Spencer Fane attorney Samuel Thomas recently shared his insights at the State Bar of Texas’ Intermediate Estate Planning & Probate Course on June 2 at the Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas.
Participating in the panel presentation, Fools’ Gold: Separating Estate Plans from Scams, Sam co-presented alongside moderator John Strohmeyer from Strohmeyer Law and panelist Nikki Pielop from Gyeszly Prangner to deliver their paper, “No, You Can’t Do That with a Trust: Why ‘Non-Grantor, Irrevocable, Complex, Discretionary, Spendthrift Trusts’ Fail.”
During the session, the panel addressed the rise of predatory, promoter-driven trust schemes that claim to eliminate federal income tax liability. They deconstructed the legal vulnerabilities of these heavily marketed, abusive trust structures, providing attendees with a clear breakdown of why these arrangements fail under Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, the panel examined the severe civil and criminal risks these non-compliant structures pose to taxpayers and practitioners, while offering critical guidance on navigating professional ethical duties and handling required remediation steps.
Samuel is board-certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and focuses his practice on the representation of high-net-worth individuals, families, and fiduciaries with respect to estate planning, probate, estate, and trust administration, closely held business succession planning, entity formations, and wealth preservation. Clients, particularly those who have complex assets or trust structures, rely on Samuel’s experience to help them implement tax strategies to minimize federal gift and estate taxes and preserve assets in their families for future generations.
Register for the first video replay of the course here.