Digital Asset Entanglement: Unraveling the Intersection of Estate Laws & Technology in the U.S. and Canada

Sharon Hartung, Captain (Ret’d), P.Eng., M.Sc., B.Eng., PMP®, CD, TEP, rmc, is the founder of Your Digital Undertaker®. With an impressive track record of success in IT management, project management and consulting, she brings a multi-disciplinary approach to better understanding the role of managing digital assets in estate planning and estate administration. Sharon has built and maintained large enterprise systems for entities in the public and financial services sectors, beginning with her time as an aerospace engineering officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force (from which she retired as Captain), followed by a career as an executive and consultant in project management with IBM Global Services. Sharon was awarded an IBM First Patent Invention Achievement Award for “Real-Time Continuous Realignment of a Large-Scale Distribution Project.” She has published two earlier books on estate planning and digital assets: Your Digital Undertaker: Exploring Death in the Digital Age in Canada and Digital Executor®: Unraveling the New Path for Estate Planning. Sharon holds an M.Sc. in Management of Information Systems and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification; she is also a Professional Engineer. Sharon is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has served as a committee member of the STEP Global Digital Assets Special Interest Group.

Jennifer L. Zegel, Esquire, LL.M., TEP, is a partner at Kleinbard LLC and the Practice Leader of the firm’s Trusts and Estates Group in Philadelphia. While she maintains a traditional estates and trusts practice, she has also developed a specialized focus on estate and business planning and the estate administration of digital assets – a rapidly growing and increasingly complex area. In 2019, Jennifer co-created the Digital Planning Podcast (DPP) which is dedicated to exploring all things digital connected with estate planning, business planning, and estate administration, which is now in its Fourth Season. A sought-after speaker on digital assets and blockchain technology, she regularly presents at national and international conferences, and frequently publishes articles on these topics. Jennifer is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and is a committee member and co-deputy of the STEP Global Digital Assets Special Interest Group. She is also Secretary of the Board of Diversity in Blockchain, a national non-profit organization. After earning her B.A. from Temple University, Jennifer obtained her J.D. at Rutgers University School of Law and then returned to Temple University School of Law for her LL.M. in Taxation.