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MICHAEL H. ERDE is the principal in the Chicago law firm of Michael H. Erde & Associates, P.C., where, since 1969, he has focused his practice on estate planning, elder law, probate, guardianships, business and corporate law, and real estate leases. He is certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation (the Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certification). Mr. Erde is a member of the Greater North Shore Estate Planning (treasurer) and Financial Planners Council, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He has been an instructor/lecturer for many years on estates and trusts, elder law and asset protection. Mr. Erde is an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School, where he teaches classes on elder law. Mr. Erde also has written numerous articles on wills, trusts and elder law issues. He earned his B.S.B.A. degree from Washington University, his J.D. degree from the University of Illinois, and has graduate credits in taxation from The John Marshall Law School. Mr. Erde founded the Asset Protection Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, where he was a former chairman and member. He also is a member of the Probate Committee of the local bar. He also is former chair of the Business and Financial Advice Section of the Illinois State Bar Association and former director of the Irene Josselyn Center for Mental Health. GINA FORGIANNI GRAY is an associate with the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, where her main areas of practice include estate planning, wills and trusts. She is board-certified by the Illinois Bar. Ms. Forgianni Gray is a member of the American and Chicago bar associations. She received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from the University of Chicago and her J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. REBECCA WALLENFELSZ is a partner in the trust and estate department in the law firm of Chapman and Cutler LLP, where her practice focuses on estate and trust administration, charitable planning, business succession planning, income tax planning and compliance, fiduciary litigation, estate and gift planning, trust counsel services, and trusts and estates. She has extensive experience in drafting a variety of wills and trusts, such as pour-over wills, living trusts, minor's trusts, Crummey trusts and irrevocable insurance trusts. Ms. Wallenfelsz has lectured other attorneys and has written articles on issues for the U.S. beneficiaries of foreign trusts and the minimum distribution rules for IRAs. She earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame and her J.D. degree, cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago. Ms. Wallenfelsz is a member of the American (chair, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section), the Chicago (member, Trust Law Committee 2002-2003; chair, sub-committee on Current Events; chair, Federal Tax Law Committee, Tax Division, 2004-2006, secretary for Executive Committee for 2007-2008) and the Illinois State bar associations (Trusts & Estates and Section on Federal Taxation).
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