Catherine Bright

Dallas, Texas,


phone	214-615-7921
fax	214-615-7926
email	Email Me Email Me
	VCard

Catherine is board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Catherine has practiced law in the areas of estate planning and probate since 2002. Catherine primarily represents high net worth individuals who need wills, trusts and incapacity documents to plan for the management and disposition of their estates, but also have more complex planning needs or desires such as planning for optimal lifetime transfers of wealth (through fundamental or advanced gift planning strategies), planning for the transfer of wealth after death in a tax-efficient manner, and succession planning for closely held businesses. She also handles probate matters and judicial trust modification proceedings, prepares gift and estate tax returns, and advises clients regarding the administration of family partnerships and LLCs, private foundations, estates and trusts. Catherine has extensive experience with the following tax-oriented trusts, which can help clients achieve their estate planning goals:

Gift trusts for family members, including dynastic trusts, grantor trusts, beneficiary defective grantor trusts and spendthrift trusts
GRATs (grantor retained annuity trusts)
ILITs (insurance trusts)
QPRTs (residence trusts)
QTIP (marital) trusts and credit-shelter (bypass) trusts
QDOTs (qualifying trusts for non-citizen spouses)

Areas of Practice:: Estate Planning; Probate; Trust and Estate Administration; Asset Protection Planning

Certification/Specialties:: Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Bar Admissions:: Texas, 2001

Education:: Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas, 2001
J.D.; University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1997
B.A.

Classes/Seminars Taught:: Guest Speaker, Estate Planning on "Law for the People", Local Dallas Radio Station

Honors and Awards:: Texas Lawyer Magazine as a "Rising Star", 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships:: Dallas Bar Association; Member, Probate, Trusts and Estates Section; State Bar of Texas; Member; Dallas Estate Planning Council; Williamsburg Condominium Association; Board of Directors, Past Director; Collin County Capital Campaign Committee; Member

Pro Bono Activities:: Member, Dallas Bar Association Home Project Committee; Previous Co-Chair, Dallas Bar Association, Home Project Committee; Member, Attorneys Serving the Community; Member, Health Services of North Texas, Collin County Capital Campaign Committee