David G. Shaftel

David G. Shaftel

David Shaftel has been practicing law in Anchorage, Alaska, since 1970. He was born and raised in California, where he obtained an A.B. degree from Stanford University (1964) and his J.D. degree (1967) from Boalt Hall, at the University of California (Berkeley). In 1977, Dave obtained an LL.M.(Taxation) degree from New York University. Since that date he has been in private practice in Anchorage.

Dave has been very involved in Alaska's development of new estate planning vehicles. He has been active in participating in the drafting of new Alaska legislation. Click here to view the Alaska Statutes Page.

Dave has written extensively about Alaska's self-settled discretionary spendthrift trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, and Alaska's optional community property system. Click here to view the Articles Page. He has participated as part of the faculty in numerous professional continuing education programs sponsored by the Alaska Bar Association, ALI-ABA, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum, the Great Western Tax & Estate Planning Conference, the Anchorage Estate Planning Counsel, and various private groups.

Dave is a member and the former Alaska Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel "ACTEC". He is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel. Dave was the founder of the Taxation Section of the Alaska Bar Association and has been a director of the Estate Planning Section of that association. He is a former president of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council and is a present director and one of the founding members of the Alaska Community Foundation. Dave is a director of the Alaska SPCA. He has been active in community activities, including municipal boards and task forces, local community council, and youth sports activities. Dave is a member of the Alaska, California, and Washington Bar Associations.

Dave’s wife, Harriet, is retired from the University of Alaska. Their oldest son is an attorney in Minnesota, middle son is an attorney in Colorado, and daughter is in environmental engineering in Alaska. Dave and Harriet have five grandchildren.

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