Click here to register, sponsor, or donate to this year’s EPI!
Being held at the Las Cruces Convention Center
680 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, NM.
Step Right Up! Come One! Come All!
Estate planning law is the greatest show on Earth, and there have been some amazing, stupendous things happening in Washington DC! With big changes on the horizon that will have a three-ring impact on strategic estate planning, you need to plan on attending this year’s Estate Planning Institute! Join us in-person or online!
Fun for the Whole Family of Professionals!
The Estate Planning Institute is perfect for attorneys, accountants, bankers, investment advisors, estate planning and tax practitioners, financial planners, and anyone that needs to provide effective estate planning for their clients.
Reserve your space TODAY!
Potential Continuing Professional Education Credits
This program will be submitted to qualify in New Mexico and Texas for up to:
15.6 continuing education credits based on a 50-minute hour
13 continuing education credits based on a 60-minute hour
Two MCLE credits of Ethics/Professionalism
Registration Rates
The registration rates listed below vary for the time of the registrant’s payment. Each registrant will receive one reserved spot to attend our Estate Planning Institute for both days and includes an electronic PDF file of the 2023 Speaker Manual. If you would like to have a printed copy of the 2023 Speaker Manual it will be an additional $50.00 per manual.
In-Person: $350
Online: $225
Includes PDF of speaker manual
Rate after October 6, 2023 is $400 for in-person
Payment Information
The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico accepts credit card and check payments. Credit or debit card payments can be made online, or through the phone. Check payments need to be made out to “The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico” and should be mailed-in to our CFSNM office location. Our office location address is as follows:
2640 El Paseo Road, Las Cruces, NM 88001
Online Payment
Payments can be made online with a credit card by clicking the link directly below.
Pay Online
Company Invoice
If you will be attending on behalf of a business and they will need to be billed an invoice please email info@cfsnm.org or call our office number listed below.
Phone Payment
Call 575-521-4794 to pay over the phone with a CFSNM team member.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel by October 29th with a $25 cancellation fee; $100 thereafter.
Testimonial
“The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico’s longstanding Estate Planning Institute is a stellar educational opportunity. Practitioners of all types benefit from the wealth of information and diverse speaker panel assembled by CFSNM. Flexibility in their program delivery and the potential for continuing professional education credits make the program accessible and worthwhile to so many. These incredible attributes are why I continue to participate each year.”
Ali Hewell, M.P.A. Trust Officer – Disability and Elder Trust Solutions
Schedule:
Speakers:
John Attwood, VP, Trust Officer and Business Development
Cardinal Trust
Presentation Topic: Illuminating Stories In the Life of a Trustee
A graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the American Bankers Association, Graduate Trust School, and a National Certified Guardian since 2006. John has worked in the fields of social and financial services for more than 20 years. In his position, John is responsible for the business development and administration of Trusts, Conservatorships and Estates. This includes experience with support, special needs and complex, multimillion dollar trust accounts.
He enjoys establishing and maintaining relationships with clients, estate planning attorneys and trial lawyers. Cardinal Trust does not offer in-house investment advice; therefore, we collaborate with the clients’ preferred investment advisor to manage the trust investment assets. John is not ashamed to consider himself an “old school” trust officer. He is enthusiastic about client service.
He has worked as a medical decision-maker (National Certified Guardian since 2006) for those with disabilities, and as a corporate trust officer with banks and trust companies, where he specialized in administering personal injury settlements, special needs trusts and conservatorships to enhance the lives of the elderly and injured, including quadriplegic, paraplegic, traumatic brain injured and those challenged with mental illness over the full scale of the spectrum. John has worked with several New Mexico Trial Lawyers, Guardians ad Litem and been a guest speaker/sponsor at the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Board Retreats.
He asks each new client or family decision maker, “How can I utilize the trust assets to enhance the quality of life of my client?” He brings this passion to each person he serves.
John serves as Treasurer for The Arc of New Mexico, Vice-President for the New Mexico Estate Planning Council, and board member for the Parker Center for Family Business (UNM Anderson Business School).
He is a proud grandfather of a sweet set of five-year-old twins and three additional, very bright grandchildren. In his free time, he loves to fish for trout in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.
Dr. Gerry W. Beyer J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. – Professor
Texas Tech University School of Law
Presentation Topic #1: The Impact of Electronic Wills, ChatGPT, and Other Technologies on Today’s Estate Planner
Presentation Topic #2: Avoiding the Estate Planning ” Blue Screen of Death” with Competent and Ethical Practices
Dr. Gerry W. Beyer joined the Tech Law faculty in June 2005 as the first holder of the Governor Preston Smith Regents Professorship. Previously, he taught as a professor or visiting professor at many other law schools from coast-to-coast and in Australia. Law schools and student organizations have honored him with numerous outstanding and distinguished faculty awards. In 2022, Prof. Beyer received the Distinguished Probate Attorney Lifetime Achievement Award from the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Law Section of State Bar of Texas. Prof. Beyer received his J.D. from The Ohio State University and his LL.M. and J.S.D. degrees from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the Order of the Coif, an Academic Fellow and Regent of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of the American Law Institute, was inducted into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame by The National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, and served as the Reporter for the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act.
Anne L. Taylor – Chief Disciplinary Counsel (Ethics and Professionalism MCLE)
Disciplinary Board of the New Mexico Supreme Court
Presentation Topic: An attorney’s obligations regarding client trust fund accounts (IOLTA) Ethics and Professionalism
Anne L. Taylor is Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the New Mexico Supreme Court Disciplinary Board where she has worked since January 2002 as both Assistant and Deputy Disciplinary Counsel, before being appointed Chief in November 2020. She serves as the Disciplinary Counsel liaison to the New Mexico Client Protection Fund.
Anne has a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jane Gagne – Assistant Disciplinary Counsel(Ethics and Professionalism MCLE)
Disciplinary Board of the New Mexico Supreme Court
Presentation Topic: Notable Estate Planning Disciplinary Cases (The Disciplinary Board of the New Mexico Supreme Court – Ethics and Professionalism MCLE)
Jane Gagne joined the Disciplinary Board in 2011. After working years in the computer field and bicycle-racing professionally, Jane decided to change careers and went to law school. Graduating from The University of New Mexico School of Law in 1994, Jane spent a decade practicing plaintiff’s employment and civil rights law.
Bridget Mullins – Partner
Ashton Horton Mullins
Presentation Topic: Family Law Considerations for Estate Planning Practitioners
Originally from Montana, Bridget came to New Mexico to attend the University of New Mexico where she earned a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in Human Rights and Spanish language, as well as her law degree. She paid her way through law school by working as a TA teaching undergraduate Spanish classes. Two weeks after moving to Albuquerque, Bridget met her future husband with whom she has two young children.
Bridget represents clients in the areas of Guardianships, Probate, Estate Planning, Elder law, Family law, Medicaid planning, and Special Needs Planning, with a focus on working with Spanish-speaking clients. Because of Bridget’s unique combination of practice areas, she has developed a specialty involving Medicaid divorces, death during divorce, and incapacity and divorce.
Bridget is on the board of the Family Law Section of the New Mexico State Bar and currently serves as Vice President of the New Mexico Guardianship Association. Bridget has a strong trial background after spending many years prosecuting domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking cases for the District Attorney’s and Attorney General’s Offices. She has also worked on consumer protection issues and taught Financial Literacy classes to help community members learn about debt, investing, and credit.
Luke Britt CLU®, RICP®, CEPA® – Partner & Practice Director
Salvador Orofino, Esq., Vice President, Trust Officer
Carr, Riggs, & Ingram
Preferred Legacy National Trust Bank
Presentation Topic: Preferred Legacy Trust – Secure 2.0: Gaining Insight in Partnership with Financial Professionals
Luke leads the Advanced Planning practice for its wealth planning group, Level Four Financial. In this role he serves business owners and ultra-high-net-worth families and their advisors by creating plans that solve complex problems in the areas of tax, estate, and business succession planning. A key part of his practice is educating advisors, accountants, and attorneys in areas related to life insurance planning.
Luke is an active member of the prestigious Forum 400 – a group limited to the top 400 life insurance professionals in the United States. He holds designation as a Chartered Life Underwriter, a Retirement Income Certified Professional, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor. Memberships that he holds are with, Finseca (formerly AALU), Forum 400, and Dallas Estate Planning Council.
Salvador serves as The Preferred Legacy National Trust Bank’s market lead and trust officer based in Atlanta and the Treasure Coast, Florida. He began his career at The Department of Commerce’s International Trade Division as lead desk officer for Mexico in the International Trade Administration. Next, he became a partner at one of the nation’s leading international wealth preservation law firms before forming his law and consultancy service for thirteen years. He then led an international law firm’s Global Privacy and Data Security Practice. Before Preferred Legacy Trust, Salvador co-founded a security and intelligence firm with a global clientele. Salvador received his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and his juris doctorate at the University of Arizona. He is fluent in Spanish and has working ability in Portuguese.
Vickie Wilcox, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation)
Madison R. Jones, J.D., M.B.A.
Wilcox & Myers P.C
Presentation Topic: Caught You- Yes, You! Complying with the Corporate Transparency Act
Vickie is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law, and earned her Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Taxation from New York University. Vickie grew up in Deming, New Mexico, and has been a trust and estate planning attorney in Albuquerque for over twenty-five years. She is an ACTEC (American College of Trust and Estate Counsel) Fellow and is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is honored to have been appointed by the Supreme Court of New Mexico to serve on the State Disciplinary Board, and has also been recently appointed by the New Mexico Board of Bar Commissioners to the New Mexico Legal Specialization Commission.
Vickie practices in the areas of estate planning, tax law, probate, estate and trust administration, charitable giving, business planning, and business succession planning. She speaks both locally and outside of New Mexico to financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, and others on tax and estate planning, business planning, charitable giving, planning related to qualified retirement benefits, and legal ethics.
Madison is a partner at Wilcox, Myers, & Jones, P.C. whose practice focuses primarily on estate and business planning including trust formation, trust and estate administration, and entity formation and counseling.
Madison is honored to serve on the Advisory Board of the Future Fund of the Albuquerque Community Foundation and as a volunteer attorney with the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center. Madison regularly speaks to attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and others on estate planning, business planning, charitable giving, planning related to retirement benefits, and legal ethics.
Madison attended the University of New Mexico, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) and her Masters in Business Administration (with honors) prior to attending law school in Seattle, where she earned her Juris Doctor (cum laude).
Pete Davis, President
Davis Capital Investment Ideas
Presentation Topic: “Not Much is Happening This Year in Congress” a snapshot of Washington Politics
Pete Davis advises Wall Street money managers on Washington policy developments that affect the financial markets. President of his own consulting firm since 1992, Davis Capital Investment Ideas, he draws on 11 years of experience as a Capitol Hill economist with the Joint Committee on Taxation (1974-1981), the Senate Budget Committee (1981-1983), and Senator Robert C. Byrd (1992). He worked in the House and Senate, and for Republicans and Democrats. He brought the first computer policy model, the Treasury Individual Income Tax Model, to Capitol Hill in early 1974, when he became a revenue estimator on the Joint Committee on Taxation. He formulated the 1975 rebate, the earned income tax credit, the 1976 estate tax rates, the 1978 marginal tax rates, and the Roth-Kemp tax cut.
He left Capitol Hill in 1983 for the Washington Research Office of Prudential-Bache Securities, where he advised investors for seven years
Feliz Martone, J.D.
Martone Law Firm
Presentation Topic: Special Needs Benefits and Trust Planning
Feliz is a highly experienced legal professional with a distinguished career spanning over 18 years in law. Her expertise is in the specialized areas of estate planning and disability law, making her a sought-after advocate for clients seeking comprehensive legal guidance. With a passion for estate planning education and community outreach, Feliz ensures her clients’ life and wealth are handled according to their wishes. She has developed a reputation for providing compassionate, yet expert legal services, assisting families in planning for their future and securing their well-being.
Kenneth C. Leach, Managing Partner
Kenneth C. Leach & Associates, P.C.
Presentation Topic: Designing a trust to be the beneficiary of IRA,
401k and other retirement benefits under the Secure Act and the proposed regulations
Kenneth C. Leach completed his education through the University of New Mexico with his B.A. in History in 1972, and his JD in Law in 1975. He was then admitted to the bar by the New Mexico and U.S. District Court in 1975. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and has been listed on Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He is a member of the University of New Mexico Law School Alumni Association, the Albuquerque Bar Association, the New Mexico Estate Planning Council and Southern New Mexico Estate Council, and a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Albuquerque Community Foundation. Kenneth previously served on the New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization, An Agency of the Supreme Court of New Mexico Estate Planning, Trusts & Probate Law Specialty Committee, Hie is presently serving on the San Juan College Foundation Board (and served as President from 2019-2022). Mr. Leach served on the University of New Mexico Foundation Board (from 1995-2003), and as the Chairman of the Gift Acceptance Committee for the UNM Foundation. Kenneth has been listed in the prestigious “The Best Lawyers in America” publication in the Trust & Estates section for 26 consecutive years (1996-2022). He was the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico advisor for the year of 2013, and he received the Excellence in Charitable Gift Planning Award for 2006 by the Albuquerque Community Foundation.
Jessica Kludt
Townsend Allala, Coulter & Kludt, PLLC
Presentation Topic: How the 2023 Secure Act 2.0 updates will impact Estates and Retirement Plans, and how to protect your clientstions
Jessica Kludt is a native El Pasoan. After Jessica graduated from Coronado High, she went to the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Biology and continued on to get her law degree. Jessica was El Paso Probate Bar Vice President in 2013, and President from 2014 – 2016. She has served on the Board of Directors for the El Paso Bar Association and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Adult Protective Services Silver Star Charity. Jessica is dedicated to serving her community, and often spends her weekends helping veterans and the elderly pro bono. Jessica is a partner at Townsend Allala, Coulter & Kludt, PLLC. Jessica has also spoken at a number of engagements due to her in-depth knowledge of Probate, Estate Planning, and Long-Term Care Planning.
Greg MacKenzie
Hurley, Toevs, Styles, Hamblin & Panter, PA
Presentation Topic: No Contest Litigation in New Mexico: how we got here and where do we go from here?
Greg is a partner in the Albuquerque law firm of Hurley Toevs Styles Hamblin & Panter PA where he practices in the field of trust and estate litigation and contested guardianships and conservatorships exclusively. He has been a full-time litigator in this field for over 25 years and has a statewide practice. Greg is an ACTEC fellow, an active member of the ACTEC fiduciary litigation committee, and has for many years held leadership positions with the State Bar of New Mexico Real Property Trust and Estate Section, the New Mexico Guardianship Association, and ACTEC, among many other professional activities. Greg is a frequent speaker to state and national audiences on topics within his area of practice.