RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, March 31, 2004 – Manning Fulton & Skinner, P.A., shareholder Deborah L. Hildebran-Bachofen has been elected a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a prestigious national association of lawyers selected for their extraordinary skill and experience in providing estate planning and probate services.

Those selected for Fellowship in the College must be nominated by other Fellows in the same geographic area and undergo an in-depth screening process.  Only 2,700 lawyers nationwide have been elected to Fellowship in the College, which is highly respected for its contributions to the law of estate planning and administration, and for promoting professionalism among lawyers who provide estate planning and probate services.

Ms. Hildebran-Bachofen is the second Manning Fulton shareholder elected to Fellowship in the College.  She joins W. Gerald Thornton, Managing Partner, among only 11 Fellows in Raleigh and 68 Fellows in North Carolina.

Hildebran-Bachofen has two decades of experience working with clients in estate planning and probate matters.  She advises business executives and other individual clients on their estate and wealth planning needs, and focuses on the probate and administration of large and complex estates.  As a Certified Public Accountant, she also advises owners of closely held and family-owned companies on all their corporate and business matters.  A Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate law, Ms. Hildebran-Bachofen is a Council Member, chair of the Estate Administration Manual Committee and the newly elected Treasurer of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section.  She frequently lectures for the North Carolina Bar Association Foundation and the UNC- Chapel Hill School of Law.

Manning Fulton, one of North Carolina’s leading law firms, has helped clients build their futures for 50 years.   As part of its full range of services to businesses and individuals, Manning Fulton has one of the largest estate planning and probate practices in the state and provides creative and effective estate & trust administration, tax planning and wealth planning strategies.

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel:  www.actec.org