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Elder Law, 01/26/2023, On Demand More info »
Live Event

Elder Law


CLE Hours: 6 including 6 General, 0 Ethics, 0 Professionalism, 2 Trial Practice

Categories:
Trial Practice
Location:
State Bar of Georgia - Atlanta, Georgia

Dates


Description

  • PRESIDING:
  • Sarah Watchko, Hill & Watchko, Alpharetta, GA

  • PROGRAM CHAIR:
  • Nicola R. Robinson, SR Law Group, Douglasville, GA

  • 8:00
  • IN-PERSON REGISTRATION

  • 8:30
  • GREETING
  • Cheyenne Scipio, Program Coordinator, ICLE, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, GA

  • 8:35
  • WELCOME AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW
  • Sarah Watchko

  • 8:40
  • NUTS AND BOLTS OF MEDICAID APPEALS AND FAIR HEARINGS Trial Practice CLE Hour
  • Kelley M. Napier, Georgia Estate & Elder Law, LLC, Atlanta, GA

  • 9:40
  • PERMISSIBLE DISTRIBUTIONS AND BEST PRACTICES IN DRAFTING SNTS
  • Heather D. Nadler, Nadler Biernath: Special Needs and Elder Law, Peachtree Corners, GA

  • 10:40
  • BREAK

  • 10:50
    THE MOST IMPORTANT REVENUE RULINGS FOR ESTATE PLANNERS
    Jeffrey Williamson, J. L. Williamson Law Group, LLC, Savannah, GA

  • 11:50
  • LUNCH

  • 12:35
  • TRIGGERING THE NO CONTEST/IN TERROREM CLAUSES IN THE CONTEXT OF FIDUCIARY LITIGATION Trial Practice CLE Hour
  • F. Skip Sugarman, Sugarman Law, LLP, Atlanta, GA

  • 1:35
  • NEW VA PACT
  • Drew N. Early, Shewmaker & Lewis LLC, Peachtree Corners, GA

  • 2:35
  • BREAK

  • 2:50
  • UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA AND THE FUTURE OF LONG-TERM CARE
  • Kim McRae, Culture Change Network of Georgia/Have a Good Life, Atlanta, GA

  • 3:50
  • ADJOURN

Handouts

Speaker

Ms. Nicola Rochester Robinson's Profile

Ms. Nicola Rochester Robinson Related Seminars and Products

SR Law Group


-Born Harrisonburg VA.  Attended US Military Academy, West Point NY, graduating in 1979.  Served in US Army, to include service with XVIII ABN Corps, Second Infantry Division, Tenth Mountain Division, and Third Army.  Multiple deployments, including Haiti and several to the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, and the Emirates).

-Graduate, with honors, US Army Command and General Staff College and follow-on attendance at US Army School of Advanced Military Studies, with an advanced degree in Strategic Planning.  Then multiple planning assignments in the Army, to include Third Army, focusing on the Middle East.  Received separate Master’s Degree in Management while on active duty. 

-Graduate JD, cum laude, from Georgia State University and currently of counsel with Shewmaker and Shewmaker for probate and related matters, focused on veterans assistance and elder law.  Practicing veterans law since 2008.

-Adjunct professor at Emory University's College of Law.

-Executive Director of Emory School of Law’s Volunteer Clinic for Veterans. 

 

Accreditations and Admissions:

  • US Supreme Court
  • US Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia
  • US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for State of Georgia
  • Accredited to practice before the VA
  • Serving on DeKalb County Probate Court Court-Appointed list
  • Registered Mediator

 

Published:

  • The Elder Law Journal, Volume 18, Number 1, 2010
  • Proceedings, US Naval Institute, November 1997
  • GA Bar Journal
  • Frequent CLE contributor within GA and to national veterans advocacy groups—CLEs to National Organization of Veterans Advocates conferences in Washington DC, Chicago IL, Las Vegas NV, San Antonio TX, Portland OR, Providence RI, and others.  Separate CLEs in GA and VA.    
  •  

Awards:

  • 2010 Marshall-Tuttle Award from State Bar of Georgia as outstanding lawyer for his service to military and veterans
  • Numerous US and foreign military awards and decorations

 

Professional Associations:

  • Past Chair, Military and Veterans Section of the State Bar of Georgia
  • National Organization of Veterans Advocates
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  • Veterans Benefits Practice and Development Council

 

Expertise:

  • VA cases in multiple US states and possessions, to include Guam and PR.
  • Expert witness, Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings, 2009.
  • Nominee, US House of Representatives Veterans Affairs advisory sub-committee, Disability Compensation and Small Business Opportunities


Ms. Kelley Marie Napier's Profile

Ms. Kelley Marie Napier Related Seminars and Products

Georgia Estate & Elder Law LLC


Kelley Napier is a partner at Georgia Estate & Elder Law in Atlanta. Kelley holds the Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) designation from the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), the only organization approved by the American Bar Association to offer certification in elder law. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, where she currently serves on the board of the Georgia Chapter. Kelley serves on the Parkinson’s Foundation Georgia Chapter Advisory Board and the Friends of Benson board supporting the Dorothy Benson Senior Center. She also participates in the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, the Stonewall Bar Association, and the Planned Giving Council at Oglethorpe University. She has been selected as a Super Lawyer Rising Star each year since 2020.

 

Prior to joining Georgia Estate & Elder Law, Kelley worked with another local firm specializing in Medicaid Planning. It was this legal work and Kelley’s experience navigating the long-term care system for her grandmother that prompted her enrollment in law school. Previous to her legal work, Kelley worked in the construction industry for several years.

 

Education:

  • Juris Doctor, Georgia State University (GSU) College of Law, May 2015:  Honors in pro bono service

  • Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Piedmont College, May 2009

  • Bachelors of Arts in Sociology with Concentration in Social Work, Oglethorpe University, August 2004, cum laude

 


Personal:

Kelley grew up in Gwinnett County. She currently lives in Atlanta with her family. She is active with her church and enjoys spending time at Lake Lanier.


Ms. Heather Durham Nadler Related Seminars and Products

Nadler Biernath LLC


Heather Durham Nadler is one of just 12 attorneys in Georgia to be certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, as accredited by the American Bar Association. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of special needs law, elder law and estate planning. Born and raised in Atlanta, Heather attended undergrad at Auburn and received her J.D. from Tulane University School of Law, where she was on the editorial board of the Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law. While in law school, she also clerked at the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia for the Honorable Justice Hugh P. Thompson.

 

Heather enjoys volunteer work in both the legal community and beyond.  In 2020 she was recognized by the DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation for her service and given the Leading the Charge Award.  Heather serves as a member of the board of directors for Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett and is a founding board member of Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta, a charitable organization that provides economically disadvantaged students with backpacks of food to take home over the weekend when they will not be getting free meals at school.

 

When she’s not working, Heather spends time with her husband and two children, keeping up with a busy slate of kids’ sports events, Auburn football and season tickets to the Fox Theatre. As a lifelong Atlantan, she looks forward to eventually retiring out of state—preferably someplace with water!


Mr. Jeffrey Lamar Williamson's Profile

Mr. Jeffrey Lamar Williamson Related Seminars and Products

J. L. Williamson Law Group LLC


Jeffrey Williamson is the founder of J. L. Williamson Law Group, LLC. The firm specializes in elder law, asset protection, tax planning, and tax controversy. Prior to starting his own firm, Jeffrey served as an Internal Revenue Agent, and he is an expert in the audit policies and procedures of the IRS.
A frequent lecturer, Jeffrey has presented many seminars on taxation and estate planning issues to various civic groups, investment professionals, attorneys, and certified public accountants. Jeffrey received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Mercer University and both his Juris Doctor and Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia.


Mr. Frederick Skip Sugarman's Profile

Mr. Frederick Skip Sugarman Related Seminars and Products

Sugarman Law LLP


Skip focuses practice on sophisticated business litigation in a variety of areas. Nearly twenty years of experience handling complex cases in federal and state courts throughout Georgia and the United States representing both companies and individuals involved in a variety of different types of litigation. Served as lead counsel in cases involving breach of restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets, and business torts, such as breach of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty; lead counsel in numerous cases involving fiduciary litigation, including trusts and estate cases; lead trial counsel in a valuation proceeding involving the judicially determined value of shares in a publicly traded company; lead counsel defending a hedge fund in multiple cases involving claims of fraud, breach of contract, and other tort claims with millions of dollars in alleged damages; lead counsel in numerous cases involving claims under the federal employment statutes such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Significant experience handling cases involving fiduciary litigation in the context of wills, trusts and estate planning. 
 
Prior to starting Sugarman Law, LLP, Skip was the Managing Partner of Bloom Sugarman, LLP and earlier in his career worked in the Labor and Employment Group of Alston & Bird, LLP.  Skip began his legal career with federal judicial clerkships in the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. 

Specialties: Employment Litigation, Restrictive Covenant Litigation, Business Torts and Trade Secrets, Estate, Trust and Fiduciary Litigation, Partnership Disputes. 

 

 


Kim McRae's Profile

Kim McRae Related Seminars and Products

Culture Change Network of Georgia


Kim McRae, FCTA is a consultant, speaker, educator, and advocate. She is also an Educator and Mentor for The Eden Alternative®. Through her company, Have a Good Life, Kim works with organizations as a thought leader, change agent and subject matter expert on caregiving, culture change, person-directed living, and person-centered dementia care. She is also the founder of About Face Technologies, which is focused on simple and intuitive assistive technology products for those needing simplicity. Kim is the inventor of and holds five US and one UK patents.

As a FCTA (Family Caregiver Turned Advocate), Kim comes to person-directed living and person-centered dementia care through a 12-year history as a family caregiver. Experiencing firsthand the system as it is with four parents/in-laws, and wanting better for her mother, who had young-onset Lewy body dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy, she has been studying long-term care, person-centered dementia care, and how to improve quality of life for elders and their care partners for more than twenty years. Prior to becoming a family caregiver, she was an integrated marketing professional for over fourteen years.

Since 2006, Kim has been involved with Pioneer Network, the national organization advancing the "culture change movement" to improve quality of care and quality of life for elders throughout aging services, long-term care, and the entire healthcare ecosystem. In 2008, she co-founded the Culture Change Network of Georgia whose mission is, "Changing the way we think and feel about aging and disability by creating the kind of care and support we want for our loved ones and ourselves."

Kim is contributing to numerous boards, task forces and committees focused on developing programs, providing education, and advocating for changes that will improve the quality of life for elders, their care partners, and those that care about them. She was one of the Founding Board of Directors for the national Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) which held the first North American “Re-Imagine Life with Dementia” Conference, and has been actively involved in the Georgia Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (GARD) State Plan Task Force since 2013. She is also serving as a member on the Milken Institute's Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, the Moving Forward: Nursing Home Quality Coalition, and the Rosalynn Carter Institute For Caregiver’s 4Kinds Caregiver Network.

She is currently a consultant on the $1.5 million CMP grant, A Trauma-Informed Approach to Improving Dementia Care in Georgia Nursing Homes and was a consultant on the $1.6 million CMP grant, Building Resources for Delivering Person-Centered Care in Georgia Nursing Homes. Both are a partnership between the Culture Change Network of Georgia and the Gerontology Institute at Georgia State University.

Her work has been featured in the book Culture Change in Elder Care, in Atlanta Magazine, and in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Kim has presented extensively throughout the country to all levels of stakeholders and has received numerous awards.


Mr. Drew Norman Early's Profile

Mr. Drew Norman Early Related Seminars and Products

Shewmaker & Lewis LLC


Drew N. Early was born in Harrisonburg VA.  Attended US Military Academy, West Point NY, graduating in 1979.  Served in US Army, to include service with XVIII ABN Corps, Second Infantry Division, Tenth Mountain Division, and Third Army.  Multiple deployments, including Haiti and several to the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, and the Emirates).

Graduate, with honors, US Army Command and General Staff College and follow-on attendance at US Army School of Advanced Military Studies, with an advanced degree in Strategic Planning.  Then multiple planning assignments in the Army, to include Third Army, focusing on the Middle East.  Received separate Master’s Degree in Management while on active duty. 

Graduate JD, cum laude, from Georgia State University and currently of counsel with Shewmaker and Shewmaker for probate and related matters, focused on veterans’ assistance and elder law.  Practicing veterans’ law since 2008.

-Adjunct professor at Emory University's College of Law.

-Executive Director of Emory School of Law’s Volunteer Clinic for Veterans. 

 

Accreditations and Admissions:

  • US Supreme Court
  • US Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia
  • US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for State of Georgia
  • Accredited to practice before the VA
  • Serving on DeKalb County Probate Court Court-Appointed list
  • Registered Mediator

 

Published:

  • The Elder Law Journal, Volume 18, Number 1, 2010
  • Proceedings, US Naval Institute, November 1997
  • GA Bar Journal
  • Frequent CLE contributor within GA and to national veterans advocacy groups—CLEs to National Organization of Veterans Advocates conferences in Washington DC, Chicago IL, Las Vegas NV, San Antonio TX, Portland OR, Providence RI, and others.  Separate CLEs in GA and VA.    
  •  

Awards:

  • 2010 Marshall-Tuttle Award from State Bar of Georgia as outstanding lawyer for his service to military and veterans
  • Numerous US and foreign military awards and decorations

 

Professional Associations:

  • Past Chair, Military and Veterans Section of the State Bar of Georgia
  • National Organization of Veterans Advocates
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  • Veterans Benefits Practice and Development Council

 

Expertise:

  • VA cases in multiple US states and possessions, to include Guam and PR.
  • Expert witness, Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings, 2009.
  • Nominee, US House of Representatives Veterans Affairs advisory sub-committee, Disability Compensation and Small Business Opportunities

 

 


Mrs. Sarah Randal Watchko's Profile

Mrs. Sarah Randal Watchko Related Seminars and Products

Hill & Watchko LLC


Sarah Watchko is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with Hill & Watchko, LLC in Alpharetta, Georgia. An Atlanta native, Sarah earned her law degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2008.

 

Sarah’s practice areas include traditional estate planning; long-term care planning, including Medicaid benefits for nursing home care and Department of Veterans Affairs pension benefits; special needs trust planning; and trust and estate administration. She is one of only 12 Certified Elder Law Attorneys (“CELAs”) in the state of Georgia.

 

While she serves clients of many backgrounds in her planning practice, one of Sarah’s primary areas of focus is planning for individuals with special needs. Sarah is devoted not only to practicing with the highest level of technical expertise, but also to establishing strong and meaningful relationships with her clients and their families.

 

Sarah lives in Roswell with her husband, Jeff, and their two young children. 


Location

State Bar of Georgia

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104 Marietta St. NW, 3rd Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
(404) 527-8700
www.gabar.org

Important Information

Please be advised that your credit will not be reported to the State Bar of Georgia CLE Regulation Department until after you have completed the steps necessary to earn credit for that program. 

Self reporting is required for all other jurisdictions.

The information presented is solely for educational purposes. The opinions expressed by the faculty in their materials and presentations are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the State Bar of Georgia, its officers, directors and/or employees. The faculty is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice and these presentations and publications are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. All publications and presentations were created to serve the continuing legal education needs of practicing attorneys.

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