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Dean Hedeker Named Academy Fellow by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

Posted On 6/8/2009

The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) announced today that Estate Planning Attorney Dean R. Hedeker of Hedeker & Perrelli, Ltd., has been awarded the Academy Fellow designation. The Fellow program recognizes Academy Members who demonstrate advanced expertise and significant practical experience in the total estate planning, trust, tax planning, guardianship, probate and estate administration fields.

 “Our Members already meet a challenging set of professional standards,” said Jack O’Drobinak, Chairman of the Education Advisory Board of the Academy. “Many, like Hedeker, strive to further distinguish themselves so we established the Fellow program to recognize truly outstanding professional achievement.”

The Fellow designation is based on rigorous criteria established by the Academy and its Board of Governors and Education Advisory Board. A Fellow will be designated for a period of five years, with recertification required at the end of each term. Members must meet their 36-hour annual Academy educational requirement specifically in estate, tax, probate or elder law in each of the preceding five years. Along with the continued learning requirements, Fellows must demonstrate substantial practical experience by handling 30 tax planning matters; 50 estate and incapacity plans; 40 trust and estate administration procedures; no fewer than 40 completed non-trust transfers of decedents’ assets; and 20 litigated matters, contested hearings, or court proceedings.

Hedeker also underwent peer review by three legal professionals with extensive estate planning or elder law experience familiar with his legal expertise and ethical character. Peer reviews ensure that Fellows maintain high standards and are held in the highest regard in their local legal communities.

“Clients are the main beneficiaries of this program,” said Sanford Fisch, Chief Executive Officer of the Academy. “The Fellow designation helps the legal consumer find attorneys with a proven track record of excellence in the estate planning field. Hedeker has been a member of the Academy since 1995 and we congratulate him on achieving this exceptional designation.”

 

About the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys is a national organization dedicated to promoting excellence in estate planning by providing its exclusive membership of attorneys with up-to-date research on estate and tax planning, educational materials, and other important resources to empower them to provide superior estate planning services.

About Dean Hedeker

Dean Hedeker earned both his undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees with highest honors from DePaul University. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1977. Following law school, Hedeker spent six years with an international accounting firm. He began his own legal practice in 1987, concentrating on both tax and estate planning.

Practicing the dual role of attorney and CPA gives Hedeker unique qualifications when addressing the tax and legal issues inherent in estate planning. Over the past 10 years alone, Hedeker has created more than 2,000 estate plans and every year he handles more than 300 complex tax returns for business and families.

In addition to serving as a Fellow of the AAEPA, Hedeker is a member of Chicago Bar Association and Illinois CPA Society. He has co-authored three books, Strictly Business: Planning Strategies for Privately Owned Businesses, Total Wealth Management and Love, Money, Control: Reinventing Estate Planning.

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