Kevin Matz, Esq., CPA, LLM (taxation), is a partner in the Private Clients, Trusts and Estates Department at the national law firm of ArentFox Schiff LLP, based in its New York City office, where he co-chairs its Family Office Group.  Kevin’s practice is principally devoted to domestic and international estate and tax planning, family office services, estate administration and related litigation. Kevin earned his BS in Accounting from Lehman College (CUNY), his JD from Fordham University School of Law (where he was a Notes & Articles Editor of the Fordham Law Review) and his LLM in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Kevin is currently President-elect of the NYCPA, and is a former chair of both its Estate Planning Committee and its Trust and Estate Administration Committee, the current chair of both the FAE Curriculum Committee and of the NYCPA Professional Liability Insurance Committee, and a past President of the FAE Board of Trustees.  In addition, Kevin is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”), in which connection he is a past Chair of ACTEC’s Business Planning Committee, the current Vice-Chair of its Washington Affairs Committee and a member of ACTEC’s Board of Regents. Kevin is also currently the Treasurer of the Trusts and Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, and the past Chair of the UJA-Federation of New York’s Trusts and Estates Group (for which he was its Honoree at its 2023 Annual Event). Kevin may be contacted at 914-380-2140 or kevin.matz@afslaw.com.

As President of Family Wealth, Eastern U.S. Region, for Wilmington Trust, N.A., Sharon is responsible for overseeing the delivery of all Wealth Management services by teams of professionals, including planning, trust, investment management, family governance and education, family office, and private banking services. Sharon also heads Wilmington Trust’s National Matrimonial/Divorce Advisory Practice. Sharon has over 25 years of experience in the wealth advisory arena and is a nationally recognized speaker and author. Global media company Forbes features Sharon as a Top Advisor in multiple categories since 2020. Every year since 2022 she was chosen as one of the Top Women Wealth Advisors in America and in New York, and in 2025 she was named the #1 Woman Wealth Advisor in New York City for High-Net-Worth. Leading business publication Crain’s named Sharon to its 2020 inaugural list of the Most Notable Women in Financial Advice. In 2023 and 2024, Sharon was chosen as a Leading High Net Worth Wealth Manager by Chambers, an internationally renowned independent ranking company. In 2018, she was honored by the UJA-Federation of New York Lawyers Division for her contributions to the trusts & estates community and the community at large. Sharon is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a highly selective professional organization of preeminent estate planning attorneys in the U.S. and internationally. Sharon was inducted into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame in 2021. This award is considered the pinnacle of accomplishment in this field. Only 125 people across the U.S. have received this award since its inception in 2004. Sharon is a member of The Rockefeller University Committee on Trust and Estate Gift Plans, the New York Bankers Association Trust & Investment Division Executive Committee, the Estates, Gifts and Trusts Advisory Board for The Bureau of National Affairs and the Thomson Reuters Trusts & Estates Advisory Board. She chairs the Domestic Relations Committee of Trusts & Estates magazine, where she sits on the Board, and is on the Advisory Board of Family Lawyer Magazine. Sharon is a past chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Trusts, Estates and Surrogate’s Court Committee, and a past chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Trusts and Estates Law Section Taxation Committee. She served on the Board of the American Brain Foundation and was a member of its Finance Committee. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust, Sharon was Managing Director at Lazard, the internationally renowned global investment banking and management company. As Head of Wealth Advisory of Lazard Wealth Management, she led the delivery of all wealth advisory services. Before that, she headed the Estate department at Fiduciary Trust Company International. Sharon began her career as a trusts & estates attorney at Rosenman & Colin (now Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP). Sharon, who holds U.S., British, and Australian citizenships, earned a master of laws from the University of California, Berkeley Law School, received a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of laws from the University of New South Wales, Australia and is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.

Gray practices in partnership, corporate, and individual tax planning; business transactions including mergers and acquisitions; business planning; tax controversy; estate and wealth transfer planning; probate; estate and trust litigation; asset protection; and charitable planning. Gray has conducted, authored, and directed numerous seminars for professional, academic, and civic groups on taxation, business, asset protection and estate planning. Planning estates needs intricate strategies. Gray works closely with clients to develop and implement such strategies. Gray enjoys cooking at home in his outdoor brick oven and spending his spare time on his sailboat with his wife, Macey, and two boys, Charles and Mason, at Sardis Lake or on the Gulf Coast.

As part of the Wilmington Trust Emerald Family Office & Advisory team, Alvina is responsible for wealth planning, family office services, and thought leadership development for Wilmington Trust’s Wealth Management division. She oversees a national team of wealth strategists, family office services professionals, and thought leadership experts, who together, serve as advisors to high-net-worth individuals and families, business owners, entrepreneurs, and foundations. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust, Alvina was a director at Citi Private Bank where she served as an advisor to U.S. and international ultra-high-net-worth clients. Previous to that, she served as a wealth strategist with Credit Suisse Private Wealth and practiced law at Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, LLP. Earlier in her career, she was a consultant for Deloitte Consulting and Scient Corporation. Alvina holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia where she was a Thomas Jefferson Scholar. She received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. She also holds a Professional Tax Certificate in Estate Planning from New York University School of Law. Alvina has been named as a recipient of the 2021 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award by the Asian American Business Development Center. She also has been recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of their Most Notable Women in Financial Advice in 2020. The honor recognizes leading women executives in New York City for their dedication to excellence in the financial industry and significant professional, civic, and philanthropic contributions. In addition, she was recognized as one of Worth’s Groundbreakers 2020: 50 Women Changing the World. A fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Alvina is a published author and frequent lecturer at leading industry conferences across the country. She has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Barron’s, and Business Insider. She is on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association Trust & Estates Section where she is co-chair of the Charitable Committee and serves on the Advisory Board of Trusts & Estates Magazine, a leading professional journal in the industry. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Women In America, a professional mentoring group. She is active with the American Bankers Association as a Board member for Wealth Management and Trust and adjunct professor of the Advanced Trust School. She is currently Chair of the New York City Walentas Scholars Program for the University of Virginia. Alvina is bilingual and speaks fluent Chinese-Cantonese and basic Chinese-Mandarin.

As part of the Wilmington Trust Emerald Family Office & Advisory team, Jeff is responsible for developing trust planning strategies for wealthy individuals and families throughout the United States and abroad. He works closely with his clients’ legal, tax, and investment advisors to construct and implement appropriate trust structures that take advantage of the state of Delaware’s unique trust and tax laws. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust in 2005, Jeff spent seven years in private legal practice as a member of the Estates and Trusts Practice Group of the Philadelphia-headquartered law firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP. Jeff earned his JD (summa cum laude) and MBA (with honors) from Syracuse University and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is a frequent lecturer on topics involving the use of Delaware trusts for asset protection, state income tax minimization, and investment management for unique trust assets. Jeff is a recipient of the Wilmington Trust Chairman’s Club award. He is a member of the Estates and Trusts Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and the Real Property, Trust & Estate Section of the American Bar Association.

Steven B. Gorin, Esq., CPA, CGMA, Partner, Thompson Coburn LLP is a nationally recognized practitioner in the areas of estate planning and the structuring of privately held businesses. Over the course of his 30-year career, Steve has amassed a deep knowledge of nearly every aspect of tax strategy for privately held businesses and freely shares that knowledge with others in the field. In his work for businesses, he helps owners plan for the eventual sale (to co-owners, employees, or third parties) or transfer (to family members), and provides a legal framework for an orderly transition while strategically saving income, transfer, and FICA taxes. His quarterly newsletter, "Business Succession Solutions," is considered essential reading for hundreds of CPAs and attorneys, who describe it as "a fantastic contribution to the field." He also maintains a blog, Business Succession Solutions, intended to help business owners — and those who advise or support them — consider smart tax strategies.

Wealth planning and preservation are central to Todd’s practice. He specializes in safeguarding and transitioning clients’ assets for future generations in a tax efficient manner by implementing vehicles such as Sales to Grantor Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), Carried Interest Transfer techniques, Family Limited Partnerships, and Preferred “Freeze” Partnerships. With experience in investment structures, Todd assists national and international families and family offices in navigating complex transfer tax issues. With a particular focus on navigating complex estate and gift tax pitfalls under Chapter 14 of the Internal Revenue Code, he creates wealth transfer structures that are designed to preserve assets for families for multiple generations to come. Todd is committed to educating future generations about wealth preservation and its empowering effects on families. By creating efficient structures and providing insights into non-tax aspects of engagement by family members at different generations, he enables his clients to preserve family wealth while supporting their endeavors at multiple generations.

Robert S. Barnett, CPA, Esq., is a founding partner of Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP, Attorneys at Law. His practice is highly concentrated in the areas of taxation, trusts, estates, corporate and partnership law and charitable planning. His experience includes Surrogate’s Court practice, tax dispute resolution, and Tax Court representation. Mr. Barnett frequently assists clients in structuring financial transactions and charitable gifts. Mr. Barnett applies creative and practical solutions to estate and business planning. He has served on many committees and is a frequent lecturer on numerous aspects of tax and business law. He is an active participant and serves on many professional and charitable boards. Mr. Barnett is a frequent lecturer and writer. His articles and lectures encompass a wide variety of topics, including business succession, estate planning, charitable planning, generation-skipping, stock options, effective strategies for removing tax liens, business taxation, utilization of the marital deduction and partnership elections. Mr. Barnett received his juris doctor in 1986 from Fordham University, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the Fordham Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in accounting. Mr. Barnett holds a Master’s degree in taxation as the recipient of the highest dean’s award. Mr. Barnett is admitted to practice law in New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Member: • Board of Directors of the Long Island Community Foundation. • Board of Directors of Nassau Academy of Law • Professional Advisors Committee of the Long Island Community Foundation • Professional Advisors Committee of the American Heart Association • Past Education Committee Chairman NCCPAP • Past President of the NCCPAP Educational Foundation • Past President of Nassau Chapter NYSSCPA • Member of Nassau Academy of Law Advisory Board • CPA Journal Editorial Review Board, May 2017-2020 Awards: • 2013 Max Block Distinguished Article Award for Technical Analysis • November 2016 – Samuel A. Dyckman, Excellence in Education Award • November 2016 – Leadership in Law Award – Long Island Business News • May 2017 – Distinguished Service Award – NYSSCPAS – Nassau Chapter • Dean’s Award in Taxation – Long Island University CW Post • Fordham Law Review • Fordham University American Jurisprudence Award – Trusts and Estates

Elizabeth Forspan is a Partner with Forspan Klear LLP, a New York law firm. Elizabeth’s areas of practice include Elder Law, Trusts & Estates and Taxation. Elizabeth speaks throughout the United States on various aspects of Elder Care Planning, Tax Law and Estate Planning. She was the recipient of the prestigious Max Block Award for Outstanding Article in the Category of Technical Analysis, awarded by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ CPA Journal for her article “Casualty Losses for Property Damaged by Hurricane Sandy”. Elizabeth has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate and Elder Law for every year from 2016 through 2023. Elizabeth has been featured in New York Magazine, MarketWatch, and she has been quoted in the New York Times. Elizabeth’s articles and contributions have been featured in the New York Law Journal. Prior to co-founding Forspan Klear LLP, Elizabeth was a Tax Manager with Ernst & Young LLP, where she focused on Mergers and Acquisitions and Executive Compensation. Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and her B.A. from Queens College of the City University of New York, where she graduated summa cum laude and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Andy focuses on wealth transfer planning and preservation, multi-generational planning, estate and trust administration, nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, and charitable giving. Among his high-net-worth clients are hedge fund and private equity managers, business owners, art dealers, and athletes. He also represents clients in forming and managing nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations (including public charities, private foundations, and private operating foundations) and acquiring and retaining their tax-exempt status. Andy has authored numerous articles related to his field and is a frequent contributor to the New York State Bar Association’s Trusts and Estates Law Section newsletter. He is also a nationally recognized lecturer, Chambers USA ranked, and a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC). In addition to his regular practice, he actively engages in pro bono work and has been recognized for his contributions by the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and the New York City Family Court Volunteer Attorney Program. Andy also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore Law School Graduate Master’s Program.

Stephanie Chau is a CPA, CFP®, and licensed life and health insurance broker. Ms. Chau is a seasoned financial professional with leadership experience across a family office, hedge fund, private equity firm, and a Big Four accounting firm. She has developed extensive expertise in wealth creation and transfer, particularly during her eight years at a family office. Previously, Ms. Chau served as Vice President and Fund Controller of multi-billion-dollar co-investment vehicles at Cerberus Capital Management, a leading private equity investment firm. At Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup and its spin-off, Saranac Capital Management, she was the VP of Portfolio Analytics, Business Development, and Client Service. She also worked as a senior auditor specializing in investment companies at Deloitte & Touche. Ms. Chau currently chairs the Estate Planning Committee of the New York State Society of CPAs and is a Board Member and Advocacy Director of the FPA of Metro NY. She is also active in her community, notably serving as the Vice President of the Forest Hills Asian Association, where she was previously the Treasurer. Her multicultural upbringing and proficiency in English and Chinese give her an edge in serving the vibrant and diverse community of the Tri-State area and beyond.