Business Owners, Special Assets & Global Planning

Designed for Your Organization

Our Enterprise Solutions team works with you to build the right experience — whether that's a keynote address, a half-day workshop, a multi-session webinar series, or a fully integrated training program. Topics, format, session length, and depth of content are all customizable to align with your audience, your objectives, and your timeline.

Course Topics

Unique and Hard to Value Assets
This session provides an overview of unique and hard-to-value assets, addresses the risks associated with investing or holding these assets, and discusses the fiduciary role in managing these assets. It has been more than 10 years since the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published a new manual on this topic, bringing to light its view of the increasing amount of unique and hard to value assets held by trusts. Things like Real estate, Farms, Mineral interests, closely held businesses, Life Insurance, and Tangible assets fall into this category, almost everything besides portfolio assets that clients own.

Business Succession Planning Decisions
In this session, we will explore tools and techniques for succession planning of a closely held business, including your own. We will discuss key points for the conversation, including to whom they want to transition the business and when, and what opportunities arise as potential solutions as a result. Also discussed will be the emotional as well as the factual issues involved with transition planning.

Cross-Border Estate Planning: Navigating Federal and State Challenges for Global HNW Families
Global families face a complex web of federal, state, and international estate planning challenges. This session addresses cross-border marriages, multinational business interests, treaty-based planning opportunities, and conflict-of-law principles. Practical structures, case studies, and risk management strategies provide guidance for navigating multi-jurisdictional complexity.

Who Should Enroll and Why

Trust Officers and Fiduciaries will gain insight into the challenges of administering estates and trusts that hold closely held businesses, real estate, and other special assets. This course helps you understand fiduciary responsibilities, valuation concerns, governance issues, and risk management considerations when assets fall outside traditional marketable securities.

Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers will deepen their understanding of how business ownership, concentrated assets, and cross‑border factors influence estate planning and long‑term client outcomes. This knowledge supports more effective planning conversations, better coordination with legal and tax advisors, and improved ability to guide clients through succession and transition decisions.

Estate Planning and Tax Professionals, including attorneys working with business owners or international families, will benefit from a focused examination of advanced planning considerations tied to special assets and global complexity. The course highlights practical planning structures, common pitfalls, and coordination strategies that support smoother implementation and administration.

Aspiring Trust and Wealth Professionals will find this program valuable for building foundational awareness of advanced estate planning scenarios involving businesses, unique assets, and international considerations. Exposure to these complex situations prepares participants for developing roles in fiduciary services, wealth advisory, or estate planning support.

Course Instructors

Daniel A. Smith, CFP®, CWS®

As a dedicated professional, Daniel Smith believes that everyone deserves sound advice and exceptional service. With his extensive real-world experience, Daniel brings a spirited approach to his instruction, helping advisors put their knowledge into immediate, practical use to better serve their clients. His expertise lies in sales and relationship management skills, which he seamlessly integrates with the complexities of estate planning, estate taxation, charitable giving, and investment management. By doing so, Daniel empowers advisors to effectively guide wealthy clients and their families in achieving their goals.

Before joining Cannon, Daniel spent years as a client-facing advisor in the Wealth Management and Trust business. His 25 years of experience with Cannon have further enriched his knowledge, as he constantly interacts with top financial advisors and wealthy individuals across the globe, incorporating best practices into his teachings.

A sought-after speaker, Daniel frequently presents at financial services firms and conferences worldwide, covering topics such as sales, exceptional service, estate planning, taxation, and industry trends. His insights have been featured in numerous publications, including Trusts & Estates and Registered Rep magazines. As the leader of Cannon Trust School, the largest trust school in the country, Daniel continues to make a significant impact on the industry. His consulting work spans distance-based learning solutions, private family wealth consultation, and expert witness services.

Meagan MacBean, J.D.

Meagan MacBean is a dedicated professional who believes that exceptional service is rooted in a deep understanding of the complexities of estate and trust law. As the founder of The MacBean Law Firm, LLC, she brings extensive experience as both a practicing attorney and a former Trust Officer to her work. Meagan provides a spirited, real-world approach to her instruction, helping advisors translate technical knowledge into immediate, practical solutions for their clients. Her expertise seamlessly integrates the nuances of estate planning, asset protection, and planning for incapacity with the operational realities of trust and estate administration.

Before establishing her own firm, Meagan spent years advising high-net-worth clients on wealth transfer strategies and fiduciary responsibilities. Her professional background is further enriched by her academic contributions; she serves as a Lecturer at Mississippi State University, where she teaches Real Estate Law, International Business Law, and Entrepreneur Law. This dual perspective, balancing private practice with academic instruction, allows her to empower advisors to effectively guide wealthy families in achieving their long-term goals.

A highly credentialed expert, Meagan is an honors graduate of Cannon Financial Institute Trust School and holds a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Her insights have been featured in publications such as SC Lawyer Magazine, and she is a recognized leader in the field, having been selected for the Mississippi Bar Association’s Leadership Forum and Portico Jackson Magazine’s "Portico 15". Through her work as a guest instructor and her specialized practice in fiduciary litigation and tax preparation, Meagan continues to make a significant impact on the industry.