Heckerling Recap Panel Discussion

Panel Presentation Recapping Industry Developments From Heckerling Institute 2020

Some of our local practitioners who attended this industry-recognized event will be sharing some insights in a panel discussion format. 

​About the Panelists:

David Shaftel, JD, LLM has been practicing law in Anchorage, Alaska, since 1970. He obtained an A.B. degree from Stanford University (1964) and his J.D. degree (1967) from Boalt Hall, at the University of California (Berkeley). In 1977, Dave obtained an LL.M.(Taxation) degree from New York University. Since that date he has been in private practice in Anchorage. Dave has been very involved in Alaska's development of new estate planning vehicles. He has been active in participating in the drafting of new Alaska legislation. Click here to view the Alaska Statutes Page. Dave has written extensively about Alaska's self-settled discretionary spendthrift trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, and Alaska's optional community property system. He has participated as part of the faculty in numerous professional continuing education programs sponsored by the Alaska Bar Association, ALI-ABA, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum, the Great Western Tax & Estate Planning Conference, the Anchorage Estate Planning Counsel, and various private groups. Dave is a member and the former Alaska Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel "ACTEC". He is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel. Dave was the founder of the Taxation Section of the Alaska Bar Association and has been a director of the Estate Planning Section of that association. He is a former president of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council and is a present director and one of the founding members of the Alaska Community Foundation. Dave is a director of the Alaska SPCA. He has been active in community activities, including municipal boards and task forces, local community council, and youth sports activities. Dave is a member of the Alaska, California, and Washington Bar Associations.

Jamie Delman, JD, LLM is a trust and estate planning attorney and a partner at Shaftel Delman, LLC practicing in Anchorage, Alaska. He grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio and received his B.A. in mathematics from the University of Rochester in western New York. Prior to law school, Jamie was a high school math teacher in Miami. He received his J.D. (cum laude) from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Jamie is admitted to practice in Alaska and New York. Jamie has significant experience drafting specialized estate planning documents, including perpetual Alaska trusts, individual revocable trusts, joint revocable trusts, trusts for retirement benefits, special needs trusts, wills, and community property agreements. In addition, he regularly helps clients form limited liability companies and drafts operating agreements that are designed to facilitate asset protection, business management, and estate planning goals. In addition to drafting, Jamie has experience implementing a variety of sophisticated estate-planning techniques, including gifts and sales to grantor trusts and specialized planning regarding the generation-skipping transfer tax. Jamie is experienced at preparing federal gift tax returns. Jamie also has experience modeling the tax and non-tax effects of proposed planning techniques. Jamie is actively involved with a number of industry groups in the Anchorage community and is President-Elect on the board of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council.

Abigail O'Connor, JD is a trust and estates attorney based in Anchorage, Alaska.  Her specific practice areas include estate planning, estate, and gift tax strategic planning, Alaska trusts for both Alaskans and non-Alaskans, representation of trustees and beneficiaries, estate administration, and family business succession planning. Abigail is licensed in Alaska and Florida. Abigail is a Director of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council, a member of the Executive Committee of the Estate Planning and Probate Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, and Vice President of Alaska Trust & Estate Professionals. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has an AV Rating by Martindale Hubbell.

(Tentative) Rebecca Martin, CPA has practiced in the public accounting field since her graduation from University of North Texas with her Master's in Taxation in 1997.  She is a member and past board member of the Alaska Society of CPAs, a member and past board member of Anchorage Estate Planning Council, and a section member of the Alaska Bar Association Estate Planning & Probate Law and Elder Law sections.