Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Kevin Urbatsch is the owner of The Urbatsch Law Firm, P.C. in Berkeley, California that is dedicated to the planning needs of persons with disabilities. He has practiced law in California for over 25 years and is also licensed in Michigan. He is the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP)’s National Director, an organization with over 400 special needs planning professionals around the country. He has a wealth of experience in the area of special needs planning and administration. He was the initial Attorney-Editor, creator, and contributing author of CEB’s award winning treatise titled Special Needs Trusts: Planning, Drafting and Administration. He is the author of the 1st through 3rd Editions of the book Administering the California Special Needs Trust. He is the author for the 5th through 8th Editions of Nolo Press’ book titled Special Needs Trusts: Protecting Your Child’s Financial Future. He has represented clients in establishing and administering hundreds of special needs trusts throughout California and the United States. He is host of the annual California Special Needs Planning Symposium, a three-day event for attorneys and professional fiduciaries on mastering this difficult subject. He has testified as an expert witness on the proper planning needs for Californians with disabilities in Alameda County and in Great Britain. He is a State Bar of California, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate law. He is also a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

Kevin Urbatsch

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Michele P. Fuller, Esq., is the founder of the Michigan Law Center in Macomb, Michigan, and Advocacy, Inc., a non-profit organization. She holds several leadership positions, including acting as a member of the board of directors of the Michigan NAELA Chapter, a member of the Advisory Committee for ASNP, and is former Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Michele is a highly sought speaker for national and state-wide programs. She is the author of several books on special needs planning and has published articles for national and state journals. She is most proud of receiving the Unsung Hero Award of the State Bar of Michigan, given annually to an attorney who has exhibited the highest standards of practice and commitment for the benefit of others.  Her current project is leading the settlement process design team for the Flint Water Cases. She is the proud mother of four great kids, one of whom has autism, and is happily married to a highly acclaimed special needs planning attorney, Kevin Urbatsch.

Michele Fuller

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Travis Neal is an attorney in the firm’s estate planning, probate, and trust administration group. He has focused on trusts and estates law for over a decade, working with several Bay Area firms serving a diverse group of clients. He has counseled fiduciaries administering complex trusts or estates, and has helped clients craft estate plans tailored to their needs. Travis has also worked on conservatorship and guardianship matters. Prior to joining Hartog, Baer, Zabronsky & Verriere, Travis worked at the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), a legal publisher with dozens of resources relied on by California trusts and estates attorneys. There, he wrote and edited practice guides on trust drafting, trust and probate administration, special needs trusts, conservatorships, and guardianships. Before CEB, Travis worked at firms throughout the Bay Area, focusing on estate planning and business disputes. He began his legal career clerking for the Honorable William Schwarzer, United States District Court, Northern District of California. Travis obtained his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2006 from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and a member of the Thurston Honor Society. He was also the Executive Articled Editor for the Hastings Law Journal. Travis obtained his B.A. from Stanford University. Travis is a member of the East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers (EBTEL), the Contra Costa County Bar Association (CCCBA), and the Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA). He is a volunteer member of the Litigation Subcommittee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association. An Oakland native, Travis lives in Berkeley with his spouse, two children, and small, fluffy dog.

Travis Neal

Attorney

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Nolan Arcos is an Associate Attorney at Lagerlof, LLP in Pasadena, California. Nolan graduated summa cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College with a Bachelor's in English. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from William & Mary, the country’s oldest law school. Working at William & Mary’s Elder & Disability Law Clinic, Nolan developed firsthand experience aiding low-income communities in estate planning and conservatorship matters. Nolan continued his public service by taking part in his law school’s Wills for Seniors program, where he worked with attorneys to provide free estate planning to individuals in need. After returning to California and passing the Bar, Nolan joined Lagerlof, LLP in November 2021, where he practices estate planning, trust administration, conservatorships, and other related matters. Nolan understands the importance of bringing compassion to every interaction. He strives to counsel his clients in a way that makes them feel welcome, heard, and understood.

Nolan Arcos

Attorney

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Douglas W. Housman is a partner at the Law Offices of Cain, Cain & Housman practicing in the areas of Conservatorships, Trust Administrations, Estate Planning, Elder Abuse, Decedent’s Estates, and Litigation. He focuses on representing California Private Professional Fiduciaries in all types of probate matters. He is a member of the Contra Costa Bar Association where he was the past president and current board member for the Elder Law Section. He is also a board member for the Tri-Valley Estate Planning Counsel. He is a lifelong resident of Benicia where he resides with his wife and 7-year-old son Drake. In his spare time Mr. Housman enjoys playing with his son, reading, and exercising, specifically playing basketball and running ultramarathons.

Douglas Housman

Attorney

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Rachel Rosenfeld specializes in estate planning, trust administration, probates, and inheritance disputes. She also represents clients in all aspects of conservatorship cases and trust and estate litigation. Rachel’s favorite part of her job is working proactively with her clients and empowering them to make informed, yet sometimes tough, decisions. Prior to working in probate law, Rachel worked at a large and well-known financial institution handling joint tenant and trust disputes on behalf of the company. There, she managed a team of individuals who responded to third party actions. Rachel also has experience in general civil litigation and family law. Rachel grew up in the Silicon Valley and currently lives in Contra Costa County with her husband, her son, and her dog. Her family is what is most important to her. She loves being involved in the local legal and estate planning community which includes membership in several organizations.

Rachel Rosenfeld

Attorney

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Nena Sheldon

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Aaron Feldman is the founder of Feldman Law Group, a premier Estate Planning and Special Needs focused law office located in Walnut Creek, California. Since 2006 Aaron has devoted his practice to helping families with Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate and Conservatorship matters. Aaron’s passion for Special Needs pre-dates his legal career, as he was an advocate for his uncle in the early days of the independent living movement in the 1970’s. Aaron assisted his paralyzed uncle negotiate an independent living arrangement with LA County. He is a Board Member for the Northern California chapter of NAELA and a member of The Academy of Special Needs Planners. He has worked with many organizations in the Bay Area, including Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, Morgan Autism Center, and the Kids-N-Need Golf Tournament in Pleasanton. Aaron attended UC Santa Barbara, graduating with a BA in political science. After spending a year working for Warner Bros. Records, he went to Southwestern University for law school. Aaron has lived in Walnut Creek for 30 years. He is married and has two adult children. Aaron enjoys golfing and other recreational activities. He is active in his synagogue Temple Isaiah, having served on the Board of the Men’s Group.

Aaron Feldman

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

James L. Cunningham, Jr is a second-generation California attorney, and the founder of CunninghamLegal, one of California’s leading estate and tax-planning firms. CunninghamLegal “Guides savvy, caring families in the protection and transfer of multi-generational wealth” with 12 offices throughout Northern & Southern California. He’s also the bestselling author of the frank and hard-hitting book, “Savvy Estate Planning: What You Need to Know Before You Talk to the Right Lawyer.” Certified by the State Bar of California’s Board of Specialization as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Juris Doctor from Whittier College of Law. His many professional memberships include the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Vistage International, WealthCounsel, and the California Advocates for Nursing Care Reform (CANHR). Jim and his wife Lori live in Sacramento.

James Cunningham

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

www.durstonlaw.com

Linda Durston

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Jeremy L. Lau serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Prudent Investors Network (PIN). He is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and specializes in managing assets for public and private fiduciaries and individual households. Before joining PIN he worked in investment banking as an Executive Director with Deutsche Bank’s convertible bond business in Hong Kong where he was responsible for the pricing, structuring, and distribution of hybrid capital from multinational corporations in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to this he worked with UBS Investment Bank’s Equity-Linked team and Deutsche Bank’s Credit/Fixed Income group in Tokyo. He earned a degree in Accounting (with Honors distinction) from Brigham Young University and has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designations.

Jeremy Lau

Financial Advisor Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Herb Thomas, CLPF, a California licensed private professional fiduciary (CLPF #86), is the principal fiduciary of Herb Thomas and Associates. Herb has a passion for people. He has extensive experience serving families throughout California with Special Needs Trusts, public benefits counseling and advocacy, Estate/Trust Administration, and Conservatorships. Additionally Herb is a board member of Behavioral Intervention Association (a non-profit dedicated to providing intervention services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families). Herb also served on the board for Legal Assistance for Seniors, East Bay. Before starting Herb Thomas and Associates, Herb served as the developer and coordinator of the Kaiser Permanente (KP), East Bay Community Benefits Advocacy program. The goal of this program was to find innovative methods to subsidize KP’s members’ health care costs through the complex maze of public and private benefits (e.g., Social Security, Medi-Cal, COBRA, HIPPA, etc.). Herb served seven years as taxpayer delinquency investigator with the Internal Revenue Service. In this position he located taxpayers who had not filed federal income tax returns and assisted them with becoming compliant with federal regulations. Herb is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences.

Herb Thomas

Professional Fiduciary Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Dr. Teo Ernst is the Forensic Director of the Pacific Forensic Group, a multi-specialty expert witness practice in Forensic Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Neurology. He is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology and serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry where he provides teaching and supervision on a voluntary basis. Approximately half of Dr. Ernst’s private practice is devoted to a forensic psychological evaluation, where he has extensive experience evaluating capacity.

Dr. Teo Ernst

Doctor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Frank R. Acuña is a California State Bar certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. His practice includes estate planning, business and real estate succession planning, special needs trusts, inheritance litigation, and general business and real estate advice. Frank’s estate planning practice ranges from individuals of modest means to large, complex estates. His most satisfying cases involve creating / maintaining eligibility for Medi-Cal and Social Security Disability benefits for special needs children and adults. He is also a nationally recognized expert in real estate wealth transfers and in succession planning for farms, ranches, and vineyards.With more than 27 years of front-line legal experience in the business, insurance, and banking worlds, professionals and businesses rely on Mr. Acuña as their outside general counsel. He listens with the ear of a business owner, diagnoses business, and legal issues that arise, and creates teams of professionals to guide and protect his business clients.When otherwise unavoidable, Frank is a well-qualified trial attorney. Where other attorneys push paper through years of litigation, Frank is focused on trial tactics and formulates a strategy to produce the best outcome at settlement or trial. It is the difference between an experienced trial attorney and an ordinary “litigator.” As a professional advisor, Frank has taught tax seminars for the National Tax Practice Institute, the California Society of Enrolled Agents, the California Society of Tax Professionals, and a number of state and local chapters of the National Association of Enrolled Agents and the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts. He is a featured speaker for the Professional Fiduciary Association of California and the California Association of Public Administrators, Public Conservators, and Public Guardians. He advises tax, fiduciary, and real estate professionals throughout California and was honored by the California Society of Enrolled Agents as its 2010 Booster of the Year.

Frank Acuña

Attorney Instructor

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Tracy S. Regli is a founding partner of Acuña ❖ Regli. Tracy focuses her practice on probate and trust administration, fiduciary representation, conservatorship and special needs matters. She has assisted many banks, fiduciaries, and family members with administering large and small estates throughout California. Prior to starting the firm, Tracy worked for a national real estate investment trust, negotiating and drafting commercial real estate transactions. Her extensive business experience makes her a more effective lawyer when administering estates and negotiating disputes for her clients. Tracy is an active member of the Alameda and Contra Costa Bar associations, the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC), and the Southern Alameda Estate Planning Council. She serves as a board member on the Contra Costa County Bar Association Estate Planning and Probate Section and is court-appointed counsel for proposed conservatees in Contra Costa County. Tracy is a sought-after speaker and has spoken at PFAC, Estate Planning Council meetings and conventions.

Tracy Regli

Attorney Instructor