Business Succession Planning. About the Authors

Transcription

1 Business Succession Planning About the Authors LORI A. ADASIEWICZ, a partner at the Bay Laurel Law Group, LLP, San Francisco, practices exclusively in the areas of estate and business planning, probate and trust administration, and conservatorship law. She received her B.A. in 1994 from San Francisco State University and her J.D. in 1998 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Ms. Adasiewicz serves on the board of the Peninsula Estate Planning Council and is a Laureate Circle Member of the Southern California Institute. She teaches estate and business planning at the institutional level for a variety of financial and tax planning firms. She is the co-author of For California Doctors (2009), a guide for physicians about estate and business planning and wealth preservation. Ms. Adasiewicz is a co-author of chapter 3 (Initial Considerations: Managing Workflow, Identifying Client s Goals, Evaluating Potential Transferees). JOHN W. AMBRECHT, of Ambrecht and Associates, Santa Barbara, specializes in national and international complex trust and estate planning. Mr. Ambrecht holds an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and a founding member of California Trust and Estate Counselors (CALTEC). He was listed in Worth magazine s 100 most exceptional attorneys for He lectures locally and nationally about the legal and psychological issues of estate, trust, family business, and wealth succession planning. Mr. Ambrecht has co-authored several articles and recently co-authored a book, For Love & Money: Protecting Family Wealth in Estate & Succession Planning A New Approach Blending Law & Psychology. He is a co-author of chapter 2 (Ethical Considerations) and chapter 4 (Managing the Family Dynamic During Planning). PAUL L. BASILE, JR. is a member of the Los Angeles firm of Edelstone & Basile, LLP; the firm s practice focuses on the areas of tax, estate planning, and business law. He received his B.A. in economics in 1968 from Occidental College and his J.D. in 1971 from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. Mr. Basile is certified as a specialist in taxation law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. A Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Mr. Basile speaks and writes frequently on taxation and estate planning issues. He is the author of chapter 8 (Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs)), chapter 12 (Lifetime and Testamentary Charitable Strategies for Business Succession), and chapter 19 (Computation and Payment of Federal Estate Tax).

2 DR. HOWARD BERENS, who has a practice based in Newton, Massachusetts, graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his psychiatric residency at Boston University Medical Center. He has coached entrepreneurs, executives, and political candidates in leadership, personal effectiveness, management skills, and communications for more than 25 years, and he has consulted to family-owned businesses on goals, growth, organization, operations, and personnel, with a focus on the effects of family systems on the business. Dr. Berens works with his psychological and business colleagues to apply a Roles and Rules methodology to family business evaluations and works with co-author John Ambrecht to apply the Roles and Rules methodology to the laws of succession and estate planning. Dr. Berens is a co-author of chapter 4 (Managing the Family Dynamic During Planning). CAROLYN R. BROCK is a sole practitioner in La Mesa, working predominantly in the areas of estate planning, trusts, wills, probate, conservatorships, trust administration, and corporate and business law. She received her J.D. in 1994 from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she was on the National Deans List and a staff member of the San Diego Justice Journal law review. Ms. Brock has been certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She serves as treasurer of the board of directors of the Foothills Bar Association and as cochair of its Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Section. Ms. Brock lectures frequently on estate planning and is a co-author of chapter 20 (Integrating Succession Plan With Estate Plan). MATT BROWN, a partner at Brown & Streza LLP, Irvine, counsels business owners and philanthropists on complex income and estate tax issues in business and charitable planning. He received his B.S. in 1996 from the University of California, Davis, and his J.D. (cum laude) in 1999 from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he was a member of the Southern Methodist University Law Review. Mr. Brown was named a Southern California SuperLawyers Rising Star in 2008 and He is a charter member of the University of California, Irvine, Center for Investment and Wealth Management, a charter member of Kingdom Advisors, and a member of the professional advisory committee of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. Mr. Brown is a coauthor of chapter 7 (Insurance Considerations) and chapter 13 (Nonqualified Deferred Compensation, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, and Stock Options). JAN COPLEY is the principal of the Pasadena Law Group. She received her B.A. (cum laude) from Occidental College in 1977, and her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1981, where she was on the Dean s List. Ms. Copley practiced law for 29 years, founding her own firm, and sold her practice in She works as a Certified Practice Advisor a coach for attorneys with Atticus, Inc. However, after 2 years of coaching, Ms. Copley found that she missed her law clients and the intellectual challenge of practicing law, so she opened the Pasadena Law Group at the beginning of She has completed the Esperti-Peterson Institute s year-long course, Advanced Studies for Wealth and Estate Planning, as well as 1 year of the Southern California Institute s Laureate in Wealth Strategies program on advanced estate planning. Ms. Copley is a frequent author and speaker on legal practice management, exit strategies for lawyers, estate planning,

3 business planning, asset protection, trust administration, and probate issues. She is the author of the part in chapter 17 on Succession Planning for Medical Practices. STEVEN M. GOLDBERG, a partner at Friedemann Goldberg LLP, Santa Rosa, specializes in estate and tax planning, trust and estate administration, business succession planning, and trust and estate litigation. He received his B.A. in 1979 from San Jose State University and his J.D. in 1984 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Mr. Goldberg is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of both the Taxation and Trusts and Estates sections of the State Bar of California and a member of the Redwood Empire Estate Planning Council. An Accredited Estate Planner as designated by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, Mr. Goldberg is a co-author of chapter 15 (Family Limited Partnerships and Family Limited Liability Companies). DR. RICHARD GOLDWATER practices psychotherapy with individuals, families, and family businesses in Massachusetts. He graduated from Columbia College, New York, and Boston University School of Medicine and completed a psychiatric residency at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Goldwater consults with family businesses and corporations, coaching owners and senior executives in relationship management and conflict resolution. Over the past 20 years, he has developed the Roles and Rules model to describe the two aspects of life in family and in business. Dr. Goldwater is a co-author of chapter 4 (Managing the Family Dynamic During Planning). TOM GORMAN, a business communications and management consultant in Massachusetts, holds an M.B.A. from New York University s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. He is a former marketing and operating manager at Dun & Bradstreet Credit Services and at economic forecasting firm DRI/McGraw-Hill. Mr. Gorman has more than 20 years of management experience in corporate divisions and companies of various sizes. He is a co-author of chapter 4 (Managing the Family Dynamic During Planning). SCOTT GUNDERSON, of Scott Gunderson, Attorney at Law, PLLC, in Reno, Nevada, focuses his practice on estate planning, business succession, asset protection, estate and gift tax strategies, and charitable planning. He received his B.S. in 1989 from University of the State of New York and his J.D. in 1992 from Emory University School of Law. Mr. Gunderson is admitted to practice in both California and Nevada and is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is a Fellow of the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University and a graduate in advanced studies at that institute. Mr. Gunderson is a charter member of the National Association of Asset Protection Attorneys and a member of the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Section of the State Bar of California and the Probate and Trust Section of the Nevada State Bar. He is a frequent author and presenter on estate planning issues. Mr. Gunderson is the author of chapter 16 (S Corporations) and a co-author of chapter 17 (Professional Practice and Licensee Succession).

4 PHILIP J. HAYES, Principal and Fiduciary Counsel, Western Region, of Bessemer Trust, San Francisco, works with attorneys and other advisors to develop generational wealth transfer plans for Bessemer s clients. Mr. Hayes received his B.A. in 1983 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his J.D. in 1987 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Before joining Bessemer in 2001, he practiced as an estate planning attorney in Pasadena and San Francisco. He is a member of the State Bar of California Trusts and Estates Section Executive Committee and a former editor of the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly. Mr. Hayes is a former co-vice chair of the Estate and Gift Tax Committee of the American Bar Association Real Property, Trusts and Estates Section, and former chair of the Bay Area Red Cross Planned Giving Professional Advisory Committee. He is a co-author of chapter 9 (Intrafamily Loans, Intrafamily Sales, and Private Annuities). JEROME M. HESCH practices law in Miami, Florida, and is a tax and estate planning consultant for lawyers throughout the country. He is also an adjunct professor of law at Florida International University and University of Miami law schools. Mr. Hesch received B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from the University of Buffalo Law School. He was with the Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS in Washington, D.C., from 1970 to 1975, and was a full-time law professor from 1975 to Mr. Hesch is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), has published numerous articles, several BNA Tax Management Portfolios, and has co-authored a law school casebook, Federal Income Taxation (4th ed 2010). He has appeared for groups such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the University of Miami Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, the University of Southern California Tax Institute, and the New York University Institute on Federal Taxation. He has participated in several bar association projects, such as the drafting committee for the Florida Revised Uniform Partnership Act, and he prepared the American Bar Association s comments on the IRS s proposed private annuity regulations. Mr. Hesch is a co-author of chapter 9 (Intrafamily Loans, Intrafamily Sales, and Private Annuities) and chapter 9A (Taxable Installment Sales and Installment Method of Accounting). DAVID A. HIERSEKORN, founding principal of Newport Legacy Group in Newport Beach, focuses his practice on estate planning and taxation. He received his J.D. in 2002 from Trinity Law School. Mr. Hiersekorn holds a Laureate in Advanced Wealth Strategies from the Southern California Institute and serves as an instructor in that program. A frequent author and lecturer to attorneys, accountants, and financial institutions, Mr. Hiersekorn is a co-author of chapter 7 (Insurance Considerations). SEAN R. KENNEY, an associate at Myers Urbatsch P.C., San Francisco, focuses his practice on closely held business succession and on advising high-net-worth individuals on tax and estate planning. Mr. Kenney received his B.A. from the University of Vermont, Burlington, and his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law, where he was awarded the Faculty Award in Taxation, presented to one student in each graduating class. He also received the Witkin Award in Constitutional Law II and served on the Moot Court Board. In 2009 Mr. Kenney was named a Northern California Superlawyers

5 Rising Star in the practice area of taxation. He serves on the executive board of the California State Bar s Young Tax Lawyers Section, and he is a member of both the Taxation and Trusts and Estates sections of the California State Bar. Mr. Kenney is a coauthor of chapter 15 (Family Limited Partnerships and Family Limited Liability Companies). RICHARD S. KINYON is a partner in the San Francisco firm of Morrison & Foerster, LLP, where he specializes in tax law, estate planning, and estate and trust administration. He received his B.A. in 1961 and his LL.B. in 1965 from the University of Minnesota and was President of the Minnesota Law Review. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), an Academician of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law, and a member of the American Law Institute. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the UCLA-CEB Estate Planning Institute. Mr. Kinyon is a past member of the Probate and Trust Law Committee of the State Bar of California, and a past member of the Board of Directors and past President of the San Francisco Estate Planning Council. He is also a past Chair of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Mr. Kinyon is certified as a specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is the author of chapter 15A (Family Investment Companies). LOUIS A. MEZZULLO is a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Rancho Santa Fe, where his principal areas of practice are taxation, estate and business succession planning, and employee benefits. He received his B.A. (with high honors) in 1967, his M.A. in 1976 from the University of Maryland, and his J.D. in 1976 from the University of Richmond Law School, where he received an award as the best student in the graduating class. Mr. Mezzullo is licensed to practice in both Virginia and California. He formerly was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law Graduate Program in Estate Planning, was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School for many years, and recently taught a course at the University of San Diego School of Law on business succession planning. Mr. Mezzullo is the Vice President of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), past chair of the American College of Tax Counsel, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a Vice President of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the State Bar of California, and the American Bar Association (ABA). Mr. Mezzullo is former vice-chair of publications of the ABA Section of Taxation and past chair of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law. He is a member of the Heckerling Estate Planning Institute s advisory board and former editor of the ACTEC Journal. He was named a SuperLawyer in 2009 and was listed in 2010 in the Best Lawyers in America for tax, employee benefits, and trusts and estates. A frequent and prolific author and lecturer, Mr. Mezzullo is the author of chapter 6 (Buy-Sell Agreements). PETER S. MYERS, a shareholder of Myers Urbatsch P.C., a Bay Area estate planning law firm, is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He received his B.A. (cum laude) from American University and his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of

6 the Law. He is content editor for Estate & Trust Education Resources, LLC, which develops the biennial preparation course for the examination to become a certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law. Mr. Myers was named one of America s Top 100 Attorneys by Worth magazine (2005 and 2006) and is a regular contributor to that magazine, authoring articles involving estate planning and family wealth succession. He has regularly been listed (from 2003 to 2010) as a SuperLawyer by San Francisco magazine. He was on the faculty at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in the 1990s, is adjunct faculty for Golden Gate University, and teaches estate planning for financial advisors at the postgraduate level. Mr. Myers lectures frequently in the areas of high-net-worth planning and closely held business succession. He has served as an author of chapters in other CEB estate planning books and has co-authored books for other publishers in the areas of business succession, asset protection, and retirement planning. He is the Executive Editor of this book and is also the author of chapter 5 (Introduction to Family Business Transfer Techniques) and a coauthor of chapter 9 (Intrafamily Loans, Intrafamily Sales, and Private Annuities), chapter 9A (Taxable Installment Sales and Installment Method of Accounting), and chapter 13 (Nonqualified Deferred Compensation, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, and Stock Options). He was also a consultant on chapter 14 (Types of Business Entities and Impact on Business Succession), chapter 17 (Professional Practice and Licensee Succession), and chapter 18 (Business Valuation). KAREN D. NG, a partner at Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP, heads the firm s employee benefits practice and concentrates her practice in the areas of ERISA and employee benefits, with an emphasis on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). She received her B.A. in 1990 from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. in 1995 from the University of San Francisco School of Law. She is a member (and former chair) of the ESOP Association s Administration Advisory Committee, is a steering committee member of the ESOP Association California/Western States Chapter, has served on the board of directors of the Western Pension and Benefits Conference San Francisco Chapter, and was a former chair of the Pension and Employee Benefits Committee of the San Francisco Barristers Club. Ms. Ng is a member of the State Bar of California, the ESOP Association, and the National Center of Employee Ownership. She was named a Northern California SuperLawyer in 2006 and is a frequent author and speaker on employee benefits issues. Ms. Ng is a co-author of chapter 13 (Nonqualified Deferred Compensation, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, and Stock Options). GERARD W. O BRIEN, of Gerard W. O Brien & Associates, P.C., in Brea, focuses his practice on estate planning, transfer tax, business and retirement planning services, probate and trust fund administration, asset protection, and power of attorney. He received his B.A. in 1979 from Brooklyn College and his J.D. in 1990 from Western State University College of Law. Mr. O Brien is a member of WealthCounsel, LLC; the Trusts and Estates and Business Law sections of the California State Bar; and the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates sections of the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. O Brien is a co-author of chapter 3 (Initial Considerations: Managing Workflow, Identifying Client s Goals, Evaluating Potential Transferees).

7 RAYMOND J. SETO is a founding partner of Hansen Seto, LLP in Torrance, where his practice emphasizes corporations, business transactions, business litigation, and estate planning for closely held companies and their owners. He received his B.Sc. in 1973 and his M.B.A. in 1987 from the University of Southern California and his J.D. in 1990 from Loyola University School of Law. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Seto managed his family s privately held company and spent 15 years as a manager and principal of a variety of health care organizations and private ventures. Mr. Seto has written often on start-up companies and succession planning, including a three-part article for the California Business Law Practitioner in 1994, which was revised and republished in 2008 and 2009 as Seto & Brandlin, Succession Planning for the California Family Business, Part I, 23 CEB Cal Bus L Prac 111 (Fall 2008); Seto & Brandlin, Succession Planning for the California Family Business, Part II, 24 CEB Cal Bus L Prac 28 (Winter 2009); and Seto & Brandlin, Succession Planning for the California Family Business, Part III, 24 Cal Bus L Prac 58 (Spring 2009). He is a co-author of chapter 1 (Overview of Business Succession Planning). CARL LLOYD SHEELER, Ph.D., CBA, AVA, is managing partner and CEO at Business Valuations, Ltd./Allison Appraisals & Assessments, Inc., San Diego, where he has performed more than 750 high-profile litigation, valuation, and restructuring engagements for legal, tax, and transfer purposes. Mr. Sheeler received his B.A. in 1981 from the University of Illinois, his M.S. in 1985 from the Command & Staff War College, Quantico, Virginia, and his Ph.D. in 2003 from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a national instructor with the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. He has been a guest lecturer of the People s Republic of China, where he presented on intangible asset values at the National Accounting Institute in Beijing and Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan. He serves on the advisory boards of Rady Children s Hospital, the YMCA, PLNU, Strategic Trusted Advisors Roundtable, and NACVA. He has testified as an IRS court-qualified expert on 135 occasions, with specialization in asset holding (partnerships) and operating companies (manufacturing, professional practices) and valuing minority interest impairments for lack of control and marketability. He was recognized as one of the 100 Top Influential Businessmen by the San Diego Daily Transcript in He presents frequently and writes prolifically on valuation issues and is the author of chapter 18 (Business Valuation). TERI L. K. SHUGART, of the Law Offices of Teri L. K. Shugart, San Carlos, focuses her transactional business practice on corporate and LLC start-ups, sales and mergers, and real property purchases and sales. She received her B.S. in 1981 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her J.D. in 1984 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she was chief managing editor of Hastings International and Comparative Law Review. Ms. Shugart is an adjunct professor at the University of Santa Clara School of Law. She served on the Corporations Committee of the State Bar of California Business Law Section, where she was education co-chair. Ms. Shugart is the author of chapter 14 (Types of Business Entities and Impact on Business Succession).

8 JOSEPH J. STRAZZERI, principal and founder of Strazzeri Mancini LLP, San Diego, practices in estate planning, business succession, charitable planning, asset protection, and retirement issues. Mr. Strazzeri received his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University and his J.D. from Western State University, San Diego. He is a member of WealthCounsel, LLC, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the Trust and Probate Section of the San Diego County Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and the National Committee on Planned Giving, and is an Associate of the Offshore Institute. Mr. Strazzeri is a principal of the Founders Group, a business strategies collaborative, and a Level II Mediator for the Department of Consumer Affairs of the State of California. He is a Fellow and an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University and a Laureate in Wealth Strategies at the Southern California Institute. Mr. Strazzeri is a frequent speaker and has co-authored many books and course materials on estate planning issues. He is a co-author of chapter 3 (Initial Considerations: Managing Workflow, Identifying Client s Goals, Evaluating Potential Transferees). WM. LANIER THOMAS, of Lang, Richert & Patch, Fresno, practices in business, estate, and tax planning, with particular expertise in strategic wealth conservation for large estates, business continuity planning, and charitable giving. He received his B.A. (magna cum laude) in 1976 from Westmont College and his J.D. in 1979 from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of the State Bar of California, a Fellow of the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University, a member of Fresno Estate Planning Council and San Joaquin Valley Planned Gifts Council, and a member of WealthCounsel, LLC. Mr. Thomas is a co-author of chapter 7 (Insurance Considerations). KEVIN URBATSCH, a shareholder of Myers Urbatsch P.C., San Francisco, has extensive experience in all forms of estate planning, with a particular specialty in providing for the planning needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. He received his B.S. from Truman State University in 1988 and his J.D. from St. Louis University College of Law in Mr. Urbatsch is certified as a specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is the attorney for the California Charities Pooled Special Needs Trust. Mr. Urbatsch is a charter member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners and a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the Probate and Trust Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Trusts and Estates Section of the State Bar of California. He is also a former board member for the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco. In 2009, Mr. Urbatsch was named KRON-4 s Best of the Bay estate planning attorney for San Francisco. He is a frequent writer and lecturer on special needs trusts. Mr. Urbatsch is a co-author of chapter 17 (Professional Practice and Licensee Succession). KEVIN S. VEENSTRA, of the Sonoma Law Group, Inc., Santa Rosa, focuses his estate planning practice on wills, trusts, and succession planning for family-owned and closely held businesses. He received his B.S. in 1983 from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. in 1989 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of

9 Law. A CPA, Mr. Veenstra has lectured and written widely on business and tax-related topics, including the selection and formation of business entities and tax-exempt organizations. He has extensive experience in structuring and forming start-up business enterprises, business purchases and sales, mergers and other forms of business combinations and restructuring, and secured and unsecured financing. Mr. Veenstra is a co-author of chapter 20 (Integrating Succession Plan With Estate Plan). ELYCE WALTON, Ph.D., a research consultant in Oxnard, specializes in the application of family systems analysis. She received her B.A. in 1969 from the University of Colorado, her M.A. in 1973 and Ph.D. in 1974 from Pennsylvania State University, and a second M.A. in 1985 from James Madison University. She is a co-author of chapter 2 (Ethical Considerations). JOEL S. WEISSLER is the founder of the Weissler Law Group in San Diego, which specializes in helping families build and protect wealth and prepare for and deal with lifecycle events. Mr. Weissler works extensively in the areas of interfamily wealth transfers, asset protection, estate planning (including business succession planning), and tax law. He received his B.A. from Metropolitan State University, his J.D. in 1989 from California Western School of Law, and an LL.M. (cum laude) from the University of San Diego School of Law. Mr. Weissler is certified as a specialist both in taxation law and in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a member of WealthCounsel, LLC, and a charter member of both Elder Counsel and the Advisors Forum. He speaks and writes frequently on family wealth building and preservation, estate planning, and asset protection. Mr. Weissler is the author of chapter 10 (Sales to Grantor Trusts) and chapter 11 (Self-Canceling Installment Notes (SCINs)). PETER R. WHEELER, CLU, ChFC, CFP, CIMC, is President and CEO of Wheeler/Frost Associates, Inc., and founder and managing director of FamilyOfficeNetwork, LLC. He has more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, with a particular expertise in insurance, estate, business and pension planning, and employee stock options and grants. Mr. Wheeler received his B.A. in 1968 and CLU in 1973, both from the University of Arizona, and he received his ChFC in 1977 and CFP in 1986 from American College. He was named as one of the 250 top financial advisors in the nation by Worth magazine and was the cover story for Financial Advisor magazine s February 2003 issue. He has been listed as a Top Wealth Manager every year by Bloomberg s Wealth Manager magazine. A frequent speaker and prolific author, Mr. Wheeler is a co-author of chapter 1 (Overview of Business Succession Planning).