Rebecca (Becca) Whitacre is a member of Beard Kultgen Brophy Bostwick & Dickson, PLLC and primarily focuses her practice on estate planning, wealth preservation, and estate and trust administration. She has significant experience relating to implementation of estate plans and administering estates and trusts for clients with large and small estates. When it comes to personal family wealth planning and estate matters, Becca is a trusted attorney for such sensitive matters and advises clients with creativity and grace.
Becca’s practice focuses on the following:
• Planning and drafting estate planning documents and assisting clients in planning for both large and small estates, including wills, trusts, marital property agreements, business entities, and various other estate planning techniques.
• Family wealth planning and preservation, including the use of strategies to minimize estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
• Assisting clients with the establishment of certain tax-exempt organizations.
• Administering trusts and estates of decedents.
Becca moved to Waco and joined the firm in the summer of 2017. Prior to joining the firm, Becca practiced law for nearly ten years at Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas, Texas as an associate attorney in the Private Client Group. While in Dallas, Becca served for nearly five years on the Board of Directors for the Susan G. Komen Dallas County Affiliate and spearheaded the Haynes and Boone Race for the Cure team, raising over $203,000 for the Susan G. Komen Dallas County Affiliate.
Becca and her husband, Jeff, reside with their three daughters and silver labrador in Waco.
Areas of Practice
- Estate Planning
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2007
Education
- Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
- J.D. summa cum laude – 2007
- Baylor University, Waco, Texas
- B.A. cum laude – 2004
Published Works
- The Carrot and Stick Approach: In Terrorem Clauses in Texas Jurisprudence; Co-authored by Kara Blanco and Rebecca E. Whitacre; Citation: 43 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1127; 2011
- The Heartbeat of Texas Children: The Role of Court-Appointed Special Advocates in the Wake of the 2005 Family Code Amendments; Citation: 38 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 1065; 2006
Classes/Seminars
- Guide to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Co-Presenter), Ridgewood Country Club, Waco, Texas
- Estate Planning Considerations for Senior Adults, Methodist Dallas Medical Center
- Trends in Trust Law (co-presenters: John Collins & Jill Starr), ALPFA
- Estate Planning Considerations for Senior Adults , Coggin Avenue Baptist Church, Mosaic Conference
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Waco-McLennan County Bar Association, Member, 2017 – Present
- Heart of Texas Estate Planning Council, Member – 2017 – Present; Secretary (2021-2022); President (2023-Present)
- Dallas Bar Association, Member, 2007 – 2017
- Dallas Estate Planning Council, Member, 2008 – 2017
- Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Lifetime Fellow
- Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Member 2007-2017
- Texas Young Lawyers Association, Member 2007-2017
- State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate & Trusts Section, Member 2007-Present
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Recognized as Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters Service, 2020, 2021
- American Inns of Court, Member 2021-Present
Past Employment Positions
- Haynes and Boone, LLP, 2007 – 2017
- Jones Day
- Bass, Fargason, Booth, St. Clair & Richards, L.L.P.
Charitable & Pro Bono Activities
- Board of Directors, Susan G. Komen Dallas County Affiliate, 2012 – 2017
- Member, Waco Foundation Strategic Asset Development Committee
Fraternities/Sororities
- Delta Delta Delta