The latest developments in estate planning law were presented to the Bay Area’s top professional advisors during a morning session at the Jewish Community Endowment Fund’s 12th Tax and Estate Planning Seminar. Following the morning seminar, Mark Yudof, the newly appointed President of the University of California, delivered a luncheon keynote address. The day’s program concluded with an afternoon session geared towards non-professionals.

Bessemer Trust Morning Advisors’ Program

Lawrence Katzenstein, a nationally known estate planner, is a partner with the estate planning firm Thompson LLP. He spoke to a sold-out ballroom of over one hundred professional advisors. Mr. Katzenstein presented the latest changes in tax laws related to estate planning, including tax efficiencies that clients might enjoy and key changes of which advisors should be aware. Alvin Levitt, Chair of the San Francisco Professional Subcommittee said, “Katzenstein was outstanding. His presentation was substantive, up-to-date and seamlessly delivered.”

Special Luncheon Program

Joining the tax professionals at lunch were over one hundred donors, agency leaders and other JCEF supporters. Mark Yudof, the second-ever Jewish President of the University of California, made his debut to the Bay Area Jewish community. Yudof described his determination to raise the importance of “human capital” in America. He warned that the ongoing lack of support for the education and development of America’s youth would have serious consequences for this county’s future competitiveness in the world. Yudof also announced his intention to reinstate Israel to the list of countries that students enrolled in the University’s Education Abroad Program can travel to for their overseas studies. A donor remarked, “This was by far the most values-driven speech that I’ve heard at an Endowment Fund Tax Seminar.”

After the luncheon, fifty philanthropists along with representatives from Bay Area synagogues and Jewish agencies came together for a less-technical afternoon session designed specifically for them. Katzenstein emphasized the need for careful estate planning and took questions from the audience regarding details related to charitable gift annuities, IRA rollovers and gifts of assets (such as real estate and stocks).

An attendee summed up the day, “Larry Katzenstein’s talk was immensely informative. None of us can reach our goals of tzedakah and tikkun olam without deeply thinking through our estate planning goals and how to best fulfill them.”

The 2009 Tax Seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 27. For more information, please contact Rita Choit Adler at 415.512.6287, ritaa@sfjcf.org.

MORNING SESSION SPONSOR
Bessemer Trust Company

PRIMARY SPONSOR
San Francisco Business Times

MAJOR SPONSORS
Bernstein Global Wealth Management
Capital Guardian Trust Company – Personal Investment Management
Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass
Dodge & Cox
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Rothstein, Kass & Co.

PARTNER SPONSORS
FMV Opinions, Inc.
Sideman & Bancroft, LLP

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management
Big Horn Cellars
Kestrel Investment Management Corporation
Northern Trust
Anonymous

For questions regarding upcoming Tax & Estate Planning Seminars please contact Rita Choit Adler, Endowment Fund Associate Director, 415.512.6287 or email ritaa@sfjcf.org.

Past Tax & Estate Planning Seminars

Information on past seminars is available at:
http://www.sfjcf.org/endowment/resources/taxseminar/seminartopics.asp