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Samuel A. Donaldson  

Professor of Law at Georgia State University

Samuel A. Donaldson [J.D. University of Arizona; LL.M. (Taxation) University of Florida] is a Professor of Law at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Prior to joining the Georgia State faculty in 2012, he was on the faculty at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle for 13 years. During his tenure at the University of Washington, he was a five-time recipient of the Philip A. Trautman Professor of the Year award from the School of Law’s Student Bar Association. Professor Donaldson served for two years as Associate Dean for Academic Administration and for six years as the Director of the law school’s Graduate Program in Taxation. He teaches a number of tax and estate planning courses, as well as courses in the areas of property, commercial law and professional responsibility.

Professor Donaldson is an Academic Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and a member of the Bar in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. Among his scholarly works, he is a co-author of the popular West casebook, Federal Income Tax: A Contemporary Approach, and a co-author of the Price on Contemporary Estate Planning treatise published by Wolters Kluwer. Professor Donaldson has served as the Harry R. Horrow Visiting Professor of International Law at Northwestern University and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

An amateur crossword constructor, his puzzles have been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. A perennial contender for People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” honor, Professor Donaldson was recently notified by email of his selection to receive substantial sums of money from high-level Nigerian business officials in exchange for his bank account information.

Speech Topics


UNWINDING ESTATE PLANS BECAUSE OF CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES

Stuff happens. An estate plan that looked good ten years ago may not be good today, whether because of new laws or new situations. This presentation covers several strategies for “unwinding” one or more of the techniques implemented as part of a prior estate plan.

DEALING WITH UNCLE SAM, EVERYONE’S LEAST FAVORITE RELATIVE IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Estate planners must recognize the tax traps and opportunities that accompany the client with a closelyheld business. This session will review the federal income tax issues and planning strategies for C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, and how they affect contemporary estate planning techniques.

THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF GRANTOR TRUSTS

The income tax rules governing grantor trusts, the centerpiece of most estate plans, have been around for over 65 years, and yet there are still very basic questions for which there are no answers. This session asks and answers those questions, including the best powers for creating grantor trusts, the ability to “toggle” grantor trust status, and situations for exercising a power to substitute assets.

CONTEMPORARY ESTATE PLANNING PARADIGMS FOR MARRIED COUPLES

Recent changes in the federal tax laws have fundamentally changed tax planning strategies for married couples. This session presents separate planning templates suitable for couples with small, medium, and large estates. Specific topics addressed include the portability election, maximizing the use of the income tax step-up in basis, and the role of disclaimer planning.

FEDERAL TAX UPDATE

Stay up to date with this informative and entertaining recap of important cases, rulings, regulations, and legislation from the past 12 months in the federal income, estate, and gift tax laws.

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