyt, JD, AEP® (Distinguished) This session will examine the rules, strategies, opportunities, traps, and solutions when married individuals have retirement assets. The session will address the most common obstacles that can arise in second marriages, especially when children from a prior marriage are named as the beneficiaries of a retirement account, and the different rules that apply to IRAs compared to 401(k) plans.
2:25 - 3:15 pm	Stewardship & Strategy: A Framework for Choosing the Right Fiduciaries Erin E. Markham, CTFA, TEP, AEP® & Jill L. Miller, JD, LL.M. This interactive workshop guides participants through the fundamentals of estate planning and the critical role fiduciaries play in carrying out their wishes. Attendees will explore key fiduciary roles, evaluate important legal and practical considerations, and apply these concepts to their own plans through guided exercises. By the end of the session, participants will have greater clarity and confidence in selecting fiduciaries and identifying potential updates to better align their estate plans with their goals.
3:15 - 3:35 pm	Break Exhibit Hall Open Wellness Moment
3:35 - 4:25 pm	Exploring IRS Enforcement Campaigns on Charitable Donations Hale E. Sheppard, JD, LL.M. (taxation), LL.M. (international law) The IRS has been challenging various types of charitable donations for years, raising some standard arguments, evolving during the process, and expanding its focus over time. What started as the IRS scrutinizing donations that it considered abusive has morphed into frequent challenges to charitable gifts that are, by most accounts, routine. This presentation explores recent IRS attacks on charitable donations of conservation easements, artwork, ownership interests in special-purpose entities, closely held businesses, religious artefacts, bargain sales, and more.
4:25 - 4:30 pm	Closing Remarks

Highlights from Prior Annual Conferences