Alison T. Smith

Overview

Alison advises on fiduciary liability and litigation, trusts and estates, and nonprofit law, with an emphasis on charitable trusts, providing legal advice to clients across Pennsylvania.

Before returning to private practice, she served as Chief Counsel at PNC Bank, a leading national financial institution. There, she provided support to the bank’s asset management group on legal matters related to estate and trust administration, including charitable trusts and endowments, as well as fiduciary liability.

Fiduciary liability and litigation

Alison advises corporate fiduciaries and banks in the management of fiduciary risk, administration of trusts and estates, document interpretation, and the application of legal standards, statutes, and regulations. She also represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and other interested parties in Orphans’ Courts proceedings and litigation involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty.

Trusts and estates

She provides comprehensive legal counsel on estate and trust administration and estate planning, and assists with drafting estate planning documents, including powers of attorney, wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts. Alison has extensive experience assisting clients with the administration of trusts and estates, ensuring compliance with tax and probate filing requirements. She also represents executors, administrators, and trustees in various legal proceedings, including Orphans’ Court petitions, estate and trust accountings, and beneficiary disputes.

Charitable and nonprofit law

Alison advises nonprofit organizations on matters including formation, governance, mergers and acquisitions, obtaining tax-exempt status, and stewardship of charitable gifts. She leverages her knowledge and experience to guide charitable and nonprofit organizations in understanding their fiduciary responsibilities, particularly regarding charitable donations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and navigating mergers and affiliations. She also provides legal support for the administration of charitable trusts and private foundations, including cy pres actions and federal tax law requirements.

Leadership and professional involvement

Alison co-chairs McNees’ Estate Planning Group. She is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, where she serves on the Fiduciary Litigation and Charitable Planning Committees.  She also serves on the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission Decedents’ Estates Laws Advisory Committee. Her pro bono work includes establishing estate planning clinics for clients with limited incomes and developing a model program to help Pennsylvania Bar Association members provide those services. In recognition of her commitment to Pro Bono Service, she has received the Pennsylvania Bar Association Special Achievement Award, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University Public Interest Alumni Award, Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Louis J Goffman Award, and is a Senior Law Center Outstanding Pro Bono Champion. She also regularly plans and speaks at Pennsylvania Bar Institute programs concerning estates, trusts, and charitable organizations.