Jackson Walker partners Michael Baldwin, Tom Groves, Sam Hildebrand and Michael Kaufman spoke at the 7th Annual Dallas CPA Society Education Conference on May 26, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. JW partner Willie Hornberger chaired the event.
Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Groves and Mr. Hildebrand spoke on “Estate and Gift Tax Legislation Update: Planning and Possibilities in a Whole New World.” Their speech addressed the continuing uncertainty surrounding the Federal Estate Tax as a result of The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. The session provided guidance on how to address estate tax issues for 2010 decedents and highlighted planning opportunities under the new law.
Mr. Kaufman moderated and participated in a panel presentation titled “Corporate Governance for Nonprofits – Policies, Conflicts And Duties.” The panel discussion described best practices for corporate governance of nonprofit organizations, including how to deal with conflicts of interest, governance policies, ethics considerations, and other relevant governance issues.
Mr. Baldwin’s wealth transfer planning and private client practice focuses on representation of and counsel to high net worth individuals, affluent families, family offices, family and non-family business entities, estates, trusts, and charitable entities. The primary focus of Mr. Baldwin’s representation of individuals and families is the preservation of wealth and the efficient transfer of wealth among generations. Mr. Baldwin has extensive experience in drafting individualized estate planning documents, representing fiduciaries of estates and trusts, and creating and representing various charitable trusts and charitable organizations. Mr. Baldwin received his B.A. in business from Baylor University, his J.D. from Louisiana State University and his LL.M (Tax) from the University of Denver. Mr. Baldwin is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Mr. Groves practices in the Wealth Planning and Transfer, Tax and International sections of Jackson Walker. He has extensive experience representing a wide variety of clients in all aspects of estate planning and estate and trust administration. Mr. Groves received his B.A. degree from Southern Illinois University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Notes and Comments Editor of the Southwestern Law Journal.
Mr. Hildebrand is in the Wealth Planning practice area. He is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning and Probate Law, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a Certified Public Accountant. He received his A.A. from Schreiner University, his B.B.A., with highest honors, from the University of Texas at Austin, and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Mr. Hornberger practices in the Tax and International sections of Jackson Walker. His tax practice emphasizes transactional and international tax matters and tax controversy issues. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Hornberger received both his B.B.A. degree, with high honors, and his J.D. degree, with honors, from the University of Texas, and he received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University. He is fluent in the Spanish language.
Mr. Kaufman practices in the areas of wealth planning and estate and trust administration, and charitable organizations. Mr. Kaufman’s practice has encompassed all areas of individual and family asset planning including design, drafting and implementation of family limited partnerships and related entities, public and private charitable entities, charitable lead and remainder trusts, wills, insurance trusts, revocable (or “living” trusts), and other taxable and nontaxable gift transactions. Mr. Kaufman’s experience ranges from planning for the disposition of small simple estates through planning for management and disposition of complex estates with assets in excess of one billion dollars. He received both his B.A. degree in Psychology, with honors, and his J.D. degree from the University of Texas. As an undergraduate, Mr. Kaufman was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
