A. Stephen McDaniel elected to NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame

Jan. 4, 2020 — The National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) has recognized former University of Memphis adjunct professor and two-time graduate A. Stephen McDaniel as an entrant into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Accredited Estate Planner Designation for 2020.

The award was presented on Dec. 2 by NAEPC leadership during a special-election ceremony. McDaniel was one of only seven estate planning professionals in 2020 to receive this prestigious award, which is given annually in recognition of lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to the practice and profession of estate planning within the professional disciplines of accounting, insurance and financial planning, law, philanthropy, trust services and academia.

McDaniel served as an adjunct professor at the UofM for nearly 25 years. He taught estate and gift taxation, estate planning, trust law and insurance law in the Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law. He also taught real estate law and business law through the Fogelman College of Business and Economics.

As a student at the UofM, McDaniel earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1968 with a major in accounting and a minor in insurance. He completed his law degree at the UofM in 1973.

“We are honored to elect Mr. McDaniel as a member of the Estate Planning Hall of Fame Class of 2020,” said NAEPC president John P. Garniewski Jr. “Each member has excelled in their own professional discipline and is also recognized as an elite professional by other members of the estate planning community. In addition to Mr. McDaniel’s own practice expertise, this honoree shares his knowledge with others nationally through writings and speaking engagements. We are grateful to him for the exemplary leadership exhibited throughout his career.”

McDaniel is currently a partner in the law firm of Williams McDaniel, PLLC, in Memphis. His law practice includes estates, trusts, charitable and business continuation planning, as well as probate and trust administration. He and his firm represent individuals and small businesses, trust companies and financial institutions in commercial lending transactions.

The UofM honored McDaniel as a Pillar of Excellence Award recipient in 2018 for his dedication and contributions to the University. More recently, Worth Magazine named McDaniel one of the top 100 estate planning attorneys in the country. He was also included in the most recent edition of the Best Lawyers in America and was named by Tennessee Business Magazine as one of the top 150 attorneys overall in the state.