June 1999 Issue

Winters Keynotes Estate Planners Day

By Lorrie Lamazor

At the annual Estate Planners Day H. Vernon Winters, chief investment officer of Mellon Private Asset Management, lectured about the current investment environment and the future outlook for stocks and bonds. The meeting, sponsored by the Estate Planning Council of New York City, Inc., provided an in-depth review of current issues affecting estate planning and wealth preservation.

Sanford J. Schlesinger, Esq., of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman Hays & Handler LLP, was one of several speakers at the event. He addressed current tax and planning developments including federal and New York statutory changes, recent case law and IRS Code regulations, and IRS service rulings and announcements in the area of estate planning.

Nadine Gordon Lee, NYSSCPA vice president and immediate past president of the Estate Planning Council, spoke on planning for compensatory stock options and deferred compensation, with a focus on maximizing the after-tax accumulations in these plans from income, estate, and charitable perspectives.

Other speakers covered issues such as planning for domestic couples, foreign trusts, charitable trusts, proposed changes to the Principal and Income Act, income of estate planning strategies for qualified plans and IRA balances, and split dollar rollout via grantor trusts.

Arlene Harris of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman Hays & Handler LLP was the conference chair. Two hundred twenty-five registrants, including exhibitors, attended the event on April 28.

"The conference exceeded our expectations by providing to a record-breaking audience an in-depth review of current issues affecting estate planning and wealth preservation, presented by some of the most prestigious and experienced professionals," Harris said.