- Advocating for numerous clients, including financial institutions and individuals involved in contentious estate or trust-related litigation, including breach of fiduciary duty actions, fraud claims, will caveats, will and trust construction cases, and actions for removal of trustees and executors.
- Assisting multiple clients by providing advice on tax-efficient estate and charitable planning and routinely guides individual and corporate fiduciaries in navigating complex estate and trust administration matters.
- Counseled multiple clients on the regulation of charitable entities’ cause marketing and partnerships with charitable organizations.
- Obtained tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service for employee disaster relief funds for a number of large nationwide corporations.
- Phone: +1 404 881 7962
- Email: margaret.scott@alston.com
Margaret W. Scott leads the firm’s Wealth Planning and Tax-Exempt Organizations Teams. She concentrates her practice on estate planning, fiduciary and tax litigation, estate settlement, trust administration, charitable planning, charitable solicitation law, and exempt organizations. Margaret provides individuals, families, and institutional and individual trustees with advice on tax issues and estate planning strategies. She frequently helps trustees, executors, guardians, and beneficiaries resolve a broad range of estate and trust disputes, many of which involve complex and sophisticated legal and tax issues.
She serves as president of the Mark and Evelyn Trammell Foundation, a trustee of the Charles Loridans Foundation, and the secretary/treasurer of the Vasser Woolley Foundation. She is past chair of the Fiduciary Law and Nonprofit Law Sections of the State Bar of Georgia, past president of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council, and serves on the board of the Chastain Park Conservancy and Emory Law School’s Alumni Board. Margaret founded Alston & Bird’s Wills Program for emergency services personnel and indigent Atlantans and annually provides wills trainings for volunteer attorneys. Margaret was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2022.
Margaret earned her B.A. from Duke University in 1996 and her J.D., with honors, from the Emory University School of Law in 2003.
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Speaking Engagement September 13–15, 20232023 ApolloMD Leadership ConferenceSarah Ernst, Jake Kaplan, and Margaret Scott spoke at the 2023 ApolloMD Leadership Conference on the subject of “Asset Protection and Financial Risk Mitigation.”Speaking Engagement September 13–15, 20232023 ApolloMD Leadership ConferenceSarah Ernst, Jake Kaplan, and Margaret Scott spoke at the 2023 ApolloMD Leadership Conference on the subject of “Asset Protection and Financial Risk Mitigation.”
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Speaking Engagement July 13-15, 2023Fiduciary Law Institute 2023Margaret Ward Scott and Mark Williamson will lead the panel “Exempt Organizations.”Speaking Engagement July 13-15, 2023Fiduciary Law Institute 2023Margaret Ward Scott and Mark Williamson will lead the panel “Exempt Organizations.”
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In the News February 13, 2023Global Legal Chronicle | Knox Lane’s Strategic Investment in Spectrum ScienceJustin Howard, Elaine Tapp, Rob Ardern, Logan Thore, Nick Mugge, Alex Krause, John Shannon, Kyle Woods, Scott Harty, Margaret Scott, Andrew Claytor, John Snyder, Brandon Abrams, Trenton Hafley, Brett Coburn, Jeff Bingham, Paul Simcock, Sam Goldstein, Emma Rigby, and Paul Greaves are noted for representing Spectrum Science in a strategic investment from Knox Lane.In the News February 13, 2023Global Legal Chronicle | Knox Lane’s Strategic Investment in Spectrum ScienceJustin Howard, Elaine Tapp, Rob Ardern, Logan Thore, Nick Mugge, Alex Krause, John Shannon, Kyle Woods, Scott Harty, Margaret Scott, Andrew Claytor, John Snyder, Brandon Abrams, Trenton Hafley, Brett Coburn, Jeff Bingham, Paul Simcock, Sam Goldstein, Emma Rigby, and Paul Greaves are noted for representing Spectrum Science in a strategic investment from Knox Lane.
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Press Release February 9, 2023Spectrum Science Receives Strategic Investment from Knox Lane to Fuel Continued GrowthAlston & Bird client Spectrum Science, an independent, integrated marketing, communications, and media agency focused on health and science, has received a strategic investment from Knox Lane, a growth-oriented investment firm focused on partnering with businesses in the services and consumer sectors.Press Release February 9, 2023Spectrum Science Receives Strategic Investment from Knox Lane to Fuel Continued GrowthAlston & Bird client Spectrum Science, an independent, integrated marketing, communications, and media agency focused on health and science, has received a strategic investment from Knox Lane, a growth-oriented investment firm focused on partnering with businesses in the services and consumer sectors.
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In the News August 8, 2022Law360 | Georgia Powerhouse: Alston & BirdAlston & Bird is featured as a Georgia Powerhouse for 2022, Chris Lightner is noted as the president of the Atlanta Bar Association, Janine Brown and Richard Hays are quoted, and George Abney, Jeff Belkin, Keith Blackwell, Joey Burby, Jody Hunt, Bill Jordan, Paul Monnin, BJay Pak, Spence Pryor, Margaret Scott, Cliff Stanford, and Peter Swire are mentioned.In the News August 8, 2022Law360 | Georgia Powerhouse: Alston & BirdAlston & Bird is featured as a Georgia Powerhouse for 2022, Chris Lightner is noted as the president of the Atlanta Bar Association, Janine Brown and Richard Hays are quoted, and George Abney, Jeff Belkin, Keith Blackwell, Joey Burby, Jody Hunt, Bill Jordan, Paul Monnin, BJay Pak, Spence Pryor, Margaret Scott, Cliff Stanford, and Peter Swire are mentioned.
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General Publications January 2022“CLTs and CRTs: Benevolence that Is Good for the Bloodline,” Estate Planning, Thomson Reuters, Vol. 49, No. 1, January 2022.Many clients are charitably inclined, but some are hesitant to make large charitable planning decisions because they understandably want to make certain they are taking care of their families. This article examines charitable lead and remainder trusts, and variations thereof.General Publications January 2022“CLTs and CRTs: Benevolence that Is Good for the Bloodline,” Estate Planning, Thomson Reuters, Vol. 49, No. 1, January 2022.Many clients are charitably inclined, but some are hesitant to make large charitable planning decisions because they understandably want to make certain they are taking care of their families. This article examines charitable lead and remainder trusts, and variations thereof.
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Seminar November 10, 2021GPGC Annual Membership MeetingMargaret Scott and Mark Williamson presented “Benevolence vs. Bloodline: Creative Solutions Involving Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts” at the November Annual Membership Meeting hosted by the Georgia Planned Giving Council.Seminar November 10, 2021GPGC Annual Membership MeetingMargaret Scott and Mark Williamson presented “Benevolence vs. Bloodline: Creative Solutions Involving Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts” at the November Annual Membership Meeting hosted by the Georgia Planned Giving Council.
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Press Release August 19, 2021Alston & Bird Earns Broad Recognition in 2022 Best Lawyers and Ones to WatchTwo hundred and thirteen Alston & Bird attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, and 78 firm attorneys have been selected for the second edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.Press Release August 19, 2021Alston & Bird Earns Broad Recognition in 2022 Best Lawyers and Ones to WatchTwo hundred and thirteen Alston & Bird attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, and 78 firm attorneys have been selected for the second edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
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July 23, 2021Alston & Bird Wealth Planning Top-Ranked in Georgia in Chambers High Net Worth 2021Alston & Bird’s Wealth Planning Team once again has earned Band 1 honors in Georgia in the 2021 edition of Chambers High Net Worth (HNW).July 23, 2021Alston & Bird Wealth Planning Top-Ranked in Georgia in Chambers High Net Worth 2021Alston & Bird’s Wealth Planning Team once again has earned Band 1 honors in Georgia in the 2021 edition of Chambers High Net Worth (HNW).
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Advisories September 17, 2020Wealth Planning Advisory: Crystal Ball Gazing for the Federal Estate and Gift Tax After 2020 – Should I Act Now?Death and taxes may be certainties, but the fate of the estate and gift tax after this election is far from it. Our Wealth Planning Team asks the questions that need asking to help you decide how to plan for the future.
Advisories September 17, 2020Wealth Planning Advisory: Crystal Ball Gazing for the Federal Estate and Gift Tax After 2020 – Should I Act Now?Death and taxes may be certainties, but the fate of the estate and gift tax after this election is far from it. Our Wealth Planning Team asks the questions that need asking to help you decide how to plan for the future.
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
Education
- Emory University (J.D., 2003)
- Duke University (B.A., 1996)
Memberships
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, fellow
- Atlanta Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Section
- CFA Institute’s Claritas® Investment Certificate
- Chastain Park Conservancy, board of directors
- Charles Loridans Foundation, trustee
- Alston & Bird Pro Bono Committee
- Mark and Evelyn Trammell Foundation Inc., trustee
Accolades
- The Best Lawyers in America® Trusts & Estates, since 2018
- Chambers HNW, Georgia band 2
- Selected to the Georgia Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers magazine
- Recognized by the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) with its 2018 “Outstanding Leadership in the Public Interest Award”
- Atlanta Legal Aid “Pro Bono Star” award recipient