Course1

Trust and Estate Planning for Collectibles, Art & Other Unusual Assets

$79.00

Art, collectibles, cars, jewelry and other unique assets, perhaps handed down for generations in a family, may form a large share a client’s estate.  Unlike more traditional assets, these non-traditional assets pose special challenges for planners.  There are issues of valuation – how do you value a painting, even by a well-known artist? – and liquidity.  Though very valuable, these objects do not have liquid markets.  There are also many issues surrounding the lifetime or post-mortem transfer of control of these assets, tax issues, and, in some instances, intellectual property issues.  These and many other issues can be fascinating but also frustrating. This program will provide you with a practical guide to trust and estate planning for art, collectibles, jewelry, and other unique assets.    Trust and estate planning issues for art, collectibles, jewelry, cars, and other unique assets The problem of valuing unique objects Liquidity and paying taxes and expenses for objects with great value but small markets Irrevocable trust planning for art and collectibles Lifetime and post-mortem charitable giving during the donor’s lifetime Succession planning for unique objects Issues related to fractional ownership interests Art executors and special powers of attorney Estate administration issues   Speakers: Jeremiah W. Doyle, IV is senior vice president in the Boston office of BNY Mellon Wealth Management, where he provides integrated wealth management advice to high net worth individuals on holding, managing and transferring wealth in a tax-efficient manner.  He is the editor and co-author of “Preparing Fiduciary Income Tax Returns,” a contributing author of Preparing Estate Tax Returns, and a contributing author of “Understanding and Using Trusts,” all published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.  Mr. Doyle received his B.S. from Providence College, his J.D. from Hamline University Law School, and his LL.M. in banking from Boston University Law School. Blanche Lark Christerson is a managing director at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management in New York City, where she works with clients and their advisors to help develop estate, gift, tax, and wealth transfer planning strategies.  Earlier in her career she was a vice president in the estate planning department of U.S. Trust Company.  She also practiced law with Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York City.  Ms. Christerson is the author of the monthly newsletter “Tax Topics."  She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, her J.D. from New York Law School and her LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law.

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  • 9/30/2023
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Ethics, Disqualification and Sanctions in Litigation

$79.00

Disqualification standards have their roots in conflicts of interests. When an attorney has a conflict that rises to a certain level, he or she is disqualified from representing a certain party in litigation. Though ethics rules substantially overlap with disqualification standards, those standards do not follow traditional conflicts analysis in every detail.  Indeed, the relationship between conflicts of interest (and related confidentiality concerns) and disqualification is highly nuanced, varying depending on facts of each case.  There are also substantial issues in the context of joint representations, including whether the disqualification of one attorney necessarily disqualifies co-counsel.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to attorney ethics rules and their relationship to disqualification in litigation.   Attorney ethics, conflicts of interest, and disqualification standards How ethics rules and disqualification standards overlap and vary from each other Ethics standards and tests for obtaining – or defending against disqualification Joint representations and disqualification – if co-counsel is disqualified, are you? Screening for conflicts of interest and the risk of imputation of conflicts/disqualification to other attorneys Ethical sanctions and their relationship to disqualification   Speaker: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 10/1/2023
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"Founding Documents": Drafting Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws, Part 1

$79.00

  Though LLCs have become a default choice of entity for many businesses, corporations – C Corps and S Corps – still produce optimal results for many family-held businesses or businesses operating in industries where the corporate is preferred or required.  The founding documents of corporations – Articles of Incorporation, Stockholders’ Agreements, and bylaws – are complex, interlocking instruments that create and regulate the capital structure, governance, and finance of the business.  Very important issues of who can own stock, how that stock is valued and transferred, how major corporate decisions are made, and how disputes are resolved are all determined by these documents. This program will provide you with a practical guide to planning and drafting the essential founding documents of corporations.  Day 1: Practical planning and drafting founding documents Counseling clients about the allocation of voting power and distribution preferences Framework of law – what’s required, what can be modified, what’s discretionary Defining common stock characteristics – classes, voting rights Uses of preferred stock – classes, rights, preferences Tax issues to consider when drafting founding documents Day 2: Instituting boards of directors – duties, restrictions, indemnification Approval of shareholders – major transactions, voting thresholds, procedures Restrictions on the transferability of stock Major components of corporate bylaws Common traps in drafting founding documents – avoiding later litigation  Speaker:  Eric J. Zinn is of counsel in the Denver office of Kutak Rock, LLP.  He represents clients in clients in matters involving corporate, individual and partnership taxation, state and local taxation, and corporate mergers, acquisitions and finance. He is a frequent lecturer on topics including the proper choice of legal entity for the operation of a business enterprise, drafting operating agreements for limited liability companies, international taxation, partnership taxation, and like-kind exchanges.  He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado-Denver Business School and at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder. He is the author of "Colorado Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual,” published by Data Trace Publishing. Before entering private practice he served as a judicial clerk to the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Zinn earned his B.A. from the University of the South, J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida College of Law, and M.S. in finance, M.S. in information systems, and M.B.A. from the University of Colorado-Denver.    

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  • 10/6/2023
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"Founding Documents": Drafting Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws, Part 2

$79.00

  Though LLCs have become a default choice of entity for many businesses, corporations – C Corps and S Corps – still produce optimal results for many family-held businesses or businesses operating in industries where the corporate is preferred or required.  The founding documents of corporations – Articles of Incorporation, Stockholders’ Agreements, and bylaws – are complex, interlocking instruments that create and regulate the capital structure, governance, and finance of the business.  Very important issues of who can own stock, how that stock is valued and transferred, how major corporate decisions are made, and how disputes are resolved are all determined by these documents. This program will provide you with a practical guide to planning and drafting the essential founding documents of corporations.  Day 1: Practical planning and drafting founding documents Counseling clients about the allocation of voting power and distribution preferences Framework of law – what’s required, what can be modified, what’s discretionary Defining common stock characteristics – classes, voting rights Uses of preferred stock – classes, rights, preferences Tax issues to consider when drafting founding documents Day 2: Instituting boards of directors – duties, restrictions, indemnification Approval of shareholders – major transactions, voting thresholds, procedures Restrictions on the transferability of stock Major components of corporate bylaws Common traps in drafting founding documents – avoiding later litigation  Speaker:  Eric J. Zinn is of counsel in the Denver office of Kutak Rock, LLP.  He represents clients in clients in matters involving corporate, individual and partnership taxation, state and local taxation, and corporate mergers, acquisitions and finance. He is a frequent lecturer on topics including the proper choice of legal entity for the operation of a business enterprise, drafting operating agreements for limited liability companies, international taxation, partnership taxation, and like-kind exchanges.  He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado-Denver Business School and at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder. He is the author of "Colorado Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual,” published by Data Trace Publishing. Before entering private practice he served as a judicial clerk to the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Zinn earned his B.A. from the University of the South, J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida College of Law, and M.S. in finance, M.S. in information systems, and M.B.A. from the University of Colorado-Denver.    

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  • 10/7/2023
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Tax Planning for Real Estate, Part 1

$79.00

  Tax issues in major real estate transactions – property development, long-term ownership, build-and-sell, like-kind exchanges – often drive the structures of these deals. If not properly considered, tax issues can also have a major adverse impact on the underlying economics of a deal.  The structure of a transaction can impact the timing and amount of gain, the treatment of losses (often very valuable to participants), and even the tax rate.  At every stage of a transaction, tax plays an important role.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to major tax planning issues in real estate deals, including choice of entity, capital gains and distribution planning, and advanced like-kind exchange issues.   Day 1: Choice of entity considerations – contributions, distributions, and eventual sales Acquiring property in a form to minimize taxes later Understanding allocation and distribution provisions – layered allocations, target/forced allocations, built-in-gain (or loss) allocations Understanding and drafting for continuing ownership, including capital shifts and other shifts in ownership Deductions arising from non-recourse debt and minimum gain chargebacks   Day 2: Advanced Like-Kind techniques for deferring gain on the disposition of property Techniques for using partnerships – mixing bowl partnerships, freeze partnerships, leveraged acquisition partnerships Installment sales and cross-purchase/redemption agreements Capital gain tax planning and the 3.8% tax on net investment income   Speakers: Leon Andrew Immerman is a partner in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird, LLP, where he concentrates on federal income tax matters, including domestic and international tax planning and transactional work for joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. He formerly served as chair of the Committee on Taxation of the ABA Business Law Section and as chair of the Partnership and LLC Committee of the State Bar of Georgia Business Law Section.  He is also co-author of “Georgia Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual” (2d ed. 1999, and annual supplements).  Mr. Immerman received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Carleton College, his M.A. from the University of Minnesota, and another M.A. and his Ph.D. from Princeton University, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.   Saba Ashraf is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Ballard Spahr, LLP and co-practice leader of the firm’s tax group. She advises clients worldwide on corporate and partnership taxation matters and has managed the tax aspects of a wide range of complex business transactions, including coordination with internal and external non-tax counsel and financial advisers. She handles the tax-related issues involved in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures,  debt restructurings and loan workouts, and the tax aspects of REITs and investments in real estate.  She is past chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Tax Committee.  Ms. Ashraf earned her B.S., cum laude, from New York University, her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, and her LL.M. in tax from New York University School of Law.    

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  • 10/13/2023
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Course1

Tax Planning for Real Estate, Part 2

$79.00

  Tax issues in major real estate transactions – property development, long-term ownership, build-and-sell, like-kind exchanges – often drive the structures of these deals. If not properly considered, tax issues can also have a major adverse impact on the underlying economics of a deal.  The structure of a transaction can impact the timing and amount of gain, the treatment of losses (often very valuable to participants), and even the tax rate.  At every stage of a transaction, tax plays an important role.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to major tax planning issues in real estate deals, including choice of entity, capital gains and distribution planning, and advanced like-kind exchange issues.   Day 1: Choice of entity considerations – contributions, distributions, and eventual sales Acquiring property in a form to minimize taxes later Understanding allocation and distribution provisions – layered allocations, target/forced allocations, built-in-gain (or loss) allocations Understanding and drafting for continuing ownership, including capital shifts and other shifts in ownership Deductions arising from non-recourse debt and minimum gain chargebacks   Day 2: Advanced Like-Kind techniques for deferring gain on the disposition of property Techniques for using partnerships – mixing bowl partnerships, freeze partnerships, leveraged acquisition partnerships Installment sales and cross-purchase/redemption agreements Capital gain tax planning and the 3.8% tax on net investment income   Speakers: Leon Andrew Immerman is a partner in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird, LLP, where he concentrates on federal income tax matters, including domestic and international tax planning and transactional work for joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. He formerly served as chair of the Committee on Taxation of the ABA Business Law Section and as chair of the Partnership and LLC Committee of the State Bar of Georgia Business Law Section.  He is also co-author of “Georgia Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual” (2d ed. 1999, and annual supplements).  Mr. Immerman received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Carleton College, his M.A. from the University of Minnesota, and another M.A. and his Ph.D. from Princeton University, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.   Saba Ashraf is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Ballard Spahr, LLP and co-practice leader of the firm’s tax group. She advises clients worldwide on corporate and partnership taxation matters and has managed the tax aspects of a wide range of complex business transactions, including coordination with internal and external non-tax counsel and financial advisers. She handles the tax-related issues involved in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures,  debt restructurings and loan workouts, and the tax aspects of REITs and investments in real estate.  She is past chair of the ABA Business Law Section’s Tax Committee.  Ms. Ashraf earned her B.S., cum laude, from New York University, her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, and her LL.M. in tax from New York University School of Law.    

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  • 10/14/2023
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Family Feuds in Trust and Estate Planning: Counseilng Clients About Dispute Avoidance

$79.00

Family feuds are the most destructive force in trust and estate planning. When a senior generation of a family dies or decides to pull back from leading a family business, long suppressed rivalries, disputes and inter-personal conflicts rise to the surface and have often a substantially adverse impact on the business’s operations and value. These disputes often place planners in the extremely difficult spot of having gain the trust of warring factions, understand their grievances, and use the tools of planning to help them and the company find a value-preserving resolution of their conflicts. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to identifying and resolving family feuds in trusts. Sources of family feuds in trusts and techniques to resolve short of litigation Disputes involving distributions, control of family assets, personal rivalries, lack of communication Techniques for resolution – outside consultants, ongoing family meetings, lifetime gifting, distribution standards How choosing trustees can provoke or dampen family disputes How to work with warring family factions while protecting yourself as lawyer Speaker: Steven B. Malech is partner in the New York City office of Wiggin and Dana, LLP, where he is chair of the firm’s probate litigation practice group.  He represents beneficiaries, fiduciaries and creditors in disputes involving alleged violations of the Prudent Investor Act and its predecessors, alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, disputed accountings, and will contests. He represents clients in cutting edge probate litigation matters involving trusts and estates with assets in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr. Malech received his B.A., with special honors, from the University of Texas and his J.D. from the Connecticut School of Law

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  • 10/15/2023
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Course1

Drafting Arbitration Agreements in Business and Commercial Transactions

$79.00

One of the biggest risks in most business, commercial, or real estate agreements is the risk of dispute and costly, protracted litigation. Arbitration agreements are one of the primary methods by which this substantial risk of loss is contained. Rather than the parties resorting to costly litigation, they are required to seek resolution of their dispute before a neutral arbiter, whose decision in the matter is final and cannot be litigated. Though these agreements are effective mechanisms for dispute resolution and cost containment, they are also highly controversial. This program will provide you with a practical guide the law governing arbitration agreements and drafting their major provisions.   Framework of law governing arbitration agreements Practical uses in business, commercial, and real estate transactions Circumstances where arbitration is effective v. ineffective Counseling clients about the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs of arbitration agreements Scope of arbitration, mandatory nature, and rules used Defining applicable law, arbiter selection, and method of arbitration Judgment on award, review by courts (if any), interim relief   Speaker: Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.  Ms. Bell earned her B.S. from the University of Iowa and her J.D. from the University of Denver.

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  • 60
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  • 10/21/2023
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Ethics of Identifying Your Client: It's Not Always Easy

$79.00

The first step in every ethics analysis is answering the question, who is your client?  It’s seemingly a very easy question to answer, but it’s not always 20/20 except in hindsight.  Representing multiple parties on the same matter, whether in litigation or on a transaction, may mean you have many clients, some or all with conflicts.   If you’re a private practitioner and you represent an organization, your client may be the entity, its officers from whom you are taking directions, or possibly both. If you’re an in-house attorney, the analysis – and its implications for the attorney-client privilege – becomes even more complex.  This program will provide you with a real world guide to ethics of identifying your client in a variety of settings avoiding conflicts of interest with the client.  Ethics and identifying your client and avoiding conflicts in transactions and litigation Representing businesses entities, nonprofit associations, and the government – client v. person giving directions Identifying clients in trust and estate planning – the testator or the person paying your fees? Special ethical challenges and ethical risks for in-house counsel and attorney-client privilege issues How to untangle clients and conflicts in joint representations – managing conflicts and information flows Best practices in documenting client representation to avoid later challenge   Speakers: Elizabeth Treubert Simon is an ethics attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she advises on a wide range of ethics and compliance-related matters to support Akin Gump’s offices worldwide.  Previously, she practiced law in Washington DC and New York, focusing on business and commercial litigation and providing counsel to clients regarding professional ethics and attorney disciplinary procedures.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Discipline and the District of Columbia Legal Ethics Committee.  She writes and speaks extensively on attorney ethics issues.   She received her B.A. and M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Albany Law School.   Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a broad complex commercial, business and securities litigation practice. He also has a substantial practice advising businesses on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 20 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 60
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  • 10/30/2023
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Private Placements: Raising Capital from Investors, Part 1

$79.00

Closely held companies raise capital through private placements, an offering of stock or other securities to private investors. Offerings of every size must comply with a dense set of federal securities regulation that require the offering of securities to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or qualify for an exemption from registration, mostly commonly Regulation D.  Failure to understand the regulatory framework and draft private placement documents exposes the offering company to substantial financial liability. This program will provide you with a practical guide to planning private placements, drafting the operative agreements, and understanding the regulatory framework governing them.   Day 1: How private placements are used as a practical matter in capital raises Understanding the securities law and regulatory framework of private placements Reliance on Reg. D safe harbor to avoid registration – amounts raised, accredited investor, timeframes, non-solicitation Understanding exempt securities v. exempt offerings   Day 2: Practical guidance on drafting subscription agreements Understanding disclosures in offering documents and liability for issuer of securities Special issues for small private placements Crowdfunding as a capital raising tool   Speaker: S. Lee Terry is a partner in the Denver office of Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, where he has a broad corporate and securities practice.  He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partnership agreements, licensing and other technology related contracts.  He has an active practice advising private companies, ranging from capital raising and major transactions to dispute resolution and investigations. He also has an extensive securities law practice, including various types of capital raising transactions.  Earlier in his career, he worked in the Office of General Counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Terry earned his A.B. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Wayne State University.

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  • 60
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  • 11/3/2023
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Private Placements: Raising Capital from Investors, Part 2

$79.00

Closely held companies raise capital through private placements, an offering of stock or other securities to private investors. Offerings of every size must comply with a dense set of federal securities regulation that require the offering of securities to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or qualify for an exemption from registration, mostly commonly Regulation D.  Failure to understand the regulatory framework and draft private placement documents exposes the offering company to substantial financial liability. This program will provide you with a practical guide to planning private placements, drafting the operative agreements, and understanding the regulatory framework governing them.   Day 1: How private placements are used as a practical matter in capital raises Understanding the securities law and regulatory framework of private placements Reliance on Reg. D safe harbor to avoid registration – amounts raised, accredited investor, timeframes, non-solicitation Understanding exempt securities v. exempt offerings   Day 2: Practical guidance on drafting subscription agreements Understanding disclosures in offering documents and liability for issuer of securities Special issues for small private placements Crowdfunding as a capital raising tool   Speaker: S. Lee Terry is a partner in the Denver office of Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, where he has a broad corporate and securities practice.  He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partnership agreements, licensing and other technology related contracts.  He has an active practice advising private companies, ranging from capital raising and major transactions to dispute resolution and investigations. He also has an extensive securities law practice, including various types of capital raising transactions.  Earlier in his career, he worked in the Office of General Counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Terry earned his A.B. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Wayne State University.

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  • 11/4/2023
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Trust and Estate Planning with Low (and Volatile) Interest Rates

$79.00

Interest rates are at historically low levels and the Federal Reserve has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so for the foreseeable future.  Low rates create both opportunities and traps for estate planners.  Several advanced planning techniques, including self-cancelling installment notes on sales of property to family members, rely on low rates to achieve tax-favored results. Though these planning techniques lower estate and gift taxes, they also produce income tax traps.  For instance, if not properly structured, loans at low rates to a family member might result in imputed interest on the loan being attributed to the benefactor. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the estate and gift planning structures in a low interest rate environment and how to avoid income tax traps. Techniques for capitalizing on low interest rates in estate and trust planning Common income tax traps, including imputed interest on a loan to a child and election mistakes Utilizing installment sales to family members and low rate loans Techniques for using GRATs and Charitable Lead Trusts Understanding sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts Self-cancelling installment notes   Speaker: Jeremiah W. Doyle, IV is senior vice president in the Boston office of BNY Mellon Wealth Management, where he provides integrated wealth management advice to high net worth individuals on holding, managing and transferring wealth in a tax-efficient manner.  He is the editor and co-author of “Preparing Fiduciary Income Tax Returns,” a contributing author of Preparing Estate Tax Returns, and a contributing author of “Understanding and Using Trusts,” all published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.  Mr. Doyle received his B.S. from Providence College, his J.D. form Hamline University Law School, and his LL.M. in banking from Boston University Law School.

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  • 11/5/2023
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Ethics in Discovery Practice

$79.00

Discovery can be the most important phase of litigation, directing the course and outcome of the case.  How evidence is discovered, how it is used, and how mistakes in its handling are disclosed and remedied all raise very significant ethical issues. These issues – the risk of mishandling – are increased by the vast growth of ESI, electronically stored information. Litigators have certain obligations that their vendors comply with ethics rules. There are also issues surrounding the use of paralegals in discovery practice.  Failure to ensure ethics compliance during discovery can have a material adverse impact on the underlying litigation and draw an ethics complaint.  This program will provide you with a real-world guide to substantial issues ethical issues that arise in discovery practice and how to avoid ethics complaints.    Duty of candor to the tribunal during discovery Ethical issues when you learn that a client is dishonest Inadvertent disclosure privileged documents and their handling Ethics in depositions – conferring with witnesses, using video depositions and more Ethical issues in widespread data mining of discovery documents Issues involving metadata in electronic files – documents, email, text messages Attorney-client privilege and security issues of working with outside e-discovery vendors Ethics and social media discovery   Speakers: Elizabeth Treubert Simon is an ethics attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she advises on a wide range of ethics and compliance-related matters to support Akin Gump’s offices worldwide.  Previously, she practiced law in Washington DC and New York, focusing on business and commercial litigation and providing counsel to clients regarding professional ethics and attorney disciplinary procedures.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Discipline and the District of Columbia Legal Ethics Committee.  She writes and speaks extensively on attorney ethics issues.   She received her B.A. and M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Albany Law School.   Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 11/6/2023
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Lawyer Ethics When Storing Files in the Cloud

$79.00

Most files are now stored in the “cloud,” a global network of servers that store files for organizations of every size, including law firms.  Many applications, including word processing, email and billing software packages that are used daily by lawyers and law firms, are also stored and used in the cloud.  This dramatic shift in the way files are created, modified, stored, and shared has substantial implications for law firms.   The first is a duty of competence requirement that lawyers understand how the technology they employ works and how it might impact client communications and confidentiality, among many other issues.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to ethical issues when lawyers and law firm store and create files in the cloud.   Technology competence as an ethical duty of competence Ethical benchmarks and diligence for ensuring file and communication confidentiality in the cloud Mobile access – issues when the cloud is used via smartphone or tablet What if your client uses the cloud but you do not? Attorney-client privilege issues when using the cloud to communicate Internal policies – ensuring law firm security supplements cloud security   Speakers: Matthew Corbin is Senior Vice President and Executive Director in the Professional Services Group of AON Risk Services, where he consults with the company’s law firm clients on professional responsibility and liability issues.  Before joining AON, he was a partner with Lathrop & Gage, LLP, where he was a trial and appellate lawyer handling professional liability, commercial, business tort, employment, construction, insurance, and regulatory matters. Before entering private practice, he served as a judicial clerk to Judge Mary Briscoe of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.  Mr. Corbin earned his B.A. from the University of Kansas and his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law. Mark A. Webster is Vice President and Director in the Professional Services Group of AON Risk Services.  He consults with the company’s law firm clients on professional responsibility and liability issues.? Before joining AON, he was a partner with Lathrop & Gage, LLP, where he had an extensive real estate transactions practice.  Mr. Webster received his B.A. from the University of Kansas and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. 

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  • 11/18/2023
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Environmental Liability in Commercial Real Estate Transactions

$79.00

Environmental liability is one the biggest risks in acquiring and/or developing commercial real estate. When environmental risk is not accurately assessed, allocated and/or hedged, the parties to the deal are exposed to very substantial financial liability and the fundamental economics of the deal are jeopardized.  This program will provide you a practical guide to developments in environmental diligence in real estate deals, allocating or hedging the risk, and post-closing concerns.    Sources of environmental liability under federal law Assessing risk: Estimating liabilities and incorporating findings into deal documents Developments in affirmative defenses Contractual allocation of liability Uses of environmental insurance Post-closing concerns   Speaker:   Anthony Licata is a partner in the Chicago office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he formerly chaired the firm’s real estate practice.  He has an extensive practice focusing on major commercial real estate transactions, including finance, development, leasing, and land use.  He formerly served as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  Mr. Licata received his B.S., summa cum laude, from MacMurray College and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

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  • 11/19/2023
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Structuring Minority Ownership Stakes in Companies

$79.00

Taking a minority ownership stake in a closely held company is a common occurrence. An investor may have taken a minority stake to fund growth in the business or someone may have provided essential, non-cash services – technical expertise, sales skill, management expertise – in exchange for equity. But there are substantial drawbacks with minority stakes. The minority stake holder may have limited access to information to the business and little or no control or influence over the ultimate success of the business.  The majority stake holder(s) may also seek to force out minority stake holders. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to structuring minority stake investments in anticipation of the majority stake owner eventually forcing the buyout of minority stake owners. Structuring minority stake ownership for eventual buyout by the majority stake owner How to avoid undue dispute and litigation through planning Framework of law protecting minority stake owners Equitable structuring of minority stake governance, information, and other rights Differences between passive minority-stake owner and those who actively participate in the business Valuation and buyout finance issues for majority stake owners Liquidity rights for minority stake owners Counseling techniques to help avoid open dispute among owners Speaker: Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.  Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Molly Merritts is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where she focuses her practice on a wide range of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, and real estate investment trusts. She also advises clients on corporate governance matters, transactional and commercial contract negotiations, and corporate reorganizations.  Ms. Merritt earned her B.S. from the University of Maryland, and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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  • 11/20/2023
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Going Over: Employment Law Issues When a Key Employee Leaves for a Competitor

$79.00

Few things strike heart of business owners more than when a key employee departs and joins a competitor.  The departing employee may have sensitive knowledge about products or services, pricing strategies, customer lists, financial or other information essential to the success of the business.  If the business has planned for this eventuality, placing restrictions on key employees through a variety of agreements, any damage may be limited.  But if the key employee is departing without these agreements in place, the business must rely on strategies for protecting its sensitive information. This program will provide you a real-world guide to protecting your client’s sensitive business information when a key employee departs.    Conducting effective exit interviews of the departing employee Enforcing contractual provisions against disclosure of sensitive employer information Resort to statutory protections of trade secrets or “know how” when contractual protections don’t exist Understanding how employment law torts may apply to specific situations Planning in anticipation of the eventual loss of a key employee Speakers: Jennifer S. Baldocchi is a partner in Los Angeles office of Paul Hastings, LLP, where she co-chairs the office’s employment law department.  Her practice focuses on employee mobility and intellectual property, including trade secrets, covenants not to compete, unfair competition, and fiduciary duties.   In her transactional practice, she prepares employee and executive contracts, focusing on the protection of trade secrets and the prevention of improper customer and employee solicitations. She is recognized by Legal 500 US for trade secrets litigation and non-contentious matters.  Ms. Baldocchi earned her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.  Jessica Mendelson is an attorney in the Palo Alto, California office of Paul Hastings, LLP, where her practice focuses on trade secrets litigation and employee mobility issues.  Prior to joining Paul Hastings, Ms. Mendelson practiced trade secret, trademark, and copyright litigation in the intellectual property department of a boutique firm in Los Angeles. Ms. Mendelson earned her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of Law. Lindsey Jackson is an attorney in the Los Angeles office of Paul Hastings, LLP, where she represents employers in all aspects of employment law and labor relations, including wage-and-hour, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, trade secrets, and employee mobility matters. Ms. Jackson has also represented clients in employment litigation touching upon cybersecurity issues.  Ms. Jackson received her B.A. from Yale University, her M.A.T. from Relay Graduate School of Education, and her J.D. from Stanford University Law School.

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  • 11/24/2023
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Ethics for Transactional Lawyers

$79.00

Representing a client in a business, commercial or real estate transaction can get ethically complicated very quickly.  There is the question of who you represent.  In a closely held company, with multiple shareholders or members, this can be problematic if the officer or manager from whom you are taking instructions thinks you represent that person and not the entity.  The client may offer you the opportunity to buy into a transaction, which puts your role as lawyer in tension with your role as investor.  There are also substantial ethical issues involved in negotiations and whether a party on the other side of the transaction is represented by legal counsel or not. This program will provide you with a real world guide to the ethics of representing clients in business, commercial, and legal transactions. Representation – who is your client? The company’s board or its owners? Do they know that? Counter-parties – how do you negotiate on behalf of your client with unrepresented parties? Business with clients – can you buy into (or be given) a stake in a client’s business or a transaction? Serving on a client’s board of directors – how do you separate your legal role from your fiduciary obligation? Negotiations – how do ethics rules limit your flexibility to negotiate? Speakers: William Freivogel is the principal of Freivogel Ethics Consulting and is an independent consultant to law firms on ethics and risk management.  He was a trial lawyer for 22 years and has practiced in the areas of legal ethics and lawyer malpractice for more than 25 years.  He is chair of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct. He maintains the Web site “Freivogel on Conflicts” at www.freivogelonconflicts.com.  Mr. Freivogel is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign), where he received his B.S. and LL.B. Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 11/30/2023
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Business Torts: How Transactions Spawn Litigation, Part 1

$79.00

Business and commercial transactions are fraught with potential tort liability for attorneys and their clients. Whether out of disappointment at losing a deal or as a negotiating tactic or legitimate belief, counter-parties, competitors and third parties can easily allege tortious interference with existing or prospective business relationships.  There is also the risk of breaching the duty of good faith and fair dealing in transactions or misusing proprietary information obtained in negotiations in a failed deal. This program will you with a practical framework for understanding the range of business torts and real-world defenses. Day 1: Intentional interference with an existing contractual relationship – and the “business privilege” of competitors Interference with a prospective contract or transaction – what’s an “expectancy”? Fraudulent misrepresentations – how does an attorney spot “intent”? Negligent misrepresentation, including contributory negligence and the economic loss rule   Day 2: Implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing – what it means for contract negotiations Contract terms involving discretion v. explicit terms Misdeeds by clients in contract negotiations Misappropriation of trade secrets disclosed in contract negotiations Usurpation of business opportunities and the organizational opportunity doctrine Torts in recruiting and hiring key employees away from competitors   Speakers: William J. Kelly, III is a founding member of Kelly & Walker LLC and has more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of employment and commercial litigation.  In the area of employment law, he litigates trade secret, non-compete, infringement and discrimination claims in federal and state courts nationwide and has advised Fortune 50 companies on workplace policies and practices.  In the area of commercial litigation, his experience includes class action litigation, breach of contract and indemnity, mass-claim complex insurance litigation, construction litigation and trade secrets.  Earlier in career, he founded 15 Minutes Music, an independent music production company.  Mr. Kelly earned his B.A. from Tulane University and his J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law. Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.  Ms. Bell earned her B.S. from the University of Iowa and her J.D. from the University of Denver.    

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  • 12/1/2023
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Business Torts: How Transactions Spawn Litigation, Part 2

$79.00

Business and commercial transactions are fraught with potential tort liability for attorneys and their clients. Whether out of disappointment at losing a deal or as a negotiating tactic or legitimate belief, counter-parties, competitors and third parties can easily allege tortious interference with existing or prospective business relationships.  There is also the risk of breaching the duty of good faith and fair dealing in transactions or misusing proprietary information obtained in negotiations in a failed deal. This program will you with a practical framework for understanding the range of business torts and real-world defenses. Day 1: Intentional interference with an existing contractual relationship – and the “business privilege” of competitors Interference with a prospective contract or transaction – what’s an “expectancy”? Fraudulent misrepresentations – how does an attorney spot “intent”? Negligent misrepresentation, including contributory negligence and the economic loss rule   Day 2: Implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing – what it means for contract negotiations Contract terms involving discretion v. explicit terms Misdeeds by clients in contract negotiations Misappropriation of trade secrets disclosed in contract negotiations Usurpation of business opportunities and the organizational opportunity doctrine Torts in recruiting and hiring key employees away from competitors   Speakers: William J. Kelly, III is a founding member of Kelly & Walker LLC and has more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of employment and commercial litigation.  In the area of employment law, he litigates trade secret, non-compete, infringement and discrimination claims in federal and state courts nationwide and has advised Fortune 50 companies on workplace policies and practices.  In the area of commercial litigation, his experience includes class action litigation, breach of contract and indemnity, mass-claim complex insurance litigation, construction litigation and trade secrets.  Earlier in career, he founded 15 Minutes Music, an independent music production company.  Mr. Kelly earned his B.A. from Tulane University and his J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law. Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.  Ms. Bell earned her B.S. from the University of Iowa and her J.D. from the University of Denver.    

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  • 12/2/2023
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Ethics of Joint Representations: Keeping Secrets & Telling Tales

$79.00

Representing two or more clients in a business or commercial transaction is full of potential ethical traps.  It’s essential that clients understand the potential for conflicts of interest, how confidential information is shared among the joint clients, how negotiating strategies may be altered because of the joint representation, and the real risk to the transaction if clients eventually develop unresolvable disputes among themselves. Counseling clients about information flows and obtaining a written waiver of conflicts from all clients are essential first steps but not the end of the process. This program will provide you with a real-world guide to representing two or more clients in a business or commercial transaction.   Understanding information flows and potential conflicts of interest Counseling clients about sharing of confidential information – and its implications Negotiation ethics when representing multiple clients Drafting conflict of interest waivers Attorney-client privilege issues involved in joint representations What to do when jointly represented clients disagree   Speakers: William Freivogel is the principal of Freivogel Ethics Consulting and is an independent consultant to law firms on ethics and risk management.  He was a trial lawyer for 22 years and has practiced in the areas of legal ethics and lawyer malpractice for more than 25 years.  He is chair of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct. He maintains the Web site “Freivogel on Conflicts” at www.freivogelonconflicts.com.  Mr. Freivogel is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign), where he received his B.S. and LL.B.   Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 12/3/2023
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Drafting LLC Operating Agreements, Part 1

$79.00

LLC operating agreements may be the most commonly document drafted, reviewed and negotiated by transactional counsel. These documents define the governance, information and liquidation rights of members, allocate economic rewards, sometimes establish restrictions on members or their interests, and can assign or alleviate liability.  The tax provisions, too, are highly complex, defining allocations of tax attributes and rights to cash and property distributions.  Fiduciary duties may also be modified in a way that is not possible in other types of entities. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements.   Day 1: Drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements Planning for different types of capital contributions – capital v. services, current contributions v. future capital calls Management provisions depending on whether the LLC is member-managed v. manger-managed LLCs Fiduciary duties of members, modifications, and the “LLC opportunity doctrine” Restrictions on transfers of capital and profits interests Relationship between tax allocation and property distribution provisions, including IRC Section 704(b) accounting   Day 2: Drafting allocation provisions for maximum tax benefit and to secure the safe harbor How “payments to member” (not distributions) are treated for financial v. tax purposes Drafting ordinary distributions, minimum tax distributions, waterfall distributions, liquidating distributions Rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, buy-sell provisions – understanding the alphabet soup of exit alternatives Liquidations of the entity and sale of an individual member’s interests   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  Mr. Kaplun received his B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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  • 12/7/2023
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Drafting LLC Operating Agreements, Part 2

$79.00

LLC operating agreements may be the most commonly document drafted, reviewed and negotiated by transactional counsel. These documents define the governance, information and liquidation rights of members, allocate economic rewards, sometimes establish restrictions on members or their interests, and can assign or alleviate liability.  The tax provisions, too, are highly complex, defining allocations of tax attributes and rights to cash and property distributions.  Fiduciary duties may also be modified in a way that is not possible in other types of entities. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements.   Day 1: Drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements Planning for different types of capital contributions – capital v. services, current contributions v. future capital calls Management provisions depending on whether the LLC is member-managed v. manger-managed LLCs Fiduciary duties of members, modifications, and the “LLC opportunity doctrine” Restrictions on transfers of capital and profits interests Relationship between tax allocation and property distribution provisions, including IRC Section 704(b) accounting   Day 2: Drafting allocation provisions for maximum tax benefit and to secure the safe harbor How “payments to member” (not distributions) are treated for financial v. tax purposes Drafting ordinary distributions, minimum tax distributions, waterfall distributions, liquidating distributions Rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, buy-sell provisions – understanding the alphabet soup of exit alternatives Liquidations of the entity and sale of an individual member’s interests   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  Mr. Kaplun received his B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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  • 12/8/2023
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Drafting Property Management Agreements

$79.00

Commercial real estate as a recurring source of income is only as good as it is managed.  Well managed properties not only provide stable income but also hold their underlying value.  Management of commercial real estate is mostly outsourced to third parties. Management agreements vary widely according to the type of property managed – official, retail, multi-family, etc.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to the types of property management agreements, varying fee arrangements, defining the scope of a manager’s duties, rent collection and operational controls, allocating risk and liability, and much more.   Property management agreements for office and multi-family properties Defining scope of manager’s duties and responsibilities Understanding management fee alternatives Collection of rent and handling of funds Insurance, liability and indemnity issues for manager and property owner Operating decisions, controls, termination, and sale of property   Speaker: John S. Hollyfield is of counsel and a former partner in the Houston office Norton Rose Fulbright, LLP.  He has more than 40 years’ experience in real estate law practice.  He formerly served as chair of the ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, and chair of the Anglo-American Real Property Institute.  He has been named a "Texas Super Lawyer" in Real Estate Law by Texas Monthly magazine and is listed in Who’s Who in American Law.  He is co-editor of Modern Banking and Lending Forms (4th Edition), published by Warren, Gorham & Lamont.  He received his B.B.A. from the University of Texas and his LL.B. from the University of Texas School of Law.

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  • 12/9/2023
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Ethics & Artifcial Intelligence: What Lawyers Should Know

$79.00

The use of artificial intelligence is not some distant prospect.  Many of the tools lawyers use today – online research platforms that suggest other areas for research, software packages that help complete forms or propose or assemble language, and discovery tools that sort through documents – are driven by artificial intelligence. These and other AI engineered legal tools raise substantial ethical issues. Are they the unauthorized practice of law? Have lawyers researched their capabilities such that they are competent to use them? How must lawyers supervise their use by non-lawyer staff?  This program will provide you with a guide to ethics issues when using software and other technology tools based on AI in law practice.   What duties do lawyers have to investigate and understand AI in the tools they use? Does AI constitute the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) in a state? Do software packages that draft language and assemble forms violate ethics rules? What supervisory and training obligations do lawyers have for non-lawyer staff using these tools? Are there ethics concerns of using AI in discovery? Must lawyers warn clients that they use AI?   Speaker: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

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  • 12/10/2023
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Letters of Intent in Real Estate Transactions

$79.00

Letters of intent in real estate transactions – buying/selling property and leasing – are essential in helping the parties frame areas of agreement, identify areas for further negotiation, and establish a timeline for completing the deal. These letters can also be cost-effective in determining whether the parties can reach agreement on major terms before definitive agreements are drafted.  But there are substantial drawbacks. One party may use the letter to shop the transaction to third parties, using the offer as a stalking horse.  In some instances, too, the letter itself may be so detailed that it becomes enforceable. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting letters of intent in commercial real estate acquisition and sales, and leasing transactions.   Defining timeframes for negotiations/operative agreements & expiration of letter Core economic terms – purchase price and holdbacks, lease payments, escalator clauses Deposits – hard money v. soft money – and escrow instructions Identifying the property subject to acquisition or lease Other major terms – use, exclusivity, environmental issues, etc. Confidentiality and non-marketing provisions   Speaker: Anthony Licata is a partner in the Chicago office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he formerly chaired the firm’s real estate practice.  He has an extensive practice focusing on major commercial real estate transactions, including finance, development, leasing, and land use.  He formerly served as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  Mr. Licata received his B.S., summa cum laude, from MacMurray College and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

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  • 12/16/2023
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Trust & Estate Planning for Client Privacy in a Public World

$79.00

Trust and estate clients frequently want nothing more than their privacy. They want their holdings and plans kept secret, even from their heirs.  Ensuring privacy is a multifaceted process that relies on substantive law but also on various companies’ policies, such as with rewards programs.  Privacy also turns on whether the client wants to protect the nature and extent of certain classes of assets, controversial or high profile holdings (for example, antique firearms or valuable objects of art), or something closer to home like the details of their own end-of-life health care plans or even death.  This program will provide you with a detailed guide to privacy in trust and estate planning.   Utilizing revocable trusts – preventing disclosure of assets on death, facilitating anonymous ownership & ensuring plan secrecy Silent trusts as a method to limit disclosure to beneficiaries Titling of special assets including art, watercraft, firearms, and certain real estate Anonymity in charitable gift planning Financial planning privacy – investor privacy, lottery winner privacy, banking disclosure Medical privacy planning – HIPAA, insurance applications Securing third-party confidentiality through non-disclosure agreements Privacy at death – obituaries, last medical records, funeral arrangements   Speaker: Jeff Chadwick is a partner in the Houston and The Woodlands, Texas offices of Winstead, P.C, where his practice focuses on sophisticated trust and estate planning for closely held business owners, business executives, and other high net worth individuals and families. He provides practical advice on wealth transfer planning, business formation and structuring, asset protection planning, planned charitable giving, trust modifications, pre- and post-marital planning, and the administration of trusts and estates. Before entering private practice, he served as a judicial clerk to Judge Henry E. Hudson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Mr. Chadwick earned his B.S., magna cum laude, from Baylor University and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law.

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  • 12/17/2023
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Ethics and Conflicts with Clients, Part 1

$79.00

Despite best efforts, lawyers may develop ethical conflicts with their clients.  Sometimes these conflicts may initially seem like positive developments. The lawyer may seek to buy into a client’s business enterprise or participate in a transaction, be offered a gift by a client, or even develop a romantic relationship with a client.  But these and many others come with substantial ethical issues.  Sometimes these conflicts may be more immediately problematic, as when a lawyer leaves a law firm and wants to take his or her clients to the new firm, or when a client refuses to pay legal fees, or worse, as when the lawyer has a duty to disclose certain acts of his or her own malpractice.  This program will provide you with a real world guide to lawyer conflicts with their clients and how to avoid or resolve them. Day 1: Gifts – can lawyers accept from clients? Business – can lawyers go into business with a client? Departure – can lawyers take their clients to a firm? Former clients – what duties does a lawyer have? Day 2: Dishonest clients – what must you do? Lawyers as witnesses – how do you handle the conflict and privilege issues? Clients with diminished capacity – from whom do you take instructions?  What are the other issues? Settlements – what if a client’s tactics are improper? Malpractice – do you have a duty to disclose?   Speakers: William Freivogel is the principal of Freivogel Ethics Consulting and is an independent consultant to law firms on ethics and risk management.  He was a trial lawyer for 22 years and has practiced in the areas of legal ethics and lawyer malpractice for more than 25 years.  He is chair of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct. He maintains the Web site “Freivogel on Conflicts” at www.freivogelonconflicts.com.  Mr. Freivogel is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign), where he received his B.S. and LL.B.

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  • 12/20/2023
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Ethics and Conflicts with Clients, Part 2

$79.00

Despite best efforts, lawyers may develop ethical conflicts with their clients.  Sometimes these conflicts may initially seem like positive developments. The lawyer may seek to buy into a client’s business enterprise or participate in a transaction, be offered a gift by a client, or even develop a romantic relationship with a client.  But these and many others come with substantial ethical issues.  Sometimes these conflicts may be more immediately problematic, as when a lawyer leaves a law firm and wants to take his or her clients to the new firm, or when a client refuses to pay legal fees, or worse, as when the lawyer has a duty to disclose certain acts of his or her own malpractice.  This program will provide you with a real world guide to lawyer conflicts with their clients and how to avoid or resolve them. Day 1: Gifts – can lawyers accept from clients? Business – can lawyers go into business with a client? Departure – can lawyers take their clients to a firm? Former clients – what duties does a lawyer have? Day 2: Dishonest clients – what must you do? Lawyers as witnesses – how do you handle the conflict and privilege issues? Clients with diminished capacity – from whom do you take instructions?  What are the other issues? Settlements – what if a client’s tactics are improper? Malpractice – do you have a duty to disclose?   Speaker: William Freivogel is the principal of Freivogel Ethics Consulting and is an independent consultant to law firms on ethics and risk management.  He was a trial lawyer for 22 years and has practiced in the areas of legal ethics and lawyer malpractice for more than 25 years.  He is chair of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct. He maintains the Web site “Freivogel on Conflicts” at www.freivogelonconflicts.com.  Mr. Freivogel is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign), where he received his B.S. and LL.B.

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  • 12/21/2023
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2022 Uniform Commercial Code Update

$79.00

The overlapping articles of the UCC impact most business, commercial and real estate transactions.  From the perfection of security interests to the enforceability of promissory notes and investment contracts to equipment leases and the sale of goods, the UCC plays a role in most significant transactions. This program, led by one of the nation’s leading authorities on the UCC, will provide you with a wide-ranging discussion of developments under the many articles of the UCC, including secured transactions, investment notes, sales, and equipment leasing.   Recent UCC developments for transactional attorneys Developments impacting commercial, business and real estate transactions UCC Article 9, asset-based transactions and secured transactions Sales of goods contracts Equipment leases, including computer equipment and capital equipment Notes, guarantees and letters of credit   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.  He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.  Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.  Mr. Weise received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law.

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  • 1/11/2024
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