Joseph N. Blumberg is Senior Vice President — Senior Fiduciary Officer at the Northern Trust Company in Chicago, where he focuses on wealth management. Mr. Blumberg received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Law.
Kenneth A. Goldstein is a Partner at HMB Legal Counsel in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on estate planning, asset protection, and federal income tax law. He is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Goldstein received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Iowa and his J.D. cum laude from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
Robert S. Held is an attorney at Held Law Offices, in Chicago, and represents corporate and individual fiduciaries in complex estate and trust litigation. Held is a Past Chair of the Insurable Interest Sub-Committee of the Trust Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and of the CBA’s Federal Taxation Committee and its Estate and Gift Taxation subcommittee. He received his J.D. from DePaul University, his M.B.A. from Eastern New Mexico University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Michael T. Held is a Deputy Staff Judge Advocate with the United States Marine Corps in San Diego, California. He is also an attorney with Harrison & Held, LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on family law. Mr. Held received his B.A. from Boston University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Grant R. Hendricks is a Partner at Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on trusts and estates. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016 – 2018), is an Executive Member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Trust Law Committee, and is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, for which he served as Co-Chair of the Technology Committee (2018 – 2020). Mr. Hendricks received his B.S. from Indiana University and his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Castles R. Hollis is a Partner with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, where she focuses her practice on employee benefits and executive compensation. She is a member of the ESOP Association’s Public Policy Committee and the National Center for Employee Ownership. Ms. Hollis received her B.S., her J.D., and her M.S. in Taxation from the University of South Carolina.
Ryan M. Holmes is a Member at Clark Hill PLC in Chicago, focusing his practice on real estate and tax and estate planning. He represents a number of business owners, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives at public companies, physicians, and individual executors and trustees, including corporate fiduciaries. He administers trusts and estates at any stage, including through controversies both inside and outside of court. Mr. Holmes received his B.A. from Knox College and his J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
Cindy M. Johnson is a Managing Member of Johnson Legal Group, LLC, in Chicago, where she focuses her practice in bankruptcy, commercial litigation and post-judgment enforcement. She is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, and the Illinois Creditors Bar Association. Ms. Johnson received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Kenneth T. Little is Associate Tax Counsel at The Northern Trust Company in Chicago. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Little received his B.B.A. from Howard University and his J.D. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Ben A. Neiburger is an attorney at Generation Law, Ltd., in Elmhurst, where he focuses on elder law. He is a past member of the IICLE® Board of Directors. He is a member of the Illinois State and DuPage County Bar Associations and of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr. Neiburger received his B.A. from the University of Illinois, passed the Illinois CPA exam, and received his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Ayssa J. Palacios is an associate at Clark Hill PLC in San Antonio, Texas, where she focuses on tax law. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section Leadership Academy, a pro bono attorney for the U.S. Tax Court Pro Bono Program, and a training coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Adopt-a-Base program. Ms. Palacios received her B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas — Pan American, her J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
Hallie J. Ritzu is the Founder of Olive Avenue LLC in Chicago, where she focuses her practice in estate planning and advising. She is an Advisory Board Member of the Center for Practice Engagement and Innovation at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and an adjunct professor of legal practice at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Ms. Ritzu received her B.A. from the College of Charleston, her M.A. from Middlebury College, and her J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Sandra M. Schildgen is a Partner at Wilson & Wilson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC in Northbrook and LaGrange, where she focuses her practice on estate planning and elder law. She is a former Board Member of Life’s Plan and a member of the Illinois State Bar Association. Ms. Schildgen received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Steven B. Weinstein founded the independent investment advisory firm Altair Advisers LLC in Chicago in 2002 after nearly two decades with Arthur Andersen. He is a member of the CFA Society Chicago, the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and the Economic Club of Chicago. He has been named one of Barron’s top 100 independent financial advisers, a Worth magazine top wealth adviser, and one of Chicago Magazine’s top 10 financial advisers. He received his B.A. with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University and his J.D. cum laude and M.B.A. with distinction from Northwestern University.
Mary-Ann Wilson is a Partner at Harrison & Held, LLP, in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration. She is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in estate planning (2006 – 2015). She presented Buy-Sell Agreements and Sales Strategies for Succession Plans and Other Estate Planning Techniques Uniquely Applicable to Small Businesses at IICLE®’s BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR THE FAMILY BUSINESS course (2010 and 2011). Ms. Wilson received her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and the Order of Coif.
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