Giordani Schurig Beckett and Tackett LLP - GSBT's current and archived company news.

October 2008
Elizabeth Schurig and Bob Chesner present at the 2008 McGehee Group Annual Advisors Conference, "Asset Protection Tools and Techniques," (Las Vegas, Nevada; October 19-21, 2008)

September 2008
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Chartered Private Wealth Advisor Program, sponsored by a partnership of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the Investment Management Consultants Association, "Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection – A Practical Study," (Chicago, Illinois; September 22-26, 2008)
Click here for more information and to register online

August 2008
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Texas Bar CLE Advanced Family Law Course 2008, "Foreign Asset Structures – A Primer," (San Antonio, Texas; August 11-14, 2008)
Click here for the brochure Click here to register online

July 2008
Leslie Giordani, Bob Chesner, and Michael Ripp are quoted by Lewis Schiff in his article “A Special Kind of Life Insurance,” in Investment Advisor Magazine
Click here for the online article

Leslie Giordani and Bob Chesner present at the Eleventh Annual Advanced ALI-ABA Course of Study for Counselors to Foreign and U.S. Clients - "Private Placement Life Insurance in the Offshore Marketplace," (Santa Fe, New Mexico; July 31 - August 1, 2008)
Click here for brochure, Click here to register online

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection – A Practical Study,” "Overview of International Estate Planning Issues Affecting U.S. Persons or Non-U.S. Persons with U.S. Sitused Assets," and "International Estate Planning and Asset Protection Q&A," (Chicago, Illinois; July 28 - 30, 2008)
Click here for brochure, Click here to register online

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the ALI-ABA Estate Planning for the Family Business Owner Course, "Asset Protection for the Family Business Owner," (Boston, Massachusetts; July 9-11, 2008)
Click here for more information

June 2008
The Austin Business Journal recognizes GSBT as one of the Best Places to Work in Austin for 2008, ranked number 13 in the Small Business Category. Click here for the list

Leslie Giordani and Bob Chesner present at the 15th Annual Family Office Forum, "Gaining Preferential Tax Benefits On Your Investments Via Private Placement Life Insurance,” (Chicago, Illinois; June 18-20, 2008)
Click here for the brochure, Click here to register online

May 2008
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the AICPA Advance Estate Planning Conference, "Sophisticated Asset Protection Planning Tools and Techniques," and is a panelist on "Creating a Family Legacy," (Las Vegas, Nevada; May 8-9, 2008)
Click here for a brochure
Click here for more online information

March 2008
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Investment Managements Consultants Association's Chartered Wealth Advisor Education Program, Part l, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection - A Practical Study," (Chicago, Illinois; March 8, 2008)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Program's Asset Protection Strategies Seminar, "Offshore Trusts," (Boston, Massachusetts; March 3-7, 2008)

February 2008
Bob Chesner chairs the IIR 6th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities. (Miami, Florida; February 25-27, 2008)
Click here for a brochure
Click here for information and for the registration website

Leslie Giordani chairs the planning segment of the IIR 6th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities and participates as a panelist on “Lessons from the Field: Protecting your Clients from Diversification Failures and Investor Control,” (Miami, Florida; February 25-27, 2008)

Elizabeth Schurig presents a primer on asset protection tools in the PPLI context at the IIR 6th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities, (Miami, Florida; February 25-27, 2008)

Michael Ripp participates as a panelist on “Solidify Market Understanding Through Comprehensive Q&A with Seasoned Managers,” IIR 6th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities, (Miami, Florida; February 25-27, 2008)

November 2007
Elizabeth Schurig is named in Worth magazine's Top 100 Attorneys List
Letter from the Editor

October 2007
Michael Ripp, Amy Jetel, and Mari Reed are named Rising Stars for 2008 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of up-and-coming lawyers in the State of Texas

GSBT welcomes Claire E. Dinsmoor (East) as a new associate attorney at the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Dinsmoor (East) worked as a Staff Attorney for Justice Alan Waldrop

Elizabeth Schurig presents at The Eighth Annual Ultimate Estate, Retirement, & Financial Planning Conference, “The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection,”
(Las Vegas, Nevada; October 25, 2007)

Leslie Giordani, Elizabeth Schurig, Carolyn Beckett, Steven Tackett, and Derry Swanger are named Texas Super Lawyers by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Texas Super Lawyers represent the top 5% of lawyers in the State of Texas. Each attorney is featured in the Texas Super Lawyers Edition as Texas Super Lawyers in the October issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Derry Swanger is listed in the Top 50 Attorneys in Central and West Texas
Click here for the Super Lawyers website

September 2007
Leslie Giordani, Derry Swanger, Elizabeth Schurig, Carolyn Beckett, Steven Tackett, and Michael Ripp are listed in The Best Lawyers in America and are featured in a special section of American Lawyer magazine (November 2007)

Elizabeth Schurig is highlighted as “Planner of the Month” by Michael Mallory in his September issue of The Life Insurance Law Newsletter
Click here for a copy

Amy Jetel presents at The American Bar Association 2007 Joint Fall CLE Meeting, “Current Developments in Domestic and International Asset Protection Planning,” (Vancouver, BC, Canada; September 28, 2007)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Il Class, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection – A Practical Study,” (Denver, Colorado; September 5, 2007)

July 2007
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the AICPA Advance Estate Planning Conference, “Asset Protection” and “Domestic and International Wealth Protection Trusts – A Practical Implementation Study,” (Boston, Massachusetts; July 23-25, 2007)
Click here for a brochure

June 2007
GSBT welcomes Stephen L. Phillips as a partner at the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Phillips was a partner at Cantey Hanger, L.L.P.

GSBT welcomes Michelle L. Terbay as a new associate attorney at the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Terbay was an associate at Holland & Knight, L.L.P.

GSBT welcomes Cindy L. Grossman as a new associate attorney at the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Grossman was an associate at Cantey Hanger, L.L.P.

Leslie Giordani and Bob Chesner present at the 14th Annual Family Office Forum, "Deploying Alternative Investing Strategies via PPLI,” (Chicago, Illinois; June 5-7, 2007)
Click here for a brochure

May 2007
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the East Bay Planning Council, “The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection – A Practical Study,” (Oakland, California; May 14, 2007)

April 2007
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting 2007 Annual Meeting, “The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection,” (Washington, D.C.; April 2007)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the American Bar Association 2007 Spring Symposia, “Current Trends in Offshore Planning,” (Washington, D.C.; April 2007)

March 2007
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Queen’s College Annual Estate Planners Day Conference, “The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection,” (Charlotte, North Carolina; March 2007)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Il Class, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection – A Practical Study,” (Denver,Colorado; March 5, 2007)

February 2007
GSBT welcomes Bob Chesner as Director of Insurance. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Chesner was Vice President of Global Affluent and Corporate Markets Group at American International Group, Inc. and the Chief Marketing Officer for AIG Life of Bermuda, Ltd.

Leslie Giordani and Bob Chesner co-chair the IIR 5th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities. She also participates as a panelist on "Investor Control In Depth: Analysis with Case Examples,” (Miami, Florida; February 26-27, 2007)
Click here for a brochure

Michael Ripp presents on “Trend Focus: Are Annuities Gaining Ground on Life Insurance?” at the IIR 5th Annual Event: Alternative Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities." Michael Ripp and Elizabeth Schurig also participate as panelists at "Intermediate Course on Private Placement Life Insurance, Annuity, and Alternative Investment Products: Understanding the Tax, Product, and Regulatory Issues,“ (Miami, Florida; February 26-27, 2007)
Click here for a brochure

November 2006
Amy Jetel presents at the National Business Institute, Demystifying Asset Protection Vehicles, "Are Business Entities a Viable Option for Personal Asset Protection?" (Austin, Texas; November 6, 2006)

Elizabeth Schurig is named in Worth magazine's Top 100 Attorneys List
Article

October 2006
Leslie Giordani is quoted by Rachel Emma Silverman in her article "Insuring Against Hedge-Fund Taxes," in The Wall Street Journal dated October 18, 2006

Michael Ripp and Amy Jetel are named Rising Stars for 2007 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of up-and-coming lawyers in the State of Texas

September 2006
Leslie Giordani, Derry Swanger, Elizabeth Schurig, Carolyn Beckett, and Steven Tackett are listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Each partner is featured in a special section of American Lawyer magazine (November 2006)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Il Class, "Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection,” (Greenwood Village, Colorado; September 14, 2006)

Elizabeth Schurig appointed as Vice-Chair of the Asset Protection Planning Committee for the 2006-2007 bar year by the American Bar Association, Probate and Trust Division for the Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law

Leslie Giordani presents at the 7th Annual Family Office Wealth Conference, “Selecting the Right Life Insurance in a Growing Menu of Options,” (Laguna Beach, California; September 17-19, 2006)
Click here for a brochure (20 pages)

July 2006
Elizabeth Schurig, Amy Jetel, and Carolyn Beckett publish “Foreign Reporting: Get It Right” in the July issue of Trusts and Estates
Article

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 29th Annual AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Asset Protection for Professionals,” and “Current Trends in Offshore Planning,” (San Diego, California; July 26-28, 2006)
Click here for a brochure

June 2006
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Texas Bar Continuing Legal Education Conference Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course, “Tools of the Asset Protection Trade: A Necessary Component of the Estate Planner’s Toolbox,” (Houston, Texas; June 7-9, 2006)
Click here for a brochure

Michael Ripp presents at the Texas Bar Continuing Legal Education Conference Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course, “Estate Planning Opportunities with Private Placement Life Insurance,” (Houston, Texas; June 7-9, 2006)
Click here for a brochure

May 2006
Elizabeth Schurig and Amy Jetel publish “The Alarming Potential for LLC Dissolution by a Member’s Personal Creditors” in the May/June issue of Probate & Property
Article

GSBT honored by Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas for their outstanding commitment to pro bono and assisted pro se legal services in Travis County. Judge Suzanne Covington recognizes firms and individuals who have contributed their time and expertise during a brief ceremony on May 18th, 2006 in the 53rd District Court Room on the 4th Floor of the Travis County Courthouse

April 2006
On April 17, the Texas legislature convened in a special session to consider a bill to reform the Texas property tax system, the Texas business tax, and the way that Texas schools are funded. The proposed business tax, if passed, will affect many existing business and professional organizations and groups (including family limited partnerships). Because of the impact of this proposed legislation, we wanted to provide you with a summary for your review

The following is a brief synopsis of the original reform proposal drafted by the Texas Tax Reform Commission (TTRC) which was released on March 29, 2006. Amendments and changes in the bill will take place before the bill is ultimately adopted or rejected and we will continue to monitor and report on its progress. We hope that you will find this information useful.
Click here for the TTRC Proposal Summary

March 2006
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Il Class, "Legal Protection of Assets,” (Greenwood Village, Colorado; March 2, 2006)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Conference during the Wealth Transfer Affinity Group as an expert on the effects of the new Bancruptcy Act with Alexander Bove (Boston, Massachusetts; March 8, 2006)

February 2006
Leslie Giordani is quoted extensively by Gregory Taggart in his article "Gilt-Edged Insurance," in Bloomberg's Wealth Manager magazine

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 2006 Partners Financial Spring Marketing Conference, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection," (Dallas, Texas; February 25 - 27, 2006)

Leslie Giordani chairs the IIR 4^th Annual Event: Hedge fund Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities. She also presents on “The Role of Consultants and Advisors in Maximizing PPLI Performance and Client Satisfaction,” (Coconut Grove, Florida; February 27–28, 2006)
Click here for a brochure

Michael Ripp presents at the IIR 4th Annual Event: Hedge Fund Investing Through Life Insurance and Annuities, “Part I: Life Insurance and Annuity Basics: Product, Tax, and Regulatory Issues” and “Updating and Clarifying the Legal Issues in the PPLI Marketplace,” (Coconut Grove, Florida; February 27–28, 2006)
Click here for a brochure

January 2006
Leslie Giordani is quoted in an article appearing in Barrons' entitled "Hedges and Taxes: Easing the Sting," by Erin E. Arvedlund

Leslie Giordani is mentioned as an expert in the PPLI arena in Bloomberg's new book, "Tax Aware Investment Management: The Essential Guide," by Douglas S. Rogers, CFA. Her article, co-authored with Amy Jetel, "Investing in Hedge Funds Through Private Placement Life Insurance," is listed as a source for the book

December 2005
Elizabeth Schurig is named in Worth magazine's
Top 100 Attorneys list

GSBT celebrates its 5^th Anniversary

Michael Ripp presents at FRA's 3rd Annual Event: Insurance & Annuity-Based Hedge Fund Investing Forum, “Life Insurance and Annuity Basics: Product, Tax and Regulatory Issues” and “Back to Basics: Revisit the Fundamentals and Convergence of Hedge Funds, PPLI’s & Annuities,” (New York, New York; December 2005)
Click here for a brochure.

October 2005
GSBT proudly welcomes Michael H. Ripp as a partner of the Firm

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 2005 IMCA Wealth Management Certificate Program, Part III, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection,” (Denver, Colorado; October 21-22, 2005)

Michael Ripp and Amy Jetel are named Rising Stars for 2006 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of up-and-coming lawyers in the State of Texas

September 2005
Leslie Giordani, Derry Swanger, Elizabeth Schurig, Carolyn Beckett, and Steven Tackett are listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Each partner is featured in a special section of American Lawyer magazine (November 2005)
Click here for the Trusts and Estates Section attorney page
Click here for the Tax Section attorney page

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Il Class, "Legal Protection of Assets,” (Greenwood Village, Colorado; September 30, 2006)

August 2005
Leslie Giordani presents at the Eighth Annual Advanced ALI-ABA Course of Study for Counselors to Foreign and US Clients - International Trust and Estate Planning Conference, "Offshore Private Placement Life Insurance," (Seattle, Washington; August 25-26, 2005)
Click here for a brochure

July 2005
Michael Ripp and Amy Jetel are featured in the Texas Rising Star Edition as Texas Rising Stars for 2005 in Texas Monthly magazine

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Offshore and Domestic Asset Protection Planning,” (Toronto, Canada; July 17-20, 2005)
Click here for a brochure

June 2005
GSBT welcomes Mari M. Reed as a new associate attorney of the Firm. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Reed was an associate in the Dallas office of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.

Leslie Giordani serves as chairman of IBC's Third Annual National Event, Hedge Fund Investing through Life Insurance and Annuities. She will be speaking at the event on "Exploring the Benefits and Trade-offs of Onshore vs. Offshore Private Placement Life Insurance", (New York, New York; June 13-14, 2005)
Click here for a brochure

Michael Ripp presents at IBC's Third Annual National Event, Hedge Fund Investing through Life Insurance and Annuities, "Legal Issues and Structures: What's Going on in the PPLI Marketplace?" (New York, New York; June 13-14, 2005)
Click here for a brochure

April 2005
Elizabeth Schurig is quoted in an article appearing in Financial Planning magazine entitled "Emotional Rescue" by Mitchell Rose

Steven Tackett presents at the Austin Bar Association's 19th Annual Probate and Estate Planning Seminar (Austin, Texas; April 1, 2005). "ADR Procedures in Estate Planning Documents - Recognizing the Need for Them, Advising Your Client, and Drafting Them, including the use of Pre-Death Mediation to Avoid Litigation"

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA 2005 Spring Professional Development Conference, "The Tools of Domestic and International Asset Protection," (Palm Desert, California; April 10-13, 2005)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part Ill Class, "Asset Protection as Part of a Comprehensive Estate Planning Structure,” (Greenwood Village, Colorado; April 29-30, 2005)

March 2005
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the IMCA Wealth Management Part II Class, "Legal Protection of Assets,” (Greenwood Village, Colorado; March 4, 2005)

Elizabeth Schurig is quoted in an article appearing in Bloomberg Wealth Manager entitled "Going Under Cover" by Deborah L. Jacobs

February 2005
Leslie Giordani presents at the FOX Wealth Advisor Conference, Understanding and Servicing the Ultra-Affluent Client, “Private Placement Life Insurance: Friend or Foe?” (Coconut Grove, Florida at the Ritz-Carlton; February 9-11, 2005)

January 2005
Leslie Giordani is selected as chairperson for IBC's Third Annual National Event, Hedge Fund Investing through Life Insurance and Annuities

December 2004
Leslie Giordani and Derry Swanger are listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Elizabeth Schurig presents to the Dallas Society of CPA's, “Legal Protection of Assets,” (Dallas, Texas; December 1, 2004)

November 2004
Steve Tackett presents at the 15th Annual Advanced Drafting: Estate Planning and Probate Course 2004 State Bar of Texas, "ADR Provisions in Estate Planning Documents," (League City, Texas; November 2004)

Elizabeth Schurig is quoted in a new book by Amy Henry, the last woman standing on the television reality show, The Apprentice. The book, "What it Takes: Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up," is touted as "Modern Women's Guide to Success in Business"

Elizabeth was interviewed and quoted in regard to her expertise on the importance of emotional savvy (pages 175 - 176,178). She comments that people are more likely to bond with you if your goal is to serve customers before considering your own ego. "Women are not in it for their own ego and there is less conflict of interest." She is also quoted as saying that one of the firm's strengths is that the professionals see others through a more personal lens, as whole human beings. Employees, colleagues and clients alike benefit from this "others centered" mentality, a key contributor to GSBT's success

In an article appearing in Financial Planning entitled "Private Lives" by Mitchell Rose, Leslie Giordani is quoted as a "leading authority on PPLI" and comments that, "I consider private placement life insurance to be one of the best income tax-planning vehicles I've ever encountered....It works well, and it works right away. Clients love it once they've done it. You can see the proof in hard numbers that it saves people substantial tax dollars...."

The article may be found in its entirety on the Financial-Planning.com website

October 2004
Leslie Giordani, Elizabeth Schurig, Carolyn Beckett, Steven Tackett, and Derry Swanger are named Texas Super Lawyers by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Texas Super Lawyers represent the top 5% of lawyers in the State of Texas. Each attorney is featured in the Texas Super Lawyers Edition as Texas Super Lawyers in the October issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Derry Swanger is listed in the Top 50 Attorneys in Central and West Texas
Texas Super Lawyers

Leslie Giordani Participates in the Liechtenstein Dialogue, October 22-23, 2004, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

The 2004 Liechtenstein Dialogue on the Future of Financial Markets was a participatory conference enabling an interactive dialogue between business leaders, representatives of finance and industry, politicians, public officials and scientists. The goal was to identify and discuss the future role of taxes in the global marketplace, especially concerning financial markets. The Liechtenstein Dialogue provided opportunities for major stakeholders to share their concerns, experiences and proposals in specific areas and to discuss them openly.

The forum's audience was limited to about 80-100 selected international leaders and decision-makers. Of those invited was GSBT partner Leslie Giordani, allowing her the opportunity to participate in discussions of the core tax policy issues that are of significant relevance to GSBT's international estate planning practice: tax competition vs. tax harmonization, on the one hand, and transparency vs. privacy in financial market regulation on the other.

Photo: At the reception hosted by HSH Hereditary Prince Alois von und zu Liechtenstein at Vaduz Castle
Photo: At the Conference in Vaduz

Steven Tackett presents at the State Bar of Texas 15th Annual Advanced Drafting: Estate Planning and Probate Course, "Use of ADR Procedures in Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Administrations, Including the Pre-Dispute Use to Avoid Litigation" (League City, Texas; October 28-29, 2004)
Article

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 2004 IMCA Wealth Management Certificate Program, Part III, "Wealth Distribution" on the topic of estate and gift planning (Denver, Colorado; October 27-28, 2004)

Michael Ripp and Amy Jetel are named Rising Stars for 2005 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of up-and-coming lawyers in the State of Texas

September 2004
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 2004 IMCA Wealth Management Certificate Program, Part II, Wealth Preservation and Protection, “Legal Protection of Assets,” (Chicago, Illinois; September 27, 2004)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Advanced Collection Law program, "Trusts as Protective Tools," (Austin, Texas; September 23, 2004)

August 2004
Leslie Giordani presents at the Seventh Annual Advanced ALI-ABA Course of Study for Counselors to Foreign and US Clients - International Trust and Estate Planning Conference, "Private Placement Life Insurance Planning," (Toronto, Ontario, Canada; August 26-27, 2004)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Eugene Oregon Estate Planning Council, Choosing an Entity or Establishing a Trust with Asset Protection in Mind – A Multijurisdictional Analysis," (Eugene, Oregon; August 17, 2004)

Derry Swanger's article "The Migrant Client: Tax, Community Property, and Other Considerations," co-authored with Louis Mezzullo of McGuireWoods LLP, is published in BNA's Tax Management, Estates, Gifts, and Trusts Portfolios (803-2nd, 2004)
Click here for the website with information on this BNA product

July 2004
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Offshore and Domestic Asset Protection Planning" {Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; July 28-30, 2004)

Michael Ripp is featured in the Texas Rising Star Edition as Texas Rising Stars for 2004 in Texas Monthly magazine

June 2004
Susan Barreto of HedgeWorld.com interviews and quotes Leslie Giordani in her article, "More Hedge funds Focus on Private Placement Life Insurance," (HedgeWorld.com, June 2004). Article unavailable electronically

Leslie Giordani chairs and presents at IBC USA's Second Annual Hedge Fund Investing Through Life Insurance Conference, "The PPLI Client - Who is Buying and Why?" (New York City, New York; June 14-15, 2004)

Michael Ripp presents at the State Bar of Texas Advanced Estate Planning and Probate Course, "Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning and Probate," (San Antonio, Texas; June 8, 2004). He also presented "Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning and Probate" at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting (San Antonio, Texas; June 24, 2004)

May 2004
Elizabeth Schurig co-chairs and presents at the American Bar Association's 15th Annual Symposia (Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section), "Special Drafting Considerations for Asset Protection Trusts" (Seattle, Washington; May 12-14, 2004)

Bloomberg issues wire and press release entitled, "Thomas Taylor, Ex-Bass Brothers Investor, Turns to Insurers" in which Leslie Giordani is quoted
Press Release

April 2004
Leslie Giordani is quoted by Tom Stabile in his article "Hedge Funds Get Tax-Friendly for Wealthy," (FUNDfire, April 2004)

Leslie Giordani presents at IMCA's Spring Development Conference, Measuring Consultant's Alpha, "Absolute Return investing with Greater Tax Efficiency Through Private Placement Life Insurance," (Boca Raton, Florida; April 25 - 28, 2004)

March 2004
GSBT welcomes Derry W. Swanger, formerly of Hughes & Luce, LLP, as a partner of the Firm

Susan Barreto of HedgeWorld.com interviews and quotes Leslie Giordani in her article, "Private Placement Life Insurance Business Grows, Boosts Hedge Funds," (HedgeWorid.com, March 1, 2004). Article unavailable electronically

February 2004
Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) issues a press release regarding Leslie Giordani's and Amy Jetel's article, "Investing in Hedge Funds Through Private Placement Life Insurance," which was issued in IMCA's scholarly publication, the Journal of Investment Consulting
Article
View IMCA's press release on their website

Elizabeth Schurig is quoted in Michael G. Stevens' article, "In Trusts We Trust" in the February 2004 issue of Practical Accountant
Article

January 2004
Leslie Giordani is named Conference Chairman for IBC USA's 2nd Annual Hedge Fund Investing Through Life Insurance Conference, scheduled for June 14 & 15, 2004 in New York City

Steven Tackett expands his practice to include mediation services. He will serve as a Qualified independent Third Party or mediator in complex cases involving estates, probates, trusts, marital property, charitable organizations, and/or estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Austin Bar Association's Estate Planning and Probate Section Meeting, "Choosing an Entity with Asset Protection in Mind: A Jurisdictional Analysis," (Austin, Texas)

December 2003
Elizabeth Schurig and Carolyn Beckett speak at the International Bar Association's 9th Annual International Wealth Transfer Practice Conference, "Jurisdictional Considerations in Establishing a Protective Trust," (New York, New York)

November 2003
Elizabeth Schurig and Amy Jetel publish "A Charging Order is the Exclusive Remedy Against A Partnership interest: Fact or Fiction?" in the November/December issue of Probate & Property
Article

October 2003
Michael Ripp is named Rising Stars for 2004 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of up-and-coming lawyers in the State of Texas

Leslie Giordani, Elizabeth Schurig, and Steven Tackett are featured in the Texas Super Lawyers Edition as Texas Super Lawyers in Texas Monthly magazine
Article

August 2003
Leslie Giordani presents at the American Law Institute - American Bar Association International Trust and Estate Planning Conference, "Foreign Insurance Products," (San Diego, California)

July 2003
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the 2003 AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Current Trends in Offshore Planning" and "Asset Protection for Professionals" (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Elizabeth Schurig is honored as a nominee of Austin Business Journal's Profiles in Power award at a luncheon held at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas. The Profiles in Power award is bestowed on women in the Austin community who have achieved an outstanding level of professional acclaim balanced with community involvement

June 2003
Leslie Giordani, Elizabeth Schurig, and Steven Tackett are named Texas Super Lawyers for 2003 by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines. Texas Super Lawyers represent the top 5% of lawyers in the State of Texas

May 2003
The Firm moves to the top floor of 100 Congress in Austin, Texas. View our photo gallery

Elizabeth Schurig presents in connection with Oxford Financial Group, "Current Trends and Strategies in Asset Protection Planning," (Austin, Texas)

April 2003
Leslie Giordani chairs and presents at IBC's Inaugural Event, Hedge Fund Investing Through Life Insurance, "Identifying the Market For and Uses of Private Placement Life Insurance," (New York, New York; April 3-4, 2003)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the American Bar Association's 14th Annual Symposia (Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section), "Jurisdictional Considerations in Establishing a Protective Trust," (New York, New York)

Steven Tackett presents at the State Bar of Texas Advanced Estate Planning Strategies Course, "Anticipating Change," (Las Vegas, Nevada)

March 2003
Leslie Giordani is selected for membership as a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel

February 2003
Leslie Giordani presents at M Financial Group's 2003 National Advisors Conference, "Advanced Investments in Life Insurance Strategies - Use of Hedge Funds in Offshore Private Placement Life Insurance," (Tucson, Arizona)

January 2003
Leslie Giordani presents at The 37th Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, "Advanced Investments in Life Insurance Strategies - Use of Hedge Funds in Offshore Private Placement Life Insurance," (Miami Beach, Florida)

December 2002
Michael Ripp receives his certification in Estate Planning & Probate Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

November 2002
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Austin Bar Association's Estate Planning and Probate Section Meeting, "Current Trends in Asset Protection and Offshore Planning," (Austin, Texas)

October 2002
Leslie Giordani is appointed to the Advisory Council of the Investment Management Consultants Association

Leslie Giordani presents at the American Law Institute - American Bar Association international Trust and Estate Planning Conference, "Foreign Life insurance Strategies," (Boston, Massachusetts)

September 2002
Leslie Giordani is selected for listing in The Best Lawyers in America

August 2002
GSBT welcomes Amy P. Jetel as a new associate attorney of the Firm

Elizabeth Schurig presents at The 2002 AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference, "Current Trends in Offshore Planning," (Portland, Oregon)

July 2002
Leslie Giordani presents at the Insurance Distributors International (Bermuda) Ltd. 2002 Conference, "Implementing an Offshore Life Insurance Strategy," (Paget, Bermuda)

Elizabeth Schurig presents at the Insurance Distributors International (Bermuda) Ltd. 2002 Conference, "Asset Protection Planning," (Paget, Bermuda)

June 2002
Steven Tackett is selected for inclusion in the 2002/2003 America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals

May 2002
Leslie Giordani and Elizabeth Schurig speak at APIC's 12th Annual Educational Conference, "Complex Estate Planning Techniques for the Ultra High Net Worth Client," (San Antonio, Texas)

April 2002
Leslie Giordani presents at the State Bar of Texas Advanced Estate Planning Strategies Course, "Advanced Investment and Life Insurance Strategies," (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

March 2002
Michael Ripp presents at the Business & Professional Women's Organization - Austin/Capitol City Chapter meeting, "Estate and Disability Planning: The Basics,” (Austin, Texas)

January 2002
Elizabeth Schurig presents at the American Bar Association's Section of Taxation 2002 Midyear Meeting, "Internal Revenue Code Sections 679 and 684," (New Orleans, Louisiana)

September 2001
Leslie Giordani presents at the Insurance Distributors International (Bermuda) Ltd. 2001 Conference, "Implementing an Offshore Strategy," (Paget, Bermuda)

Leslie Giordani presents at the Wealth Counsel Study Group Meeting, "Planning with Private Placement Life Insurance," (St. Louis, Missouri)