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DAVID A BEREK is a partner in the advanced planning and family office practice group at Handler Thayer, LLP, where he focuses his practice on family office structuring and administration, wealth transfer planning, income tax planning, and trusts and estates. Mr. Berek is the editor of the two-volume treatise, Illinois Estate Planning, Will Drafting and Estate Administration Forms with Practical Commentary, published by LexisNexis. He also is an adjunct professor at DePaul University, where he teaches several courses in the masters of science in taxation program, and at the John Marshall Law School, where he teaches advanced income tax in the LL.M. graduate tax program. Mr. Berek is a John S. Nolan Tax Law fellow of the American Bar Association (Tax Section), a former chair of the Tax Practice Management Subcommittee, and a forcer current developments reporter of the Estate and Gift Tax Subcommittee. He is past chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section Council, as well as a past co-chair of the Chicago Bar Association Estate Planning Committee, Young Lawyers Section. Mr. Berek earned his B.S. degree from DePaul University, his J.D. degree, cum laude, and his LL.M. degree, with honors, from the John Marshall Law School. JOSHUA COLEMAN is the founder and CEO of Momentum Risk Management, LLC. He brings a logical and mathematical approach to planning and solution design for his family offices and business owner clients. Mr. Coleman has taken part in designing unique estate liquidity and transfer strategies, as well as charitable giving and asset protection techniques. He is known for his ability to break down complex solutions and structured products to any level. Mr. Coleman earned his bachelor's degree from Villanova University's School of Business in Pennsylvania. ERIC KALNINS is a partner in the Chicago firm of Handler Thayer, LLP, where he practices primarily in the areas of corporate, tax and estate planning with an emphasis in the family office market. He is experienced in the creation and implementation of advanced estate planning techniques for high net-worth clients, including trusts, private foundations, charitable organizations, and the formation and operation of family limited liability companies and the family office structure. Mr. Kalnins also is involved in the firm's asset protection practice that consists, in part, of the planning and implementation of domestic and offshore entities and trusts. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Wisconsin and Arizona, and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the general bar for the Northern Federal District Court of Illinois, the U.S. Tax Court, the Chicago Bar Association, and the American Welfare Benefit Plan, as well as the State Bar of Arizona and the State Bar of Wisconsin. Mr. Kalnins earned his B.A degree from Augustana College, his J.D. degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and his LL.M. degree from DePaul University College of Law. RIMA D. PORTS is an attorney with the law firm Beermann Swerdlove LLP. Ms. Ports focuses her practice on estate, corporate and business planning. Her educational and professional background makes her uniquely qualified to create an effective plan for a business, a family, or both. In truth, Ms. Ports is an experienced business consultant who also happens to practice law. Since joining the firm of Beermann Swerdlove LLP, a prominent family law firm, she has become adept at working through divorce issues with business owners. BARRY P. SIEGAL is an attorney with the law firm of Golan & Christie LLP, where his areas of practice are corporate law and governance, and estate planning and taxation. He is the representation of closey-held businesses, from start-up issues, to maintenance, to business succession planning, with particular emphasis on tax related matters. Mr. Siegal focuses on estate planning and probate with specific emphasis on creative estate tax planning for high net worth individuals; asset protection planning for physicians, traders, real estate developers and real estate investors; estate planning for non-traditional families; and premarital agreements, cohabitation agreements, and domestic partnership agreements. He also handles representation for non-profit entities including public charities, private foundations and charitable trusts. Mr. Siegal was selected as a Super Lawyer and is a member of the Leading Lawyer Network. Mr. Siegal is a member of several legal and professional organizations including Chicago Bar Association, Chicago Estate Planning Council, Greater North Shore Estate and Financial Planning Council, Illinois CPA Society, Illinois Bar Association, and Northwest Suburban Estate Planning Council. He has written and spoken extensively to professional and civil groups. Mr.Siegal was an adjunct professor in estate planning at DePaul Law School. He earned his B.A. degree, with honors, from the University of Illinois, his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1965. JOHN R. WIKTOR is a partner in the law firm of Reed Smith, where he focuses his practice on wealth transfer, business succession, asset protection, and philanthropy planning. He has assisted numerous affluent families, entrepreneurs and family offices seamlessly intergrate their charitable, business succession and wealth transfer planning goals, and design, analyze and implement complex income tax and estate tax planning strategies. Mr. Wiktor routinely uses planning strategies such as GRATs, sales to grantor trusts, offshore trusts, shareholder agreements, marital agreements, and family partnerships and LLCs. In addition, he has placed a special emphasis on creating tax-efficient and philanthropy-focused estate plans using private foundations, charitable trusts and offshore blocker corporations. Mr. Wiktor has also assisted numerous charitable organizations with governance issues and gift acceptance agreements, including the preparation and negotiation of a $30 million grant from a private foundation to an educational institution. He is also involved in the representation of individuals and charitable organizations as beneficiaries in will and trust disputes and in representing individuals and corporate fiduciaries in will and trust contest matters. Mr. Wiktor has also acted as trust counsel for certain financial institutions. He is a frequent lecturer and author in the areas of estate planning, asset protection and charitable planning. Mr. Wiktor has presented for such organizations such as the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Porter County Community Foundation. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Michigan and his J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
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