Professor Gerry W. Beyer
Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
https://professorbeyer.com/index.html
Gerry W. Beyer joined the faculty of the Texas Tech University School of Law in June 2005 as the first holder of the Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professorship. Previously, Prof. Beyer taught as a professor or visiting professor at several other law schools including Boston College, The Ohio State University, Southern Methodist University, the University of New Mexico, Santa Clara University, St. Mary’s University, and La Trobe University (Australia). He is the recipient of dozens of outstanding and distinguished faculty awards including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the most prestigious university-wide teaching award at Texas Tech. Prof. Beyer was also the recipient of the 2012-2013 Outstanding Researcher Award (Law) and the 2015 President’s Academic Achievement Award.
As a state and nationally recognized expert in estate planning, Prof. Beyer was inducted into the National Association of Estate Planning Councils' Estate Planning Hall of Fame in November 2015. He is a highly sought after lecturer and presents dozens of continuing legal education presentations each year for many state and local bar associations, universities, and civic groups.
Prof. Beyer is the editor of the most popular estate planning blawg in the nation which for the past six years was named to the ABA Journal's Blawg 100 and was awarded ABA Blawg 100 Hall of Fame status in December 2015. He has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles focusing on various aspects of estate planning, including a two volume treatise on Texas wills law, an estate planning casebook, and the Wills, Trusts, and Estates volume of the Examples & Explanations series. He has three times won awards from the American Bar Association’s Probate & Property magazine for his writing and is one of the most often downloaded law authors on the Social Science Research Network. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the REPTL Reporter, the official journal of the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Prof. Beyer serves as a mentor to many students and various law school organizations as well participating regularly in pro bono activities. He is the advisor for the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal and its annual seminar.
Professor Beyer received his J.D. from the Ohio State University and his LL.M. and J.S.D. degrees from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the Order of the Coif, an Academic Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a member of the American Law Institute.
Ms. Maya Brill
SVP, Senior Wealth Strategist
Regions Bank
Maya is a member of the Wealth Planning Group serving closely held business owners and high/ultra-high net worth individuals within Regions' Private Wealth Management. Maya's focus is developing strategic business succession planning as well as advanced estate planning. She approaches her clients' needs with a view towards wealth reservation and protection, but with an acute awareness that everyone has unique family dynamics that require balancing tax efficiencies with personal family needs.
Maya began her career with Andersen, a national tax firm servicing ultra-high net worth individuals and entities. While at Andersen, she specialized in multi-generational complex wealth transfer techniques. Her focus included corporate, partnership, and individual income taxes; and estate, gift, and generation skipping transfer taxes. She subsequently joined Comerica Bank as a Senior Wealth Strategist and Business Owner Advisor where she advised business owners and their families on successful exit planning coupled with sophisticated estate planning techniques.
Maya holds the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential and earned her LL.M-Tax from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles; J.D. from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings); and B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego.
Professor Elizabeth R. Carter
LSU Law Center
Professor Elizabeth R. Carter is the A.N. Yiannopoulos Professor of Law and the Judge Anthony J. Graphia & Jo Ann Graphia Professor of Law at the Louisiana State University Law Center, where she teaches and writes in the areas of trusts & estates, tax, family law, and comparative law. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at the Law Center, Professor Carter teaches the courses in Federal Gift and Estate Tax and in Estate Planning in the University of Alabama’s LL.M. program in taxation. She is also an Academic Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Ms. Layne C. Fincher
Associate
Jones Walker LLP
Layne Fincher focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, assisting clients with the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents. She also works with clients in succession matters and is involved in the preparation of US estate tax and gift tax returns, as well as other tax-related work. Layne is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law, where she received her juris doctor degree and her Master of Laws in taxation, with a concentration in estate planning, summa cum laude. During law school, Layne was a senior editor for the Alabama Law Review, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and earned CALI Awards in Unincorporated Business Entities, Tax Procedure, International Tax, and Taxation of Trusts and Estates. While earning her law degrees, Layne served as a research assistant for Professor Adam Steinman and as a judicial intern to the Honorable L. Scott Coogler of the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Mr. John A. Hotard
Jones Walker LLP
Hobie Hotard counsels high net worth individuals, families, and closely held businesses on estate and trust planning, business succession planning, tax compliance, and the potential impact of new and emerging tax legislation. Hobie works with clients to prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and marital property agreements. He also works with clients in succession matters and advises them on preparation of federal gift and estate tax returns. Hobie understands the highly sensitive nature of business succession planning and helps clients identify their unique goals, negotiate parties’ complex needs and interests, and navigate changes in control — all with the goal of preserving wealth and helping ensure business longevity. He also works with family offices and foundations to establish and administer charitable giving plans.
Mr. Justin T. Mannino
Partner
Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP
http://www.taylorporter.com
Practicing law since 2013, Taylor Porter Special Counsel Justin T. Mannino represents individuals and businesses in the areas of federal, state and local taxation; multigenerational estate planning; numerous business and corporate governance and ownership matters; successions; and trusts.
Justin works with individuals and families to prepare estate plans and implement wills, powers of attorney and to establish trust instruments [grantor trusts, multigenerational trusts, and grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs)]. Justin also advises clients regarding the structure of multi-generational wealth conservation plans to effectively access the exemptions for the gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and to transfer intra-family wealth with minimal transfer tax cost and without disruption of business operations. He also handles will contests and disputes, the implementation of wealth conservation plans, and the administration of estates and trusts. Justin offers advice to executors in executing his or her duties as administrator and properly administering complex estates. Justin frequently presents at CLE seminars on the topics of estate planning, successions and federal taxation. Justin is a member of the Baton Rouge Estate and Business Planning Council.
Justin regularly advises clients concerning business and personal financial transactions, including developing the tax structure for sales, mergers or acquisitions of businesses, and drafting buy-sell agreements, asset or stock purchase agreements, operating agreements, or other corporate governance instruments. He provides business planning for closely-held corporations, and provides tax advice for matters from formation to liquidation.
Justin’s additional representative matters and experience include:
Representation of various business owners, including closely-held businesses, in evaluating the best tax structure for sale or purchase of businesses.
Handling large-scale federal and state tax controversies with the Internal Revenue Service and Louisiana Department of Revenue.
Representation of clients in the formation of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and foundations, including application for tax exempt status with the IRS, and providing advice to nonprofit entities on formation, corporate governance, tax exemption, and compliance with tax-exempt law.
Representation of businesses in corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions, in particular a multi-million dollar merger of a fumigation company which had footholds nationally with a publically-traded corporation.
Justin was a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association Leadership Class of 2016-2017. He is an active member of both the LSBA and the Baton Rouge Bar Association. Justin has been a member of the LSBA Ethics Committee since 2017.
Justin received his J.D./D.C.L. cum laude from Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University in 2013. During his time at LSU Law, Justin served as the SBA Executive President and as the student member of the LSU Board of Supervisors (2012-2013). After LSU Law, Justin continued his legal education at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he graduated with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation in 2014. Justin also received a B.S. in Accounting in 2010 from the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University.
A Baton Rouge native, Justin is a 2006 graduate of Catholic High School, Baton Rouge. In the community, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Catholic High School Alumni Association. Justin chairs the worship committee for St. Aloysius Catholic Church.
Ms. Linda S Melancon
Attorney
Legacy Estate and Elder Law of Louisiana, LLC
http://www.legacycenterla.com
Linda S. Melancon, founder of Legacy Estate & Elder Law of Louisiana, LLC, is an attorney practicing in the areas of Estate Planning, "Elder Law," Medicaid and VA Benefits Planning, "Special Needs Planning," and Estate Administration (Successions and Trust Administration). Linda is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She is also accredited by the Veterans Administration to give advice regarding veterans’ benefits. Linda graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University with a double major in business administration and history and then attended Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center where she graduated with her law degree in 1997.
While in law school, Linda received the Order of the Coif award for graduating in the top 10% of her class and was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. She is a member of the Louisiana Elder Law Task Force, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Baton Rouge Aging Network.
Also active in the community, Linda has served as a board member for the Ascension Council on Aging and The ARC of East Ascension. Linda also regularly presents educational seminars for the public, as well as professional groups, on the importance of proper planning.
When not working, Linda enjoys outdoor activities - particularly hiking, biking, and kayaking. Linda has three children and seven grandchildren and very much enjoys spending time with them.
Ms. Rebecca S. Luster Radford
Associate
Wiener, Weiss & Madison, APC
Rebecca S. Luster Radford is a shareholder at the Shreveport, Louisiana law firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison, a Professional Corporation, and a practitioner primarily in the areas of taxation, estate planning, successions, trusts, and business and commercial transactions. Ms. Radford is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist as Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration, cum laude, from Rhodes College and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Virginia. Ms. Radford earned a J.D. and a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, cum laude. Subsequent to her studies at LSU, Ms. Radford earned a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida.
Ms. Betty A. Raglin
Attorney
Legacy Estate & Elder Law
http://www.legacycenterla.com
Betty A. Raglin is an A-V rated attorney practicing in the areas of Taxation, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Estate and Trust Administration and Litigation, and Business Planning. Betty is Board Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization in the areas of Tax Law and Estate Planning & Administration.
Betty graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor in Business Administration and then attended Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center where she graduated with her law degree in 2001. In 2002, Betty received her Master of Laws in Taxation from Southern Methodist University.
She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a co-author, beginning with the 2010-2011 Supplement, of “Estate Planning in Louisiana” (Thomson West, 1991).
A frequent speaker and humorist, Betty has presented on behalf of the law schools of Louisiana State University, Loyola University New Orleans, Southern University, and Tulane University. In addition, she is the former Chair of the Estate Planning Advisory Committee of the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and former President of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association.
Betty's hobbies include reading, traveling, and learning everything she can about New Orleans.
Professor Ronald J. Scalise Jr.
Tulane Law School
Ronald J. Scalise Jr. is the John Minor Wisdom Professor of Civil Law at Tulane Law School. He joined the Tulane Law faculty in 2009 and held the A.D. Freeman Professorship from 2009 to 2018. He served as Vice Dean of the law school from 2012 to 2016. Prior to arriving at Tulane, Professor Scalise served on the faculty of the Louisiana State University Law Center from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, he was awarded the McGlinchey Stafford Associate Professorship there, and, in 2009, he served as Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
While in law school, Professor Scalise served as an Articles Editor for the Tulane Law Review. After graduation, he clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for Judge James L. Dennis and then worked as an associate in the New Orleans law firm of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann, LLC. He pursued his LL.M. at Trinity College, Cambridge University, on a Gates Fellowship.
During his time in practice and in academia, Professor Scalise has served on a number of law reform projects and on projects related to the betterment of the legal profession. He currently serves as Reporter for the Successions and Donations Committee, the Trust Code Committee, the Prescription Committee, and the Committee on Aleatory Contracts/Signification of Terms of the Louisiana State Law Institute and as a member of the Council and a committee member of over a dozen other subject-matter specific revision committees. He currently serves as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Board of Governors, a position he previously held from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2017 to the 2019. In addition, from 2011-2017, Professor Scalise served on the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, including in positions as both Chair and Vice Chair of the Board.
In 2011, he was appointed to serve as an appeals judge in cases contesting decisions made by the BP oil spill compensation system, and in 2012 he was elected as an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. He is both a board member and the Treasurer of the American Society of Comparative Law. Professor Scalise has written extensively on civil and comparative law topics, particularly in the area of successions, wills, and trusts. He is also the primary author for the annual updates for five volumes in the Louisiana Civil Law Treatise series on property and obligations. In 2014, he was elected as an academic fellow to the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), and in 2015 was given the Leadership in Law Award by New Orleans City Business. In 2018, he was awarded both the Felix Frankfurter Award for law teaching and the John Minor Wisdom Award for the best civil law article published in the Tulane Law Review. In that year, Professor Scalise also assumed editorial responsibility for the annual pamphlet edition of the Louisiana Civil Code. In 2019, Professor Scalise was elected to the American Law Institute and was appointed by the Uniform Law Commission as Reporter for the revision of the Uniform Disposition of Community Property at Death Act. Since 2021, he has also served as the Reporter for Uniform Law Commission’s project on Uniform Conflict of Laws in Trusts and Estates.
