Bar Admissions
- Georgia
- Nevada
Education
- Emory University School of Law (J.D., with distinction)
- Agnes Scott College (B.A., Economics, with High Honors)
vCard
Stephanie B. Casteel
Partner
Services
Biography
Stevie Casteel is a trusted advisor to a wide range of high-net-worth and exempt organization clients and is a partner in the firm’s Private Client Services Practice Group. She provides comprehensive estate planning advice, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, charitable planning, nuptial agreements, asset protection, estate and trust administration, planning for estate and gift taxes, and business wealth transitions for clients throughout the United States. She also assists exempt organizations with formation, tax exemption, lobbying affiliates, tax compliance, and board policies and best practices. A frequent speaker, Stevie has presented at national conferences on the topics of estate planning, nonprofit law, and charitable giving and has authored or been quoted in numerous articles in trade journals and national media outlets, including Cable News Network (CNN), on topics such as premarital agreements, charitable bequests, and wealth management for women.
Credentials
Experience
Awards & Recognition
- Nevada Business Magazine, Top Rank Attorney (2024)
- The Best Lawyers in America®
- Non-Profit/Charities Law (2009-2026)
- Trusts & Estates (2009-2026)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year
- Non-Profit/Charities Law (2021, 2023)
- Reno Trusts and Estates (2026)
- Chamber’s High Net Worth Guide (2017-2018, 2024-2025)
- Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite (2010-Present)
- Law & Politics Magazine
- Georgia Super Lawyer (2005-Present)
- Top 50 Woman Lawyers (2009-2013)
- Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating
Representative Experience
- Provided estate planning counsel to more than a dozen clients with wealth in excess of $100 million
- Assisted $200+ million private foundation with grants and economic development for a rural community
- Advised $100+ million entrepreneur regarding innovative charitable projects
- Local counsel to estate of notable real estate developer and neo-futuristic architect
- Advised nearly $100 million corporate charity located in the Southeast United States
- Reformed and decanted poorly drafted trusts after sale of privately held company
- Developed experience in non-grantor incomplete gift trusts
- Assisted dozens of clients with transfers of their wealth to successive generations
- Advised high-profile clients on matters of wealth transfer, business succession planning, nuptial agreements, charitable planning, and exempt organizations
- Assisted in transferring multimillion-dollar company to second and third generations with no transfer tax
- Advised large hospital on employee relief plans
- Handled large estate tax audit with forestry assets
- Prepared Tax Court petition contesting valuation of large lighting company
- Applied wealth transfer planning techniques to the estates of high-net-worth clients
Previous Professional Experience
- Wallace Morrison & Casteel, Founding Partner
- King & Spalding, LLP, Partner
- Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy, LLP, Partner
Professional Memberships and Activities
- American College of Trusts & Estates Counsel
- Board Regent (2020-Present)
- Foundation Board of Directors (2017-Present)
- Asset Protection Committee (2015-Present)
- Charitable Planning & Exempt Organizations Committee (2008-Present)
- Vice-Chair (2024)
- Audit Committee (2013-Present)
- Chair (2017-present)
- Sponsorship Committee (2018-Present)
- Program Committee (2013-2016)
- New Fellows Steering Committee (2010-2015)
- Secretary (2014-2015)
- American Law Institute-Continuing Legal Education
- Estate Planning in Depth, Co-Chair (2014-2018)
- Estate Planning Advisory Panel (2013-Present)
- FAQ Communications Committee Chair (2012)
- Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee Chair (2009-2012)
- Sponsorship Standing Committee (2009-2013)
- Associate Articles Editor, Probate and Property (2008-2018)
- Business Planning Group Committee (2004-2005)
- State Bar of Georgia
- Fiduciary Law Section: Trust Code Steering Committee (2008-2009)
- Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act Committee (2006-2008)
- Fiduciary Legislation Committee (1994-1998, 2005-2008)
- Basic Fiduciary Practice Chair (2005-2007)
- Principal & Income Act Drafting Committee (2002-2005)
- State Bar of Nevada
- Member
- Atlanta Estate Planning Council (2004-2010)
- Board of Directors (2006-2008)
Community Involvement
- Tahoe Prosperity Center
- Board Member (2022-Present)
Representative Presentations and Publications
- “Legal Opinions: Act Now: Transfer Assets Tax-Free with SLATs Before the 2025 Deadline,” Author, Nevada Business Magazine (October 1, 2024)
- “Justifying Your Value as a New Lawyer Through Billables and Beyond,” Author, American Bar Association (July 10, 2024)
- “Planned Giving Round Table of Northern Nevada Spring Program,” Speaker, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (May 8, 2024)
- “The Tools & Techniques of Estate Planning for Modern Families, 4th Edition,” Co-Author, The Leimberg Library (February 28, 2024)
- “Winning More Than a Billion Could Come With Some Pitfalls,” Interview, WSB-TV Channel 2 Atlanta (November 2, 2022)
- “Charitable Planning from the Simple to the Sophisticated,” Speaker, Estate Planning Council of Northern Nevada (February 16, 2022)
- “Planning With Charitable Split Interest Trusts,” Speaker, Chicago Estate Planning Council (December 16, 2021)
- “Tax Aspects of Marriage Dissolution,” Speaker, Estate Planning In Depth, ALI-CLE (June, 24, 2021)
- “How to Deduct Charitable Donations From Your Taxes,” Quoted, TheStreet (May 26, 2020)
- “14 Things To Know About Making End-of-Year Donations,” Quoted, TheStreet (December 23, 2019)
- “We asked 2 Reno legal experts: What are the dos and don’ts of corporate giving?” Quoted, Northern Nevada Business View (November 27, 2019)
- “Optimizing Lifetime Gifting: Advising Clients in Uncertain Times,” Speaker, Hawaii Tax Institute, Honolulu (November 2019)
- “Charitable Gift Substantiation,” Speaker, 2019 Charitable Gift Planning Conference, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, New Orleans (October 2019)
- “Basic Charitable Planning Techniques,” Speaker, Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2018)
- “The Dating Game: Choosing Between Multiple Jurisdictions,” Speaker, New Hampshire Trust Conference, (October 2018)
- “Planning and Drafting Nuptial Agreements,” Speaker, Estate Planning in Depth, ALI-CLE (June 2017)
- “Charitable Bequests of Retirement Assets: Strategies, Traps, and Solutions,” Speaker, ACTEC Annual Meeting (March 2017)
- “The Dating Game: Choosing Between Multiple Jurisdictions,” Speaker, Delaware Tax Institute (October 2017)
- “Charitable Bequests of Retirement Assets: Strategies, Traps, and Solutions,” Speaker, Hawaii Tax Institute (November 2017)
- “My Way: What is the Donor’s Best Charitable Game? The Anatomy of Supporting Organizations,” Speaker, ACTEC Annual Meeting (March 2016)
- “Nuptial Agreements,” Author, ALI-ABA Estate Planning Course Materials Journal (2016)