This program is eligible for 1 hour of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 1.2 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
This session will provide tips on what financial institutions are looking for when presented with powers of attorney and how to ensure a smooth process when presenting powers of attorney for use. The session will also address common scenarios where the scope of authority under a power of attorney is insufficient for certain financial transactions.
Recorded in September 2025.
Faculty
Rebecca L. Hagan, Esq.
Ms. Hagan is Managing Senior Counsel at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and provides support to PNC’s Asset Management Group, advising on all aspects of trust and estate administration, with a focus on Pennsylvania fiduciary litigation. Prior to joining PNC, she was in-house counsel at the Bank of New York Mellon. Before moving in-house, Ms. Hagan concentrated her practice in the areas of gift and estate tax planning and estate and trust administration, with an emphasis on probate and trust litigation. Ms. Hagan is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and has lectured frequently on fiduciary topics for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. She received her J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Virginia.
Alison T. Smith, Esq.
Ms. Smith is chief counsel in the legal department at McNees, Wallace, & Nurick LLC, in its Pittsburgh office. Ms. Smith provides support to the bank’s asset management group on legal matters relating to the administration of estates and trusts, including charitable trusts and endowments, and other fiduciary liability matters. Prior to joining PNC Bank, Ms. Smith served as chair of the estate administration department in the Pittsburgh law firm of FGSM, P.C., representing clients in the areas of estate and trust administration, estate planning, and business succession planning, and in Orphans’ Court litigation, where she frequently represented fiduciaries and other interested parties in matters involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. In private practice, Ms. Smith also represented business clients in the areas of business formation and planning, mergers and acquisitions, and nonprofit clients in obtaining tax-exempt status and various governance matters. Ms. Smith is a former Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, current chair of the section’s Pro Bono Committee, and is an assistant editor of the Section’s newsletter. Ms. Smith is also a frequent lecturer on the topics of estate and trust administration, estate planning and business planning. Ms. Smith is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and the Duquesne University School of Law.
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