Ms. Isabel concentrates her practice in the areas of wills, trusts and administration of estates. She also focuses on fiduciary litigation, tax-exempt entities (including public charities, private foundations and business leagues), as well as estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax, business succession planning and tax controversies.

In addition, Ms. Isabel's representative experience includes:

  • Serving as a lead for a pro bono project in partnership with Atlanta Legal Aid and the American Cancer Society for low-income individuals battling cancer.

  • Representation of a corporate fiduciary in a declaratory judgment action in probate court involving interpretation of a change in beneficiary form.

  • Representation of a client and company worth approximately $1 billion with trust interpretation, estate planning and business succession planning.

  • Winning an appeal before the Georgia Court of Appeals for a corporate fiduciary in a trust dispute that resulted in the return of approximately $1 million to the beneficiary.

  • Representation of a large public charity regarding planned giving issues.

  • Advising a high profile, nonprofit hospital regarding reorganization to avoid insolvency.

  • Advising a private college on governance issues.

  • Regularly advising a large corporate foundation regarding issues related to private foundation status.

 

Education

 
LL.M., Comparative & International Law, Duke University, 2001
J.D., Duke University, 2001; Duke Law Journal, Managing Editor
B.A., summa cum laude, Eureka College, 1998

Bar & Court Admissions

 
Georgia, 2002
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2002
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 2007

Memberships

 
American Bar Association, Member
Atlanta Bar Association, Member
Eureka College Board of Trustees, Executive Committee
Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Member
Georgia Bar Association, Fiduciary and Taxation Sections
Georgia Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Member
The Foundation Center, Member of Advisory Board

Publications

 

"Protecting Nonprofit Directors and Scarce Resources," 3 Journal of Payment Systems Law 3, co-authored, July/August 2007

"Laws, Not Lawyers," 5 Stanford Social Innovation Review 27, co-authored, Summer 2007

"Sarbanes-Oxley and Nonprofit Organizations," 14 Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta - Partners in Community and Economic Development 11, 2004

Speaking Engagements

 
"'Special Use' Trusts in Estate Planning," Salvation Army Annual Conference for Planned Giving Advisors, October 2007
"Estate Planning for Pro Bono Clients," In-house Firm Training, partnering with Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation & the American Cancer Society, 2004-2007
"Use of Revocable Trusts in Estate Planning," Salvation Army Annual Conference for Planned Giving Advisors, November 2006
"Executive Compensation for Tax Exempt Organizations," Nonprofit Conference for Georgia Society of CPAs, October 2006
"Legal Issues in Joint Venture Partnerships," Georgia State Association of Nonprofit Developers, joint presentation, August 2006
"The Formation of Non-Profit, Tax-Exempt Entities, Legal Considerations Non-Profit Workshop," part of the Women's Economic Development Agency Atlanta Microenterprise Initiative, Bi-Annual Presentation, 2003-2006
"The New IRS Form 1023," The Foundation Center - Atlanta, Spring 2005
"Estate Planning Techniques," Georgia Pacific, joint presentation, Spring 2005

Awards & Honors

 
Daily Report Pro Bono Award Winner (Advocate for the Voiceless, 2008)
 
 
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