Mr. Shaftel has been very involved in Alaska's development of new estate planning vehicles. He has been active in participating in the drafting of new Alaska legislation: Link to Statutes Page.

He has written extensively about Alaska's self-settled discretionary spendthrift trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, and Alaska's optional community property system: Link to Articles Page. Mr. Shaftel is the Alaska reporter for Tax Analysts State Tax Notes. He has participated as part of the faculty in numerous professional continuing education programs sponsored by the Alaska Bar Association, ALI-ABA, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning,  the Great Western Tax & Estate Planning Conference, the Anchorage Estate Planning Counsel, and various private groups.

Mr. Shaftel is a member and the former Alaska Chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel "ACTEC". He is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel. Mr. Shaftel was the founder of the Taxation Section of the Alaska Bar Association and is a director of the Estate Planning Section of that association. He is a former president of the Anchorage Estate Planning Council. Mr. Shaftel is a former director and one of the founding members of the Alaska Community Foundation. He has been active in community activities, including municipal boards and task forces, local community council, and youth sports activities. Mr. Shaftel is a member of the Alaska and California Bar Associations.