Samantha M. Contreras and Natasha D. McFarland have been welcomed by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) to the Dennis I. Belcher Young Leaders Program. This appointment comes after a successful two-year term as an RPTE Section Fellow.
The Dennis I. Belcher Young Leaders Program was named for former ACTEC President Dennis Belcher, who was a leader in the trusts and estates community throughout his 41-year career. Dennis served both as President of ACTEC and as Chair of the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, the two entities who partnered to create the Young Leaders Program. The goal of the program is to give active members of the Young Lawyers Division of RPTE or of state or local bar associations an opportunity to become involved in the substantive work of the RPTE Section, to develop future leaders of the RPTE Section and in the general trusts and estates legal practice, and to enhance knowledge among the Dennis I. Belcher Young Leaders about the work of the RPTE Section, the ACTEC Foundation, and ACTEC.
Samantha is an associate in the Chicago office and earned her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she conducted research on benefit corporations and fiduciary judgment rules. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Latina/Latino Studies (High Distinction) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Samantha is an active member of the American Bar Association's Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, where she serves as the Co-Chair of the Emotional & Psychological Issues in Estate Planning Committee. She is also a past Emerging Leader of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and has contributed to national continuing legal education programs on charitable planning and tax law.
Natasha is an associate in the Washington, DC office and earned her J.D. from Howard University School of Law and her LL.M. in Estate Planning from Georgetown University School of Law. She is an active member of the DC estate planning community and is a frequent speaker. She is the Former Chair of the Estate Planning Committee of the DC Bar Association Taxation Section and is the current Co-Chair of the Student Membership Committee of the Washington, DC Estate Planning Committee.
American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Foundation
The ACTEC Foundation’s mission is to promote scholarship, education, and community outreach in trust, estate, tax, charitable, and related areas of the law. The Foundation serves professionals, students, and the public by providing grants for an array of educational programs, widely available resources, scholarships, legal research, and scholarly writing competitions, among other activities in these areas of the law.
Harrison LLP
Harrison LLP is a national law firm that assists clients in defining and achieving their private wealth goals, delivering peace of mind through sophisticated and practical legal counsel. Founded in 2003, the firm advises fiduciaries, high net worth families, and family offices on estate planning, trust administration, charitable guidance, tax controversies, trust and estate litigation, succession planning, and family law.