
Kathryn Baldwin Hecker
Partner
Suite 2100
Biography
Kathryn is a partner in the Private Wealth practice, a member of the Tax-Exempt & Charitable Organizations and Entertainment & Sports industry teams, and co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative. She focuses her practice on complex wealth transfer planning, including federal and state wealth transfer taxation, international wealth transfer planning, estate planning, business succession planning, and charitable planning for high-net-worth families and individuals.
Kathryn advises family-owned and closely-held business owners on how to refine their estate plans while providing for the smooth and methodical transfer of ownership to the intended beneficiaries. Her charitable planning experience includes assisting clients with large gifts, as well as the creation of tax-exempt entities such as private grantmaking foundations and private operating foundations. Additionally, she is experienced in complex probate and multimillion-dollar estate administrations, as well as the preparation of gift and estate tax returns.
Kathryn is a frequent speaker on charitable and business planning. She is also involved in a number of civic organizations, including the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and serves on the firm’s Community Engagement Committee.
In 2019, Kathryn was recognized as an “Associate to Watch” by Chambers High Net Worth, a publication ranking top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth, shortly before her promotion to partner. Prior to joining AGG, she clerked for the Henry County Probate Court for two years while in law school. She also externed at the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel.
Experience
Credentials
- Emory University School of Law, Juris Doctor,cum laude
- Bloomberg BNA / Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC Award for Excellence in Taxation
- Order of the Coif
- Dean’s Awards for Trusts and Estates, Estate Planning, and Real Estate Finance
- Notes and Comments Editor, Emory Law Journal
- Yale University, Bachelor of Arts - Classics, Greek and Latin
- Berkeley, Biddle, and Woolsey Classics Fellowship
- State of South Carolina – 2019
- State of Georgia – 2012
- American Bar Association, Real Property, Trust & Estate Section
- Atlanta Estate Planning Council
- Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Service Council (Co-Chair and Pro Bono Subcommittee Chair) and Advisory Committee (Member)
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation Legacy Advisor (Member of Leadership Council)
- Fernbank Museum Corporate Leadership Council (Member)
- Georgia Bar Association, Fiduciary Law Section (Member) and Nonprofit Law Section (Secretary/Treasurer)
- Georgia Planned Giving Council
- Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners
- Yale Club of Georgia
Recognition
- Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” (Trusts and Estates) – 2021
- Chambers High Net Worth (Private Wealth Law), 2020
- Chambers High Net Worth “Associate to Watch” (Private Wealth Law), 2019
News & Insights
- NewsKathryn Hecker Elected as Vice-Chair of the Nonprofit Law Section of the Georgia BarApril 16, 2021 | In the News | Nonprofit Law Section - State Bar of Georgia
- PublicationsEstate Planning After the 2020 ElectionsSpring 2021 | Newsletters | Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
- Publications2021 Private Wealth Newsletter2021 | Newsletters | Arnall Golden Gregory LLP