Braun & Gresham Announces 2014 Webinar Series

Braun & Gresham is proud to announce our 2014 webinar series, kicking off on January 8, 2014 with Conservation Easements 101 with Thomas Hall. The upcoming year will feature webinars from top tips for purchasing rural land to risk management to estate planning, and much more.

January 8, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Conservation Easements 101
Presented by: Thomas Hall
Webinar log in link: COMPLETED
Landowners should understand how conservation easements can be used to preserve a family’s land. Conservation easements can also be used to help sell rural real estate, which can be an essential tool for the real estate professional. This introductory course covers the nuts and bolts of this topic, including conservation easements basics, how they generate financial benefits such as federal income and estate tax savings, how best to structure transactions; practical considerations in negotiating conservation easement terms, selecting and working with land trusts, and the use of conservation easements with other planning strategies.

January 16, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): What Every Buyer of Rural Land Should Know About Old Property Easements
Presented by: Patrick Reznik
Webinar log in link: COMPLETED
As Texas continues to grow its infrastructure across the state’s private, rural lands, potential litigation related to old easements is becoming a serious issue. Buyers of rural land often fail to identify the existence of unmaintained, but legal, “blanket” easements in the title commitment, leaving them vulnerable to the legal rights of oil and gas companies or utilities that may decide to maintain or construct on them after decades of inactivity. In this webinar, Patrick Reznik will help landowners understand how easements impact property.

February 4, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Estate Planning: What Every Landowner Needs to Know
Presented by: Thomas Hall
Webinar log in link: COMPLETED
Passing on legacy land to the next generation presents unique challenges. Without thoughtful estate planning to specifically address these challenges, families could be putting their land’s resources and family heritage at risk. The changing nature of federal tax laws makes these issues especially challenging for landowners. In this webinar, Thomas Hall will speak about the unique tools he employs to help landowners preserve the legacy of their land, including asset protection, limiting liability, planning for mental disability to avoid conservatorship, dealing with probate, minimizing or eliminating federal estate tax, and the options for leaving land to heirs.

February 20, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Risk Management
Presented by: David Braun
Webinar log in link: https://plateauwildlife.adobeconnect.com/riskmanagement/
As friends, family, and other guests gather to enjoy your land for recreational activities such as swimming, horseback riding, and off-road adventures, there are many opportunities for unintended accidents. Without a plan to manage these kind of accidents, you could be risking the loss of family land or the forced liquidation of other major assets. In this informative presentation, David Braun will discuss a variety of tools designed to reduce the risk of owning rural land, including the use of business entities, statutory protections, and comprehensive leases and waivers.

March 5, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): What is Probate and How To Deal With It
Presented by: Thomas Hall
Webinar log in link: https://plateauwildlife.adobeconnect.com/braungresham-legal-webinars/
Courts supervise the distribution of a person’s assets after their death in a process called probate. When a person has a professional estate plan, probate may be avoided or simplified to the filing of a few papers with the court. When a person dies without an estate plan or when their will is unclear, probate can be a complicated legal procedure. In this webinar you will learn about the probate process, how to simplify probate when possible, and how to navigate the probate process when necessary.

March 13, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Transmission and Pipeline Routing, Condemnation and Easements
Presented by: Patrick Reznik
Webinar log in link: https://plateauwildlife.adobeconnect.com/routing/
The construction of transmission lines, a reaction to the rising demand for electric power in the state, is changing the landscape of Texas, the value of its rural properties, and presenting unprecedented challenges for owners of rural land. Utility companies have to give landowners notice and a chance to participate in the routing process if they are planning to build a power line near their property. However, many landowners are unfamiliar with the complex routing process governed by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), leaving them feeling powerless against big utilities with big legal teams. In this webinar you will learn about this process, its complexities, and the best ways to protect your land and your rights.

April 9, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Conservation Easements
Presented by: Thomas Hall
Webinar log in link: https://plateauwildlife.adobeconnect.com/braungresham-legal-webinars/
Every real estate professional should understand how conservation easements can be used as a tool to help sell rural real estate. This introductory course covers the nuts and bolts of this topic, including conservation easements basics, how they generate financial benefits such as federal income and estate tax savings, how best to structure transactions; practical considerations in negotiating conservation easement terms, selecting and working with land trusts, and the use of conservation easements with other planning strategies.

April 24, 2014 (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm): Top Tips for Purchasing Rural Land
Presented by: Cassie Gresham
Webinar log in link: https://plateauwildlife.adobeconnect.com/braungresham-legal-webinars/
The swell of excitement in purchasing rural land can quickly crash when faced with the often daunting legal issues unique to rural property. From land titles to protected habitats, from property lines to property taxes, in this webinar, buyers of rural land, whether novice or experienced, will learn top tips to consider. Braun & Gresham has an extensive real estate practice, and in this informative presentation Cassie Gresham will discuss issues to consider and questions to ask before closing on your new property.