Evolving Roles in Trust Planning: Advising Fiduciaries, Non-Fiduciaries, and Those in Between – A Live Video Roundtable Discussion

Vanessa Kanaga currently serves as InterActive Legal’s Special Advisor on Estate Planning and Legal Strategy.  She is the former CEO of InterActive Legal.  Vanessa received her J.D. from Cornell Law School and holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Wichita State University, as well as an Advanced Professional Certificate from New York University School of Law. She is licensed in New York, Kansas, and Arizona, and currently lives in Arizona.

Prior to joining InterActive Legal in 2013, Vanessa practiced in New York, at Milbank LLP and Moses & Singer LLP, and in Kansas, at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC. She has experience in a range of estate planning matters, including high net worth tax planning and asset protection planning.

In 2024, Vanessa returned to the practice of law.  She is an Associate Attorney at Greengard Law Firm, PLC in Phoenix, Arizona.

Larry Flournoy is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on lawsuits involving trusts and estates. He represents executors, trustees, beneficiaries and others who are involved in lawsuits governed by the Texas Estates Code (formerly Texas Probate Code) or the Texas Trust Code. This specialized litigation often involves such matters as will contests or breaches of fiduciary litigation, but it can also involve contested guardianship matters or accountings.

Judith Pearson is a seasoned insurance industry and risk management expert who leads the Family Office & Trustee Liability Resource Group for Woodruff Sawyer. Judith has an expertise in identifying, mitigating and transferring risk for wealth transfer vehicles. Judith works to educate trustees and other fiduciaries to reduce risk as well as implement insurance solutions to transfer risk which surpasses what’s currently available in the marketplace.

As a Regional Director for Pendleton Square, Frazer Rice focuses on building relationships in the Northeastern United States. In this role, he works with families, their professional advisors and members of the Pendleton Square team in developing and implementing fiduciary services designed to meet family objectives.

Frazer is the author of “Wealth, Actually: Intelligent Decision-Making for the 1%”, and host of the “Wealth, Actually” podcast. Frazer serves on multiple non-profit and business advisory boards and is a non-practicing member of the New York State Bar. He is a graduate of Emory University School of Law and has an A.B. in history and political science from Duke University. Living and working in New York City, Frazer is an avid golfer and enjoys writing, traveling, and media production.

Alexander Bove is an internationally known and respected trust and estate attorney with over thirty-five years of experience. He is Adjunct Professor of Law, Emeritus, of Boston University Law School Graduate Tax Program, where he taught estate planning and advanced estate planning for eighteen years. Previously, he taught estate planning at Northeastern University Law School.