Ms. Shelly Nixon Donaldson

Cumberland Trust

Shelly Donaldson serves as the Vice President and Business Development Officer based in Cumberland Trust’s Atlanta office.  In her role, Shelly connects individuals, families and their financial, legal, and tax advisors with Cumberland Trust’s high caliber trust and estate administration services. 

Shelly has been a practicing attorney for most of her career and has 14+ years of experience in estate planning, tax and corporate law —specializing in estate planning for high-net-worth clients and families. She has particular expertise in tax and estate planning involving real estate, closely held business entities and planning for a family member with a disability (Special Needs Planning).

Prior to joining Cumberland Trust, Shelly founded The Donaldson Law Firm following experience at other firms including Lefkoff, Duncan, Grimes, McSwain & Hass, P.C. and Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP.

Shelly served on the Executive Committee of the Georgia Bar Association Fiduciary Law Section and was a past chair of the Atlanta Bar Estate Planning and Probate Section and past board member for the Atlanta Estate Planning Council.

She is a current board member and secretary of the Atlanta Lab Rescue and on the Advisory Board for the Special Olympics of Georgia.  She is also a past board member of AADD (now The Bobby Dodd Institute), a nonprofit that helps individuals living with a disability succeed at work, in the community and in life.

Shelly graduated cum laude from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, where she also served as an editor of the Law Review. She holds a B.B.A. in finance from Auburn University.