Svetlana V. Bekman
Svetlana V. Bekman
Svetlana V. Bekman is a senior trust attorney at the Legal Department of The Northern Trust Company in Chicago. Prior to joining The Northern Trust Company, Ms. Bekman was a partner in the Private Clients Group of Schiff Hardin LLP. She speaks and publishes articles and chapters on various aspects of IRAs and other retirement plans. Most recently, she wrote an article entitled IRA Administration for High Net Worth Clients and Their Beneficiaries — Unique Challenges and Best Practices for Financial Institutions for the ACTEC Law Journal, and spoke on “Protecting Inherited IRA Assets From Creditors” at the Annual Estate Planning Short Course for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Ms. Bekman received her law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law and served as a clerk to the Honorable Elaine E. Bucklo (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois).
Jane Gorman Ditelberg
Jane Gorman Ditelberg
Jane Gorman Ditelberg is Assistant General Counsel and Senior Vice President at The Northern Trust Company in Chicago. As a member of Northern Trust’s Legal Department, she provides legal counsel to the bank in its role as executor, trustee, and guardian. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (Committees on Amicus Briefs (Vice Chair), State Laws, Employee Benefits, and Diversity and Inclusivity). She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where she served on the Task Force for the Illinois Trust Code and as Chair of the Estate and Gift Tax Subcommittee, and of the Chicago Estate Planning Council. She is a frequent author and lecturer on a wide range of estate and tax planning topics for groups including ACTEC, IICLE^®, the Heckerling Estate Planning Institute, and the University of Notre Dame Estate Planning Conference.
Mary C. Downie
Mary C. Downie
Mary C. Downie is Executive Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at The Northern Trust Company, in Chicago, where she advises Northern Trust, as trustee and in its corporate capacity, on complex legal, fiduciary, and regulatory issues involving trusts, decedents’ estates, and guardianship estates. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 2008 and a member of the American Bankers Association. Ms. Downie received her B.A. summa cum laude from Albion College, where she was a Fellow, and her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review.
Hugh F. Drake
Hugh F. Drake
No bio available.
Robert S. Held
Robert S. Held
Robert S. Held is an attorney at Held Law Offices, in Chicago, who represents corporate and individual fiduciaries — as well as beneficiaries — in complex estate and trust litigation, guardianship matters, and commercial litigation. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and Past Chair of its Trust Law Committee’s Insurable Interest Subcommittee, its Federal Taxation Committee, and its Estate and Gift Taxation Subcommittee. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo, his MBA from Eastern New Mexico University, and his J.D. from DePaul University.
MacKenzie A. Hyde
MacKenzie A. Hyde
MacKenzie A. Hyde is a Member at Clark Hill PLC, in Chicago, and co-leads the firm’s Trusts and Estates Controversy practice, where she litigates on behalf of individuals and financial institutions. Hyde has been named a Leading Lawyer in Chicago by Leading Lawyers (2024 – 2025) and named among The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates by Best Lawyers (2025). She received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, her MAT from Dominican University, River Forest, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona.
Sally D. King
Sally D. King
No bio available.
Steven R. Lifson
Steven R. Lifson
Steven R. Lifson is a retired Partner with Seyfarth Shaw LLP, in Chicago, and concentrated his practice on employee benefits and ERISA. Mr. Lifson is a member of the ESOP Association; the National Center for Employee Ownership; and the American, Illinois, and Chicago Bar Associations. Mr. Lifson obtained his undergraduate degree with honors from Boston University. He received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law and his M.S. with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Law.
Kenneth F. Lorch
Kenneth F. Lorch
Kenneth F. Lorch, a Partner in the firm of Hamilton Thies & Lorch LLP in Chicago, concentrates his practice in business and financial planning and estate administration. Mr. Lorch is on the Professional Advisory Committees of the Lincoln Park Zoo, Jewish Federation of Chicago, and Chicago Community Trust. He has received the Chicago Bar Association’s David C. Hilliard Award for Outstanding Service to the Legal Community, has been selected an Illinois Super Lawyer since its inception, and has been selected an Illinois Leading Lawyer since 2001. Mr. Lorch is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and the Chicago Council on Planned Giving and is admitted in Illinois as a certified public account. He received his B.S.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.
Rita E. Luce
Rita E. Luce
Rita E. Luce is a Partner at Harrison & Held, LLP, in Chicago, concentrating her practice in estate planning and estate and trust administration. She is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and is included in the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, and she has given numerous speeches and presentations to bar association groups, continuing legal education programs, law schools, financial planners, brokers, and social clubs. Ms. Luce received her B.S. from Michigan State University and her J.D. cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Stephanie M. Radliff
Stephanie M. Radliff
No bio available.
Jay P. Tarshis
Jay P. Tarshis
Jay P. Tarshis is a Partner at Arnstein & Lehr LLP in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice on estate planning and administration, taxation, and general corporate law. Mr. Tarshis has been selected a Leading Lawyer and frequently speaks on tax, estate planning, asset protection, family wealth planning, and related issues. He is admitted to the bars of the State of Illinois, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Tarshis received his B.S. from Northwestern University and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Ryan A. Walsh
Ryan A. Walsh
Ryan A. Walsh is a Partner at Hamilton Thies & Lorch LLP, in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice on estate planning and trust and estate administration. Mr. Walsh is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the American Bar Association (Section of Taxation, Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, Estate and Gift Tax Committee Vice-Chair), the Illinois State Bar Association (Federal Taxation Section Council and Trusts and Estates Section), the Chicago Bar Association (Trust Law Executive Committee), and the American Cancer Society Planned Giving Sub-Committee. He was named an Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2012, 2013, and 2014. He received his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he was a staff editor of the Loyola University Chicago Consumer Law Review.
Steven B. Weinstein
Steven B. Weinstein
Steven B. Weinstein is Chair of the independent investment advisory firm Altair Advisers LLC in Chicago, which he founded 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 American Bar Association. He received his BA with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University and his JD, cum laude, and MBA with distinction from Northwestern University.
Mary-Ann Wilson
Mary-Ann Wilson
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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Retirement Benefits Issues in Estate Planning (ARCHIVED 2012 EDITION)

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Svetlana V. Bekman

Jane Gorman Ditelberg

Mary C. Downie

Hugh F. Drake

Robert S. Held

MacKenzie A. Hyde

Sally D. King

Steven R. Lifson

Kenneth F. Lorch

Rita E. Luce

Stephanie M. Radliff

Jay P. Tarshis

Ryan A. Walsh

Steven B. Weinstein

Mary-Ann Wilson

Retirement Benefits Issues in Estate Planning (ARCHIVED 2012 EDITION)