Presenters
Thomas J. Ahrens, J.D.
Founder, Legal Directives, LLC 2007- present
Founder, Ahrens Law Firm, P.C. 1997- 2009
Juris Doctor Degree from the Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University.
B.S. Degree from Liberty University
Michael J. Amoruso, Esq., Principal, ElderCounsel
Michael Amoruso concentrates his practice on Elder Care, Asset Preservation, Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Guardianship. He is Chair of the New York State Bar Association ("NYSBA") Elder Law Section, member of the Executive Committee and former Chair of the Legislation Committee, the Estate & Tax Planning Committee and the Leadership Task Force. Mr. Amorusis the 2010 recipient of the prestigious NYSBA Elder Law Section Award as a principal drafter of NYSBA's significant amendments to the 2009 Power of Attorney statute and form and the 2007 recipienof the NYSBA Elder Law Section Award for work as a principadrafter of the New York State Compact for Long Term Care - a pending bill that offers an alternative to Medicaid coverage for long term care services. Mr. Amoruso was President ofthe New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys ("NAELA") and is the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Chapter Member Award of the NAELA. He serves as Co-Chair of the NAELA Chapter Presidents Council, member of the NAELA Public Policy Board, Chair of the NAELA Telephonic Programming and memthe NAELA Education Task Force. Locally, Mr. Amoruso is member of the Westchester County Bar Association Board of Directors ("WCBA"), Past Chair of the WCBA Elder Law Committee and President of the Columbian Lawyers Association of Westchester.
Mary Merrell Bailey, Esq., CPA, MBA, MSTaxation, MSAccounting
After nearly two decades as CFO of start-up and high-tech businesses, Mary Merrell Bailey retired from the business world to practice solely as an attorney in the areas of estate planning, transfer taxes, and asset protection planning. Quickly realizing that "law firm" is just another word for "business," Merrell, managing partner at Bailey Zobel Pilcher, is eager to share best business practices with her legal colleagues.
Mark Brewer, MPA
Mark Brewer is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation of Central Florida, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to build community by building philanthropy, and it holds more than 400 charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses and nonprofit agencies across the region. He was selected as president and CEO, and joined the Foundation board of directors in 2000. By managing and investing donor funds, connecting donors with projects they feel passionately about, and providing research for donors to make informed decisions, the Community Foundation connects people with what they care about in the Central Florida regional community.
C. Dennis Brislawn, Jr., Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
Dennis has been well-known as a radio personality on AM 570 KVI radio, hosting a popular live call-in show tackling personal and business legal issues since 1995. He is a nationally-recognized speaker, author, and legal systems architect in WealthCounsel, LLC, The Advisor's Forum, LLC, and ElderCounsel, LLC in which he is a principal member. He is the recipient of the Martindale Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating, ranking him top in his profession for ethical standards and professional excellence; he and his firm are listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Seattle Magazine consistently ranks Dennis and his law partner, Tom Lofton, as “5 Star Wealth Managers”, a list consisting largely of financial professionals and only a few attorneys. His practice is interdisciplinary and counseling-oriented, offering a full range of planning services and mid to high-end strategies that accomplish client goals. Client representations include estate & gift tax planning, estate & gift tax audits, asset protection, business planning and succession, advanced estate and charitable planning. He serves clients throughout Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. He is also regularly invited to co-counsel with other attorneys nationwide.
William A. Conway, Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
William A. Conway, Esq., in a professional career as a tax attorney, investment banker, and legal educator, serves his clients with both financial and legal counsel. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, he is a registered investment advisor and tax attorney included in both Who's Who in Finance and Industry and Who's Who in American Law. Mr. Conway is also a member of the bars of the Commonwealth of Virginia, District of Columbia, and the State of Maryland. His practice is dedicated to building wealth enhancement strategies for his client families' estates and businesses, using far-reaching, advanced planning to achieve preserved wealth for generations. The firm's priority is our relationship with our client families and their personal, professional and estate goals. Mr. Conway was an Adjunct Professor of tax law at George Mason University School of Law, where he taught law for five years and has lectured at Georgetown University Law Center. He annually teaches continuing education courses on estate planning and wealth preservation for attorneys, financial planners, and accountants.
Lewis W. Dymond, Jr., Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
Lewis is president and founder of Dymond Consulting, Inc. located in Frisco, Colorado, a WealthDocx® consulting, auditing, and customized drafting solution for wealth planning professionals. In 2000, Mr. Dymond was asked by the principals of WealthCounsel, LLC, to program the WealthDocx Family Limited Partnership system, and then in 2001, to design the Revocable Living Trust system. In that same year, he was hired on as CEO of WealthCounsel and tasked with the ongoing expansion of WealthDocx and the support of WealthCounsel members. Mr. Dymond became a principal of WealthCounsel in 2005 and resigned as CEO in 2007 to dedicate his full-time and attention to Dymond Consulting.
Richard H. Foley, Jr., Esq. & Susan Behlke Foley, Esq.
Richard Foley, Jr. and Susan Behlke Foley are long-time Alaskans, who have practiced together as Foley & Foley since 1987. The firm is focused exclusively in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, business succession planning, and probate. The Foleys are frequent speakers on estate and business planning topics for national and local audiences. They are enthusiastic and dynamic speakers who enjoy teaching and sharing their knowledge with their colleagues, clients and other planning professionals in language that is clear and understandable. Richard and Susan have been members of WealthCounsel, LLC since its inception. Richard currently serves on the WealthCounsel advisory committee for irrevocable trusts. Susan graduated as a Fellow of the Esperti Peterson Institute, having completed the Masters program for advanced estate planning studies. Richard and Susan are also members of E-Planners Planning Alliance. The Foleys actively support a number of nonprofit organizations in Alaska. Susan serves currently as chairman of the Alaska Community Foundation's board of directors. Richard received his B. A. in Journalism from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 1976. Susan was raised in Fairbanks before attending Whitman College where she received her degree in Economics in 1977. Richard received his law degree from Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey in 1981. Susan received her law degree from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law in 1980. Both Foleys are members of the Alaska Bar Association and the Anchorage Estate Planning Council. Susan is also a member of the American Bar Association and a member of the Alaska Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Probate Rules.
Kevin Forbush, Esq.
Kevin is an attorney and inactive CPA licensed in both Colorado and California. Kevin’s combination of legal and accounting experience makes him uniquely qualified to counsel clients on the complex issues where the law, taxes and financial matters intersect. Kevin focuses his practice on estate planning, tax planning, asset protection and business planning. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (with a concentration in Accounting) from California State University, San Bernardino, in 1982 and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1988. Kevin retired in 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Air Force Reserves after 24 years of active-duty and reserve service. He served most of his military career as a member of the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. He is currently a member of the Colorado State Bar, the Trust and Estates Section of the Colorado Bar Association, the El Paso County Bar Association, the State Bar of California, and the Colorado Springs Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Wendy S. Goffe, Esq.
Wendy’s practice focuses on estate planning, estate and gift taxation, probate and trust administration, charitable giving and non-profit trusts and corporations; and family-owned business succession planning. She speaks regularly on a number of issues related to her practice. Recently, she has given a number of presentations on the legal implications of changing laws regarding same gender partnerships. Specifically, Wendy was involved in the drafting of the Washington State Domestic Partnership Bill. Also, as an expert on the legal nuances related to charitable giving, Wendy has given presentations on the implications of charitable giving to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, PRIDE Foundation, and Washington Women in Tax amongst others. Wendy has been involved with a number of charitable organizations, including the Acquisition Committee of the Tacoma Art Museum, Northwest Hospital Ethics Committee, and the Professional Advisory Boards of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northwest Giving Project, and the Woodland Park Zoo.
Carol Gonnella, Esq.
Carol is founder and co-owner of Gonnella Adamson, PC, a law firm in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, dedicated to assisting clients with their estate and business planning needs. She has practiced law since 1976 and has emphasized estate and business planning in her practice since 1990. Carol Gonnella has been awarded an AV Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, evidencing that Carol is regarded by other attorneys as reaching the highest level of professional excellence in her practice. Carol is an established member of her community, serving on numerous boards for charitable and philanthropic organizations over the years. Carol is recognized locally and nationally in her practice and is licensed to practice in the States of Wyoming and Washington. Carol is a co-founder of and instructor for Teton Institute, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing and teaching advanced estate and business planning strategies to fellow estate planning attorneys nationwide. She is also a member of and frequent instructor for WeathCounsel.
Daniel A. Guglielmo, Esq., LL.M.
Dan Guglielmo is a nationally recognized business and insurance planning consultant, speaker and author. His 20+ years of experience helping business owners to leverage the value of their business to protect family and dreams have established him as a trusted advisor to his clients, their families, and their attorneys, accountants and other advisors. His advocacy of business owners led him to co-found The Owner’s Academy based at Babson College and The Boston Exit Planning Exchange (www.XPXBoston.com), which are supported by both business owners and professional advisors across the U.S. Dan began his professional career at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Finance Attorney. He later became a tax attorney, earning a reputation for his holistic and creative approach to strategic wealth transfer planning. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, a Juris Doctor degree from Arizona State College of Law and studied for his LL.M. in Taxation at Boston University.
Barron K. Henley, Esq.
Barron is an attorney, a "legal technologist" since 1990, and a founding member of Affinity Consulting Group (formerly Henley March & Unger Consulting, Inc.) which handles all aspects of law practice automation including document assembly, case management, document management, legal accounting software, trial presentation/litigation support, paper reduction/scanning, hardware, networks/servers and security. Barron received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (majoring in marketing and economics) and J.D. from The Ohio State University and is a member of the American, Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations, and the Worthington Estate Planning Council. He is a member of the ABA Law Practice Management Section and is the former Chair of the Ohio State Bar Association Law Office Automation & Technology Committee. Barron heads Affinity’s HotDocs document assembly and software training departments; and has authored legal-specific manuals on HotDocs document assembly, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Adobe Acrobat. Barron teaches continuing legal education (CLE) classes covering practice management, document management, file management, server and personal computer issues, remote access, mobile lawyering, scanning and paper reduction strategies, electronic case filing, Word, Excel, Outlook, WordPerfect, HotDocs document assembly, Adobe Acrobat, malpractice avoidance, and many other topics. He speaks throughout the U.S. for bar associations and other CLE providers including the American, Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota, West Virginia, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo Bar Associations, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (Michigan), Virginia CLE, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Seattle University School of Law, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and many others.
Edward F. (Foss) Hooper, Esq.
Edward F. (Foss) Hooper practices comprehensive Estate Planning with an emphasis on techniques that minimize estate taxes for the current generation and that eliminate them for future generations. Foss received a BS degree in Economics and a MS degree in Business Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After graduation, he served as a Captain in the United States Army and was a Senior Systems Engineer for IBM. He attended Marquette University Law School where he received his Juris Doctor degree summa cum laude. Foss received the George L. Laikin Award in estate planning, the Joseph I. Swietlik Award in taxation, and the Law Alumni Award for the highest academic average in his class. Foss is the fourth generation of his family to be a member of the Wisconsin State Bar. He founded Hooper Law Offices as a practice dedicated to estate and wealth transfer planning, with emphasis on dynasty trusts and multigenerational planning. His practice includes revocable trust and will planning, asset protection planning, life insurance planning, business succession planning, Medicaid planning, VA benefit planning, and trust settlement and probate services.
C. L. Huddleston, Esq.
Mr. Huddleston is the founder of Huddleston Law Group, a boutique law firm specializing in what is traditionally called “estate planning”, but which he believes is more accurately described as “Wealth & Health” law, encompassing not only Wills, Trusts and Probate, but also business succession, entity planning, income tax minimization, retirement, IRAs, charitable giving, personal legacy planning, special needs, aging and declining capacity, and related fields. He is a founding member of WealthCounsel, LLC, a Fellow of the Esperti-Peterson Institute and the Laureate Circle. He is a member and past Chair of the Ohio Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys, and a member of ePlanners Educational Alliance and the Professional Advisory Committee of The Columbus Foundation. Mr. Huddleston is Co-author of For Ohio Doctors: Shedding Light on Asset Protection, Tax and Estate Planning. e is a graduate of Muskingum College and the Capital University School of Law. He is admitted to the practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Ohio, all Ohio District Courts, and the Courts of Appeal for the 4th and 6th U.S. Circuits.
A. Frank Johns, Esq., LLM, CELA
A. Frank Johns, JD, LLM, CELA, is a nationally recognized legal authority in Elder Law, Guardianship, Special Education and Disability Rights, Special Needs and Special Needs Trusts and Legal Ethics. Mr. Johns, BS ’68, JD ‘71 Florida State University, and LLM – Elder Law ’08 Stetson University College of Law is a charter partner in Booth Harrington & Johns of NC PLLC with offices in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina. He is past President of and a Fellow in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and past chair of NAELA’s Council of Advanced Practitioners; a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC); charter chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section; and charter associate of the Society of Settlement Planners. He is a charter Advisory board member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners for which he chaired its 2008 and 2010 Annual Meetings. He is also charter advisory Board member of Elder Counsel. He is Board Certified in Elder Law by the National Elder Law Foundation, and certified as a specialist in elder law by the North Carolina State Bar. He was a charter Board member of the National Guardianship Association (1988.) He also litigates issues in elder law focused on fiduciary wrong doing and elder abuse and injury.
Robert S. Keebler, CPA, MST, AEP (Distinguished)
Robert Keebler is a partner with Keebler & Associates, LLP and is a 2007 recipient of the prestigious Accredited Estate Planners (Distinguished) award from the National Association of Estate Planning Counsels. He has been named by CPA Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners in the United States and one of the Top 40 Tax Advisors to Know During a Recession. His practice includes family wealth transfer and preservation planning, charitable giving, retirement distribution planning, and estate administration. Mr. Keebler frequently represents clients before the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the private letter ruling process and in estate, gift and income tax examinations and appeals, and he has received more than 150 favorable private letter rulings including several key rulings of “first impression”. He is the author of over 100 articles and columns and is the editor, author or co-author of many books and treatises on wealth transfer and taxation.
Dale M. Krause, J.D., LL.M.
Dale M. Krause, J.D., LL.M., is the President and CEO of Krause Financial Services, Inc., a Wisconsin based corporation that designs, develops, markets, and distributes Medicaid and VA compliant insurance products throughout the United States. Krause Financial Services is the only attorney-led financial services firm in the nation that specializes in helping families qualify for Medicaid benefits through the use of Medicaid Compliant Annuities, and Veterans Aid & Attendance benefits through the use of various life and annuity insurance products. With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Krause is a national Veterans Benefits and Medicaid Planning advocate and has earned the distinct reputation as the “Pioneer of Medicaid Compliant Annuities.” Mr. Krause is a regular speaker at continuing legal education forums throughout the United States.
Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, Principal, ElderCounsel
Howard is a partner in Elder Law Associates PA, with offices in Boca Raton, Aventura, Weston, and West Palm Beach, Florida, and serves as Of Counsel to Amoruso & Amoruso LLP in New York. As a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, Howard devotes his professional time to Elder Law and Trusts & Estates matters, including Asset Preservation Planning, Supplemental Needs Trusts, Medicaid, Medicare, Planning for Disability and Guardianship. Howard is a past Chair of the NYSBA Elder Law Section, where he currently serves on the Executive Committee, and is a member of the Board of Directors and an officer (Secretary) of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He also serves on the Board of the NY Chapter of NAELA, and is a member of the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys and the Joint Public Policy Task Force of the Florida Bar Elder Law Section where he also serves on the Executive Council. Howard received the 2006 Most Outstanding Member Award of the NY Chapter of NAELA and the 2007 NYSBA Elder Law Section Award for work as a principal drafter of the NY State Compact for Long Term Care. He earned a B.S. in Accounting from SUNY Albany (summa cum laude) and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Howard is admitted to the New York and Florida State Bars.
Matthew T. McClintock, J.D.
Matthew T. McClintock is executive director at WealthCounsel, LLC and The Advisors Forum. Matt also serves on the teaching faculty for The Advisors Forum and for WealthCounsel. Matt is an experienced estate planning attorney, having practiced estate planning, probate, and trust administration law in Oklahoma City. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma (2000), and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Central Oklahoma (1994). Matt is admitted to practice in Oklahoma and before the United States Supreme Court. Matt’s practice included all aspects of estate planning, including planning for high net worth clients, business formation, administration, and succession planning, asset protection planning, and related areas. Matt has taught many classes on estate planning, end-of-life decision making, and stewardship planning for various religious and non-profit organizations, and has delivered many public and private presentations on estate planning and elder law.
Anne McSweeney
Anne McSweeney and Managing Partner of The Elder Law Key, has a diverse background in community relations and medical social work. The combination of these different backgrounds provides Anne with an innovative perspective for marketing and community relations. Prior to co-founding The Elder Law Key, Anne has worked with Elder Law attorneys on both a national and local level for over eight years. Using her proven marketing strategies, she coaches attorneys and their marketers to build and maintain strong referral relationships which result in referral and revenue increases. Using targeted marketing initiatives, she has been able to help her client’s firms achieve increases of call volumes by as much as 200%. To cite one example, by using her innovative marketing techniques, another firm she worked with increased business by 60% in one year, enabling them to achieve $1 million in revenue for the first time. www.elderlawkey.com | anne@elderlawkey.com
Stan Miller, Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
Stan is the senior shareholder of Miller Law Group, PLLC, a national estate planning law firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a founder and principal of WealthCounsel, LLC, a leading provider of education and document drafting software to attorneys nationwide. He is also a founder and principal of WealthCounsel Advisors Forum, LLC, a national membership organization created for the purpose of improving the quality of interdisciplinary planning between attorneys, financial advisors, and CPA's. Mr. Miller advises clients with respect to a wide range of issues relating to wills and trusts, estate planning, trust administration, corporate and partnership matters, charitable giving, private foundations, supporting organizations, life insurance and taxation. In addition, Mr. Miller counsels clients on matters relating to family owned businesses, including exit and succession planning, governance and control, and the significance of these issues to family relationships.
Peter Parenti, Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
Peter is a wealth strategies estate planning and tax attorney in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to advanced wealth strategies planning, estate planning, and probate and tax law, his practice specializes in real estate transactions, business entities planning, business buy-outs and sell-outs, charitable estate planning, living trusts, family limited partnership creation, and design and asset protection estate planning. Mr. Parenti received his J.D. degree from St. Mary's University School of Law, and his LL.M. degree in taxation from New York University School of Law. He is one of the few attorneys in the state of Texas who is Board Certified as a specialist in both tax law and estate planning and probate law by the State Bar of Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Louis Pierro, Esq., Principal, ElderCounsel
Mr. Pierro is the founder and principal of Pierro Law Group, LLC, and concentrates his practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, Business Succession Planning, and Elder Law. Lou is a frequent lecturer on estate planning, tax planning, and issues that affect the elderly and their families on the state, national, and collegiate levels.
Valerie Peterson, Esq.
Valerie joined ElderCounsel in January, 2008 as Education Director and Member Liaison and in January, 2009, was promoted to Executive Director. Prior to joining ElderCounsel, Valerie was a practicing elder law attorney in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and the owner of Peterson Law Office, P.A. Valerie was a litigator for several years after law school, but decided to focus her practice on elder law after she experienced firsthand the challenges of caring for an elderly loved one. Valerie is a frequent speaker both locally and nationwide on topics pertaining to Elder Law, Special Needs Planning and Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits. Valerie is also responsible for the education curriculum at ElderCounsel, a company that provides numerous live educational events and webinars each year for both new and experienced attorneys. Valerie attended Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas where she received the Order of Barristers award for excellence in courtroom advocacy. Prior to joining ElderCounsel as Education Director, Valerie served as President of the Society of Financial Service Providers, Dade County, and she served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys. Valerie is licensed to practice in Florida and Kansas. For questions about ElderCounsel, you can reach Valerie at 888-789-9908 x81, or via email at valerie.peterson@eldercounsel.com.
Thomas J. Ray, Jr., Esq., Principal, WealthCounsel
Mr. Ray is the primary draftsman of WealthDocx® charitable components. Ray has lectured and written extensively in the charitable tax planning area, and he has conducted seminars and workshops for attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, development officers, and donors throughout the United States. He is the author of the ABA bestselling deskbook entitled Charitable Gift Planning: A Practical Guide for the Estate Planner. Mr. Ray has written two privately published technical training manuals for lawyers on remainder trusts, lead trusts, private foundations, and supporting organizations. He is a member of the Missouri and Oklahoma bars, and is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Ray is a principal in Planned Giving Concepts, Inc., a trust administration company that provides administrative support for charitable remainder trusts, lead trusts, and private foundations.
Vincent Russo, Esq., LL.M., CELA, Principal, ElderCounsel
Mr. Russo is the Managing Shareholder of Vincent J. Russo & Associates, P.C., Long Island's Signature Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning Law Firm. Vincent is a co-founder of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Academy of Special Needs Planners. As a national advocate for people with disabilities, seniors and their families, Mr. Russo has appeared on the NBC's Today Show, WNBC News, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, New York Times Forum, CNBC, the FOX News Network, CSPAN II, as well as numerous other local radio and television programs.
Mary T. Schmitt Smith, Esq.
Mary T. Schmitt Smith established the Theresa Law Center, PC in May 2005 to continue over a twenty year tradition of providing legal advocacy for clients with a passion for protection. The Center, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, advises clients about estate planning, tax and probate options, with a distinct focus on drafting and administration of Special Needs Trusts. Mary is Michigan’s first Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA, 1997), and is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell for the past 10 years. She has served on the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, (NAELA) and was recognized as a Fellow in the Academy in 2003.
Marc Selden, Esq.
Marc is principal and managing attorney at Eagle & Selden, P.C. in New York. He is a nationally recognized speaker on estate planning and asset protection strategies. Marc is resident faculty for The Laureate Center for Wealth Strategies; adjunct faculty for the National Business Institute (NBI) and a Charter member of WealthCounsel’s Speakers Bureau.
Raymond P. Sheffield, Esq., LL.M.
Raymond Sheffield is a well known speaker in the Tax and Estate Planning area. He focuses his practice on all aspects of trusts and estate planning, probate and trust administration, tax and business planning. Raymond’s guiding concern is to give clients clear and straightforward advice on complex areas of the law. He believes that a good lawyer makes things as simple as possible for his clients to understand. Raymond helps his clients implement sophisticated estate plans without unnecessary complexity. Raymond counsels individuals, families, business owners, trustees and executors. He strives to counsel his clients on both the wealth transfer tax issues and the non-monetary issues that revolve around these events. His experiences as a pastor, insurance agent, and stockbroker serve him well in counseling clients regarding the family dynamic and the emotional impact various decisions may have, beyond the financial results.
Cecil Smith, Esq.
Cecil Smith is the founder, owner and President of Cecil Smith & Associates, PC, a law firm with offices in Memphis and Nashville. Cecil, a former IRS Estate Tax Attorney, has practiced law since 1968. Cecil has written over 10,000 wills and trusts and has dedicated his career to assisting clients with their estate and business planning needs. Cecil and his law firm have the highest rating given by Martindale Hubbell, a company which evaluates and rates attorneys nationally.
James B. Swain, Esq.
James has a law degree and a Masters of Business Administration Degree (MBA) from Memphis State University (now University of Memphis), a BA in Human Resource Management from Pepperdine University. He is a graduate of Renaissance Inc.'s Charitable Planning School and he is an accredited Attorney with the Veterans Administration. He is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee. Jim has a unique background with extensive knowledge and experience in Wealth Transfer and Estate Planning, Business Planning, Charitable Giving Planning, Executive Compensation Plans, developing and administrating Qualified and Nonqualified Benefit Plans, and advising Veterans about their Benefits.
Ethan J. Wall, Esq.
Ethan Wall concentrates in complex commercial and intellectual property litigation with an emphasis on trademarks, trade secrets, and the Internet with Richman Greer, P.A. He frequently presents on the effect of social media on the law, and how lawyers and law firms use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn in their practice. Ethan blogs about social media law at http://socialmedialawandorder.com, tweets daily at http://twitter.com/ethanwall (@ethanwall), and can also be reached at ewall@richmangreer.com.
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