ACTEC Capital Letters, ACTEC Honors Ronald D. Aucutt and Welcomes Beth Shapiro Kaufman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC–October 17, 2024: The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) today announced that ACTEC Past President Ronald D. Aucutt (2003–2004) is stepping down as the author of Capital Letters. ACTEC Fellow Beth Shapiro Kaufman will succeed Aucutt in this esteemed role. Aucutt issued Capital Letter No. 1: The End of Estate Tax Repeal on October 30, 2006. Through the series, Aucutt has offered insights into the legislative and regulatory process behind estate tax reform, related transfer tax deliberations of the U.S. Congress, and administrative developments at the Treasury and IRS.

ACTEC Past President Bruce S. Ross (2006–2007), who was serving as President when Aucutt’s first Capital Letter was issued, notes: “Ron’s initiative in creating and continuing Capital Letters for many years has been a great contribution to our field, providing ACTEC Fellows and practitioners everywhere with Ron’s unique perspective on estate tax legislation and policy developments. We congratulate him on the immense success of the series and thank him for his lasting impact on ACTEC and the estate planning community.”

ACTEC President Susan D. Snyder conveys appreciation: “The College extends its deep gratitude to Ron for sharing his expertise through Capital Letters over the past eighteen years. His contributions to Capital Letters and the College have provided invaluable insights to ACTEC Fellows and the broader estate planning community. We warmly welcome Beth and thank her for continuing this important tradition.”

Aucutt published his final Capital Letter No. 62: Final Basis Consistency Regulations, Like Earlier GST Election Regulations, Are Very Responsive To Public Comments, on October 4, 2024. Co-authored with Kaufman, this issue discusses the final basis consistency regulations and highlights the generation-skipping transfer tax election regulations issued last May. Both sets of regulations serve as examples of how responsive the Treasury and IRS have been to public comments on proposed regulations.

Ronald D. Aucutt
Senior Fiduciary Counsel (Retired)

Ronald D. Aucutt recently retired as Senior Fiduciary Counsel at Bessemer Trust, where he advised clients on wealth transfer plans and fiduciary issues. Before joining Bessemer, he practiced law at Miller & Chevalier Chartered and McGuireWoods LLP, specializing in estate planning and resolving IRS tax issues. A U.S. Navy veteran, Aucutt served in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. He holds a J.D. and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and resides in Lakewood Ranch, FL.

Beth Shapiro Kaufman
Partner and National Chair, Private Client Services, Lowenstein Sandler, Washington, DC

Beth Shapiro Kaufman is a Partner at Lowenstein Sandler, leading the Private Client Services practice. She has decades of experience advising high-net-worth individuals on sophisticated estate planning issues, with a focus on tax efficiency. Kaufman is recognized for her expertise in estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and frequently represents clients before the IRS in ruling requests, audits, and other tax matters. Kaufman’s prior experience in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy—where she was Attorney Advisor and later Associate Tax Legislative Counsel—gave her deep insights into tax policy affecting trusts and estates. Kaufman teaches LL.M.-level classes on the generation-skipping transfer tax as an Adjunct Faculty member at Georgetown University Law Center.

All Capital Letters, including the latest Capital Letter No. 62 with a preface from Aucutt and Kaufman, can be found on ACTEC’s website.

About The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Established in 1949, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a national, nonprofit association of approximately 2,400 lawyers and law professors from throughout the United States and abroad. ACTEC members (Fellows) are peer-elected on the basis of professional reputation and expertise in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, trust administration and related practice areas. The College’s mission includes the improvement and reform of probate, trust and tax laws and procedures and professional practice standards. ACTEC frequently offers technical comments with regard to legislation and regulations but does not take positions on matters of policy or political objectives.

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