44th Annual Estate Planning Retreat - In-Person - SOLD OUT

Experience the pinnacle event of the summer as the 44th Annual Estate Planning Retreat returns to the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains. This retreat is a must-attend for trust and estate practitioners, those contemplating broadening their practice to encompass estate planning and administration, and professionals engaged in ancillary practices and professions.
 
Building upon the impactful discussions of last year's event, this year's Estate Planning Retreat continues the dialogue initiated by Terrence Franklin, who challenged us to consider our contributions to improving the lives of those around us and future generations. Delve into these vital questions with this year's keynote address focusing on fostering equal partnership within Colorado's legal community, complemented by breakout sessions designed to cultivate a more inclusive approach to estate planning and litigation practice.
 
For in-person attendees, choose from 12 different breakout sessions, designed specifically for planners, litigators, and newcomers alike, including:
 
  • ChatGPT, Please Tell Me My Ethical Duties: The Shifting Paradigms of Professional Judgment With Generative AI and Outsourced Estate Planning
  • Six Months into the CTA: A Collaborative Discussion of Lessons Learned, Best Practices, Shared Experiences and Unanswered Questions for Trusts and Estates
  • Trier of Fact: Exploring Unanswered Questions of Law Through Colorado's New Pattern Civil Jury Instructions on Wills
 
Popular breakout sessions fill up fast. Secure your spot today for these immersive, interactive, in-person sessions!
 
A limited agenda is available for webinar participants.
 
For all, the virtual recordings will be available after the conference in your CLE dashboard.
 
 
HOTEL INFORMATION:
The Hythe Vail (formerly the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort), 715 West Lionshead Circle, Vail, CO 81657
 
CBA-CLE has reserved a block of rooms for attendees. Room rates start at $225 plus applicable taxes and fees.  Be mindful that there is a limited number of rooms available, so it is best to reserve your room early. Based on availability, rooms are being held at the conference rate until May 27, 2024.
To receive the group room rate, please indicate that you are a guest of the Estate Planning Retreat when you make your reservation.
 
Based on availability, rooms are being held at the conference rate until May 27, 2024.
 
Reservations will be accepted by telephone at 877-622-3140 or online using this URL address:  https://book.passkey.com/go/EstatePlanning2024
 
All reservations will require a credit card guarantee, and a deposit equal to one night of lodging with tax is due at the time of booking. The balance is due at check-in. Reservations cancelled after May 27, 2024, will forfeit the deposit equal to one night's room and tax. Daily resort fees are waived for guests booking inside CBA-CLE's room block as well as complimentary wireless internet access in guest rooms.  
 
 
CBA TRUST AND ESTATE SECTION SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND
The Trust and Estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association has seven full scholarships to the 44th Annual Estate Planning Retreat, which will be awarded to eligible applicants after CBA-CLE has reviewed applications.  If you are interested and qualify, please submit your completed application no later than April 30, 2024.  If selected, the Trust and Estate Section will cover the complete cost of registration and will reimburse your hotel accommodation up to $600.00.
 
 
CANCELLATION FEE: If you are unable to attend, please notify CBA-CLE by May 29, 2024, and we will gladly refund your tuition in full or apply your tuition to the webinar or home study. Cancellations after May 29, 2024, will be refunded less a $150 cancellation fee.
 
 
CHILDCARE AT EPR
Sponsored by The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware
 
This year we are happy to provide trusted childcare during all events at the Estate Planning Retreat!  See FAQs or sign up at:    https://callemmy.com/2024-estate-planning-retreat/
 
 
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!
 
Platinum
-FORVIS
-Holland & Hart LLP
-Midwest Trust Company
-Parkside Financial Bank & Trust
-Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management
 
Gold
-BOK Financial Private Wealth
-Huntington Private Bank
-JAMS
-Members Trust Company
 
Silver
-Alpine Bank Wealth Management
-Baysore & Christian Fiduciary Services
-Bessemer Trust
-Bennett Thrasher LLP
-CIBC
-Gibraltar Business Valuations
-Investment Trust Company
-Judicial Arbiter Group
-Krause Financial
-National Care Advisors
-Trustee Services Group

Conference
-The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware
-Winston Art Group
 
 
Home studies will be available 2-3 weeks following the live program.
 
CBA-CLE is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, and employment. To request an accommodation, please contact [email protected] at least 21 business days in advance.
 
The program is accredited in Colorado. CBA-CLE staff can provide a Uniform Certificate of Attendance, and it is the attendee's responsibility to complete the accreditation outside of Colorado.

Thursday, June 13, 2024
 
4:15 - 5:00 pm
Trust and Estate Ambassador and New Attendee/New Attorney Meetup
 
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception - Sponsored by Parkside Financial Bank & Trust
 
Friday, June 14, 2024
 
7:30 - 8:15 am
Registration and Breakfast - Sponsored by FORVIS
 
8:15 - 8:30 am
Welcoming Remarks
Extended by Jody Davis, Esq., CBA-CLE Program Attorney, and Dylan Metzner, Esq., Buchalter
 
8:30 - 9:30 am
2050: Moving Towards Equal Partnership in Colorado's Legal Community
According to the census projections, less than 50% of Colorado's population will consist of non-Hispanic whites by the year 2050. This presentation lays out the unrealized promises of the future of Colorado's legal profession, discussing actual equal access to the legal system, responsible representation of all populations, and the recognition and elimination of systemic bias in the legal profession.
Presented by Qusair Mohamedbhai, Esq., Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC, and Jason St. Julien, Esq., Lead Counsel of Community Trust, Airbnb
Submitted for 1.2 EDI Credits
 
9:30 - 9:50 am
Transition to Breakout Sessions
 
9:50 - 11:00 am
Round A Breakout Sessions
If you are attending in-person, choose from Sessions 1, 2, 3 or 4 during registration.
If you are attending virtually, you will have the choice of Sessions 1 or 2 via Zoom.  
 
Breakout Session #1
Business Appraisal Fundamentals for Estate and Gift Tax Purposes
This session will focus on the valuation of closely held businesses and intellectual property under a Fair Market Value standard of value for estate and gift tax planning and reporting purposes. Explore the planning opportunities ahead due to the sunset of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits. Learn what constitutes a qualified appraisal and qualified appraiser under applicable IRS rules and regulations. Gain an understanding of how to screen and engage a qualified appraiser and what the costs and timing are for a typical estate and gift appraisal assignment.      
Presented by Ronald Seigneur, MBA, CPA/ABV, ASA, CVA, Seigneur Gustafson LLP, and Herbert E. Tucker, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC
 
Breakout Session #2
Rabin: An All-Access Pass?
This presentation will review the implications of In re Estate of Rabin for estate planners and litigators. In addition to analyzing the case itself, the presentation will discuss similar rulings in other jurisdictions. The presentation will also focus on best practices as both a litigator and estate planner when an estate plan is requested pursuant to Rabin. Lastly, the presentation, from the perspective of two litigators, will offer practical solutions for estate planners dealing with a planning file request from a litigator and what the estate planner can do, before and after the request, to stand on solid ground.
Presented by Casey C. Breese, Esq., and Alison E. Zinn, Esq., Lathrop GPM LLP
Submitted for 1.4 Ethics/Professionalism Credits
 
Breakout Session #3 (Small group, In-Person only) - FULL
Bringing Your Firm into the Modern World and Overcoming the Generational Divide
In this workshop, we will explore ways to incorporate technology into your legal practice to transform your business into a more successful, mobile, and modern organization. We will also address working with multi-generational clients and how your practice can be adaptable in communication methods and processes to better serve your firm's clients.
 
We will facilitate discussion around these topics:  1) Incorporating technology into your firm; 2) Intake, practice and project management, client interface and portal, scheduling; 3) Working with multi-generational clients and adopting communication/process; 4) Breakdown of different generations: Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z; 5) Adopting communication/process; 6) Gender diversity and inclusion - nonbinary, neutral pronouns; and 7) Identifying your ideal client.
Presented by Colleen T. Scarola, Esq., Scarola Law, LLC; Kiera F. Schwartz, Esq., RBS Law; and Rachel Bernstein Sheikh, Esq., RBS Law
Submitted for .6 Ethics/Professionalism Credits
 
Breakout Session #4 (Small group, In-person only) - FULL
Probate Settlements with Real Estate: 3 Case Studies
The presenters, a mediator and a probate and real estate practitioner, will present 3 scenarios for resolution of probate disputes involving real estate. The planned scenarios will include buyouts by one beneficiary of other beneficiaries (including using promissory notes and deeds of trust to provide time flexibility), co-ownership agreements in the case of multiple co-owners, and life estate with remainder situations.
Presented by Angela Schmitz, Esq., Homestead Law, and Kathy L. Seidel, Esq., JAMS Denver
 
11:00 - 11:20 am
Networking Break
 
11:20 am - 12:30 pm
Round B Breakout Sessions
If you are attending in-person, choose from Sessions 3, 4, 5 or 6 during registration.  
If you are attending virtually, you will have the choice of Sessions 5 or 6 via Zoom.
 
Breakout Session #3 (Small group, In-Person only)
Bringing Your Firm into the Modern World and Overcoming the Generational Divide
In this workshop, we will explore ways to incorporate technology into your legal practice to transform your business into a more successful, mobile, and modern organization. We will also address working with multi-generational clients and how your practice can be adaptable in communication methods and processes to better serve your firm's clients.
 
We will facilitate discussion around these topics:  1) Incorporating technology into your firm; 2) Intake, practice and project management, client interface and portal, scheduling; 3) Working with multi-generational clients and adopting communication/process; 4) Breakdown of different generations: Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z; 5) Adopting communication/process; 6) Gender diversity and inclusion - nonbinary, neutral pronouns; and 7) Identifying your ideal client.
Presented by Colleen T. Scarola, Esq., Scarola Law, LLC; Kiera F. Schwartz, Esq., RBS Law; and Rachel Bernstein Sheikh, Esq., RBS Law
Submitted for .6 Ethics/Professionalism Credits
 
Breakout Session #4 (Small group, In-Person only) - FULL
Probate Settlements with Real Estate: 3 Case Studies
The presenters, a mediator and a probate and real estate practitioner, will present 3 scenarios for resolution of probate disputes involving real estate. The planned scenarios will include buyouts by one beneficiary of other beneficiaries (including using promissory notes and deeds of trust to provide time flexibility), co-ownership agreements in the case of multiple co-owners, and life estate with remainder situations.
Presented by Angela Schmitz, Esq., Homestead Law, and Kathy L. Seidel, Esq., JAMS Denver
 
Breakout Session #5 - FULL
Best Practices for Estate Planners in Preventing a Will or Trust Contest and the Role of an Estate Planning Attorney if a Contest is Filed.
This presentation will inform estate planners how to avoid/minimize challenges to their estate plans due to alleged undue influence and/or lack of testamentary capacity. We will use hypothetical fact patterns to discuss best practices for planners from the perspective of litigation. Attendees will learn from the perspective of an experienced geropsychologist about evaluating testamentary capacity and undue influence, as well as strategies for addressing concerns of diminished capacity with clients. This presentation will also address what happens if a will or trust contest is filed, including when and how the estate planning attorney must produce the legal file, give a deposition or attend court. Additionally, attendees will learn essential tips for testifying as the planner in a contest case.
Presented by Andrew W. Callahan, Esq., Wick & Trautwein LLC, Sheri Gibson, PhD, Sheri Gibson, PhD, LLC, and Andrea N. Mahoney, Esq., Olsen & Mahoney, LLP
Submitted for .6 Ethics/Professionalism Credits
 
Breakout Session #6
Six Months into the CTA: A Collaborative Discussion of Lessons Learned, Best Practices, Shared Experiences, and Unanswered Questions for Trusts and Estates
It is now six months after the enactment of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). This seminar is for the trusts and estates (“T&E”) community to come together to discuss the CTA, now that it is in effect. Nikki McCain with Wells Fargo and Ashley Thompson with Robinson, Diss & Clowdus, P.C., will address T&E specific CTA matters to help your practice. Discussion topics include professional fiduciary experiences, sample language, division of responsibilities amongst advisors, estate administration procedures, and various roles in a trust agreement.
 
Nikki and Ashley will discuss T&E nuances in the CTA world and seek audience participation during the seminar. In your T&E practice, what works (and perhaps more importantly, what does not work) for the CTA? What documents and language have you developed? Have your procedures changed? What challenges have you faced?
Presented by Nikki McCain, J.D., Wells Fargo, and Ashley L. Thompson, Esq., Robinson, Diss & Clowdus, P.C.
 
12:30 pm
Adjourn
 
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Annual Wine Reception - Sponsored by Midwest Trust Company
 
 
Saturday, June 15, 2024
 
7:30 - 8:15 am
Breakfast - Sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP
 
8:15 - 8:30 am
Welcome Back and Presentation of the 2024 R. Sterling Ambler Award
 
8:30 - 9:30 am
ChatGPT, Please Tell Me My Ethical Duties: The Shifting Paradigms of Professional Judgment With Generative AI and Outsourced Estate Planning
With the rise of generative AI, attorneys are presented with more opportunities and pressure to utilize this technology. Attorneys are also facing an environment where clients use AI as a do-it-yourself tool, further compounding issues with self-representation. These developments have special importance to trusts and estates practitioners, as a wave of software solutions have promised increased productivity and lower overhead through automation. How can today's trust and estate practitioner ethically navigate these issues and choices? In this presentation, The Honorable Elizabeth Weishaupl (Ret.) and Griffin Bridgers discuss the various ethical rules and issues implicated under the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct when it comes to the use, non-use, and misuse of automation and AI. Areas of focus include the various forms of AI, legal developments and misconduct cases involving use and misuse, and the challenges of maintaining one's duty of independent judgment when software and non-attorneys take the lead in the estate planning and administration process.  
Presented by Griffin H. Bridgers, Esq., Hutchins & Associates, LLC, and The Honorable Elizabeth Weishaupl (Ret.), JAMS Denver
Submitted for 1.2 Ethics/Professionalism credits.
 
9:30 - 9:50 am
Transition to Breakout Sessions
 
9:50 - 11:00 am
Round C Breakout Sessions
If you are attending in-person, choose from Sessions 7, 8, 9 or 10 during registration.
If you are attending virtually, you will have the choice of Sessions 7 or 8 via Zoom.  
 
Breakout Session #7
Planning for a Loved One with Special Needs
Understanding the unique needs and experiences of people with disabilities and their families is essential for promoting an inclusive estate planning practice. This presentation will allow attendees to understand the essential planning considerations to provide financial security to someone who may never be fully independent due to a disability. The content includes discussion of a Letter of Intent, the importance of a vision of the quality of life desired for the loved one and the related financial needs and various potential resources available to provide security. Resource discussion includes an introduction to Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Income (Title II Childhood Disability Benefits), Medicaid and its invaluable Waivers.  Public resource qualification and maintenance strategies will be discussed including the use of ABLE accounts, various Supplement Needs Trusts and quantifying the required funding of these trusts. Lastly, a discussion of the importance of the integration of Special Needs Financial Planning within the family's holistic financial plan will conclude the presentation.
Presented by Nancy "Susie" Germany, Esq., The Germany Law Firm P.C., and Kevne Sharpe, CFP, CHSNC, AEP, Mariner Wealth Advisors
Submitted for .4 EDI Credits
 
Breakout Session # 8
What Happens AFTER the Estate Planning Documents Are Signed?  The Missing Link to the Traditional Estate Planning Process Explained
Proper estate planning does not end with the signing of the documents. This presentation will provide practitioners with the tools, practical processes and best practices needed to address the important work that must be completed after the documents are signed in order to create successful estate plans for our clients, such as (1) ensuring that living trusts are properly funded and beneficiary designations are updated consistent with the estate plan, (2) implementing a formal update and maintenance program so changes in the law and changes in the client's life and circumstances can be properly addressed, and (3) encouraging and facilitating family meetings so that the client's successor trustees and agents, who are typically family members, can be prepared and properly educated about what their roles and responsibilities will be when the time comes. By implementing these and other post document signing processes into their practices, practitioners can differentiate themselves from other planning professionals and increase the quality of the plans they are helping their clients create.
 
Attendees will receive informative handouts, tools, and materials to help them incorporate an update program, funding assistance processes, and other processes into their practice. They will also learn how to get compensated for these “extra” services and why clients are happy to pay for them.
Presented by Richard Selinger, J.D., LL.M., Selinger Law Firm, PA
 
Breakout Session # 9 (Small group, In-person only) - FULL
Hot Powers under Colorado's Uniform Power of Attorney Act: Discussions on Practical Use and Limitations
Kristin and Kelianne will lead an interactive discussion on the practical use and limitation of the hot powers under Colorado's Uniform Power of Attorney Act. We hope to provide a platform for practitioners to share their ideas, preferences (and fears) about including each of the hot powers, the interaction with other aspects of an estate plan, communicating about the hot powers with clients, and drafting appropriate limitations on use. The format will be an open discussion about each of the hot powers in turn, following CRS 15-14-724, with reference to the statutory form and the orange book form and notes on use.
Presented by Kelianne Chamberlain, Esq., Hoskin Farina & Kampf, PC, and Kristin Dittus, J.D., LL.M., Life & Legacy Planning, Ltd.
 
Breakout Session # 10 (Small group, In-person only)
Trier of Fact: Exploring Unanswered Questions of Law Through Colorado's New Pattern Civil Jury Instructions on Wills
Attendees will hear the relevant facts as presented by two opposing attorneys, Norv Brasch and Letty Maxfield, and apply them to relevant statute and common law as instructed by the judge, Jody Pilmer, to reach their verdict.
 
Jurors will hear short presentations of the relevant facts in the form of direct-examination, cross-examination, and closing arguments in three contested matters where the key questions are:
(1) did the proponent of a paper copy of a lost electronic will introduce evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption of revocation and meet the burden of proof;
(2) did the contestant establish that the terms of the will are a product of undue influence even if the alleged undue influencer did not monetarily benefit from the affected terms; and
(3) did the contestant establish that the testator suffered from an insane delusion that materially affected the terms of the will without evidence that the testator suffered from illness or disorder.
The presentation will also offer inclusive approaches when laying foundation and presenting relevant evidence related to biological sex and gender identity, neurodiversity, and ideology.
Presented by Norv E. Brasch, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC, Letitia "Letty" M. Maxfield, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC; and Jody J. Pilmer, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC.
Submitted for .9 EDI Credits
 
11:00 - 11:20 am
Networking Break
 
11:20 am - 12:30 pm
Round D Breakout Sessions
If you are attending in-person, choose Sessions 9, 10, 11, or 12 during registration.
If you are attending virtually, you will have the choice of Sessions 11 or 12 via Zoom.
 
Breakout Session # 9 (Small group, In-person only) - FULL
Hot Powers under Colorado's Uniform Power of Attorney Act: Discussions on Practical Use and Limitations
Kristin and Kelianne will lead an interactive discussion on the practical use and limitation of the hot powers under Colorado's Uniform Power of Attorney Act. We hope to provide a platform for practitioners to share their ideas, preferences (and fears) about including each of the hot powers, the interaction with other aspects of an estate plan, communicating about the hot powers with clients, and drafting appropriate limitations on use. The format will be an open discussion about each of the hot powers in turn, following CRS 15-14-724, with reference to the statutory form and the orange book form and notes on use.
Presented by Kelianne Chamberlain, Esq., Hoskin Farina & Kampf, PC, and Kristin Dittus, J.D., LL.M., Life & Legacy Planning, Ltd.
 
Breakout Session # 10 (Small group, In-Person only)
Trier of Fact: Exploring Unanswered Questions of Law Through Colorado's New Pattern Civil Jury Instructions on Wills
Attendees will hear the relevant facts as presented by two opposing attorneys, David Struthers, and Letty Maxfield, and apply them to relevant statute and common law as instructed by the judge, Jody Pilmer, to reach their verdict.
 
Jurors will hear short presentations of the relevant facts in the form of direct-examination, cross-examination, and closing arguments in three contested matters where the key questions are:
(1) did the proponent of a paper copy of a lost electronic will introduce evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption of revocation and meet the burden of proof;
(2) did the contestant establish that the terms of the will are a product of undue influence even if the alleged undue influencer did not monetarily benefit from the affected terms; and
(3) did the contestant establish that the testator suffered from an insane delusion that materially affected the terms of the will without evidence that the testator suffered from illness or disorder.
The presentation will also offer inclusive approaches when laying foundation and presenting relevant evidence related to biological sex and gender identity, neurodiversity, and ideology.
Presented by Letitia "Letty" M. Maxfield, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC, and Jody J. Pilmer, Esq., Wade Ash, LLC.
Submitted for .9 EDI Credits
 
Breakout Session #11
Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts
What is the SLAT? The why, when, and how of implementing Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts. Also included, how to address conflicts of interest in joint representation of spouses when creating SLATs.
Presented by W. Douglas (Doug) Hoak, J.D., LL.M., Illumine Legal LLC
Submitted for .2 Ethics/Professionalism Credits
 
Breakout Session #12
I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now.: Practical Advice From 23 years in the Trenches.
With wit and humor, Erica will discuss practical everyday actions that will make you a better estate planning attorney. How the 'sacred cows' of springing POAs, appointing co-agents and lumping tangible personal property in with the residuary are harming your clients, not helping them. Plus 23 other 'little' things that you can do for your clients now, as a newer practitioner, rather than taking 23 years to learn. Not letting your clients do things such as: naming trusts as “living,” making all accounts POD/TOD, telling their loved ones not to have a service when they die, signing Beneficiary Deeds with multiple grantees, sending copies of the documents to their agents, and assuming they have a DNR when they have a Living Will. And telling your clients to do things like: write down assets/important contacts, use their real legal names (middle initials, suffixes) in documents, store their medical directives on-line for access (Docubank and other resources), keep their own originals, and let you review their vesting deed to confirm joint tenancy.
Presented by Erica Johnson, Esq., Ambler | Keenan | Mitchell | Johnson
 
12:30 pm
Adjourn
 
Optional Add-on Activity
 
Saturday, June 15, 2024 - 1:00 pm
Golf at Vail Golf Club
Where: Vail Golf Club, 1775 Sunburst Dr., Vail, CO 81657
Cost: $184 per person
Fee Includes: Green fee, cart, range ball, bag handling fees, and box lunch.
First come, first served. Tee times fill up quickly!
Deadline to sign up for golf is June 7, 2024.
   
Location Information
The Hythe Vail
715 W Lionshead Circle
Vail, CO 81657
Get directions
Registration Fees
Non Member $779.00
CBA Member $584.00
CBA Trust & Estate Section Member $479.00
CBA Elder Law Section Member $479.00
CLE Basic Pass Holder $389.00
Active Military $295.00
Public Service/Government $295.00
Paralegal/Support Staff $295.00
CLE ELITE Pass Holder $295.00
New Lawyer Edge Member $295.00
Student Currently Enrolled in Law School $149.00
  • General Credits: 8.00
  • Ethics Credits: 3.40
  • EDI Credits: 2.50

To join the CBA or add a Section to your membership click

Start Date - End Date
June 13, 2024 - June 15, 2024
Start Time - End Time
8:15 AM - 7:30 PM
Event Location
The Hythe Vail
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