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Kirstin Humann Thompson
Of Counsel
Seattle, WA
(206) 386-7611 Direct
(206) 386-7500 Fax

khthompson@stoel.com

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Kirstin Humann Thompson

Experience

Kirstin is of counsel to the firm and focuses her practice in estate planning and tax-exempt organization law where she counsels clients on tax, trust and estate, charitable giving, real estate, family business, and cross-border estate planning law matters. Her experience includes developing cross-border international estate plans, family succession and business succession estate plans, as well as establishing family limited liability companies, insurance and personal residence trusts, generation-skipping trusts and other strategies to transfer family wealth and reduce federal estate and gift taxes. Kirstin also has experience preparing Canadian immigration trusts for U.S. citizens as well as advising clients on international estate planning involving several foreign countries.  Her experience also includes tax-exempt organization law including unrelated business income tax, advising nonprofit boards on corporate governance, private foundation formation and compliance rules, and joint ventures with for-profit entities. She develops charitable giving plans including charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities and private foundations.

Before joining Stoel Rives, Kirstin was a partner and of counsel with Fahlman Olson & Little, PLLC (2004-2009); General Counsel for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving national office (2003-2004); Associate Chief Counsel and National Charitable Giving Counsel for the American Cancer Society, Inc. (1999-2003); Planned Giving Officer for the American Cancer Society Texas Division, Inc. and maintained a solo law practice (1995-1999); was an attorney for Cooper, Huddleston & Aldous (1993-1995); an associate at Ronquillo & DeWolf, LLP (1992-1993) and an associate at Gardere & Wynne, LLP (1989-1992).

Representative Work

  • Kirstin represents individuals and families in all aspects of their personal estate planning and business succession planning matters. Her work includes development of fundamental estate planning documents such as wills and revocable living trusts that include both tax and family objectives, including domestic partner planning where applicable. She also prepares many different types of trusts including Canadian immigration trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, insurance trusts, dynasty trusts, generation-skipping trusts, gift trusts, annuity trusts, charitable trusts and others.
  • Kirstin has experience with cross-border international estate planning for clients dealing with planning due to different citizenship as well as asset locations. She also has experience developing Canadian immigration trusts.
  • Kirstin represents tax-exempt organizations including private foundations and public charities. She advises on all aspects of governance, compliance, unrelated business income tax, sponsorships and joint ventures with for-profit companies, grant making, intermediate sanctions rules and tax-related matters. She also advises on legal aspects of foreign grantmaking activities, as well as other cross-border issues encountered by global tax-exempt organizations.
  • Kirstin represents trustees and personal representatives in the administration and settlement of trusts and estates. Her work includes handling all aspects of probate proceedings and the preparation of Federal and State estate tax returns.

Professional Honors & Activities

  • Officer and Executive Committee Member, Estate Planning Council of Seattle, 2013 to present
  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America® (currently: Non-Profit/Charities Law, Trusts & Estates), 2013
  • Member, Executive Committee (2010-2012), Estate Planning Council of Seattle
  • Member, Advisory Board, Washington State Bar Association and Estate Planning Council of Seattle Annual Estate Planning Seminar, 2009-present
  • Chair (2010) and Co-chair (2009), Annual WSBA/EPC Estate Planning Seminar, one of the largest estate planning seminars in the country
  • Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
  • Member, Washington State Bar Association
  • Member, Washington Women in Tax
  • Member, WSBA Tax Section (Estate and Gift Tax Committee) and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Section
  • Member, Washington Planned Giving Council
  • Member, Board of Directors, Association of Corporate Counsel DFW Chapter, 2004
  • Chair, Corporate Counsel Committee, Nashville Bar Association, 2002

Presentations

  • "Serving Nonprofits from the Inside and Out," Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations CLE, 2013
  • "UK and US Planning," Society of Trust and Estate Professionals (STEP), Seattle Branch, 2013
  • "Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Foreign Filings to Avoid Penalties," School of Taxation, Golden Gate University, 2012
  • "Estate Planning Drafting Issues in a Cross-Border World," King County Bar Association, Real Property Probate and Trust Section, 2011
  • "U.S.-Canada Cross-Border Planning: How to Help Clients Holding Cross-Border Assets and/or Living Across the Border Without Paying an Arm and a Hockey Stick," 56th Annual Estate Planning Seminar, WSBA and the Estate Planning Council, Seattle, 2011
  • "Estate and Gift Tax Update: Planning for Washington Residents and Assets," East King County Estate Planning Council, 2011
  • "Canadian Immigration Trusts," Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Seattle, 2011
  • "Legal Issues in International Grantmaking," Pacific Northwest Global Donors Conference, 2011
  • "Estate Plan Superseded: How to Handle Beneficiary Designations," Snohomish County Estate Planning Council, 2011
  • "What the New Federal Estate, Gift and GST Tax Law Means for Estate Planning in Washington State," Snohomish County Estate Planning Council, 2011
  • "2010: A New Frontier in Estate Tax Planning," Financial Planning Association of Puget Sound, 2010
  • "Estate Tax Update: How to Navigate the Waters of Uncertainty," Northwest Trust Conference of the Washington Bankers Association and the Corporate Trustees Association, 2010
  • Panelist, "How Much Can I Afford to Give: A Seminar on Philanthropy from the Donor's Perspective," Bellevue Arts Museum, 2008
  • "So Your Client Has a Private Foundation – Now What?" Estate Planning Council of Seattle and East King County Estate Planning Council, 2008
  • "Charitable Giving," Northwest Development Officers Association, 2006
  • "Tax Issues for Nonprofits: Cause Related Marketing and UBIT," Association of Fundraising Professionals, International Annual Meeting, 2004
  • "Charitable Giving Tax Issues," Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting, 2001
  • "Tax Issues for Tax Exempt Organizations," Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting, 2000
  • "Charitable Giving," National Gift Planning Conference, 1998

Civic Activities

  • Member, Board of Directors, Seabeck Family, 2007-2010
  • Member, Board of Directors, Seabeck Conference Center, 2005-2006
  • Member, Board of Directors, United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, 2001-2003
  • Member, Board of Directors, Junior League of Nashville, 2001-2002
  • Past member of various boards and executive committees for supporting organizations and fundraising events/organizations

Publications

  • "Foreign Accounts Can Mean Major Legal Obligations," Estate Planning and Charitable Bequests Supplement, Puget Sound Business Journal, Mar. 16, 2012

Education

  • Baylor University School of Law, J.D., 1989
    Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society
  • University of Washington, B.S., 1986

Admissions

  • Washington
  • Texas

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