ABA Symposia in Nation’s Capital to Explore Outlook for Estate Tax Reform, Commercial Financing

CHICAGO, April 28, 2008 — Leading industry experts and Washington insiders will examine the outlook for estate tax reform, developments in green construction and the current state of the commercial financing market at the American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law 20th Annual Spring Symposia, April 30 – May 1 at The Fairmont and Park Hyatt, Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, April 30, Dennis Belcher, Catherine Hughes and Howard Zaritsky will provide an insider’s view on current cases, legislation, regulations and rulings related to estate law at a luncheon and teleconference/webcast from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Concurrently, U.S. Rep. Brad Miller from North Carolina will deliver the keynote at the real property luncheon, 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  His topic is “Can We Regulate the U.S. Financial and Housing Markets Back to Health?”

Other program highlights include:

April 30

• “Aftershocks: Reverberations of the Economic Downturn on Commercial Real Estate Finance,”  8 – 9:45 a.m.
• Hot Topics in Trust & Estate & Transfer Tax Roundtable, 8:30 – 10 a.m.
• Issuance of IRS Guidance and Evaluation of Taxpayers’ Comments with Catherine Hughes. 10:15 – 11 a.m.
• “Financial Tsunami: How the Economic Crisis May Affect the Ability to Put a Roof Over Our Heads,” 1:30 – 3 p.m.
• “HUD Speaks: The New RESPA an Other Matters of Interest on Federal Real Estate Regulation,” 3:30 – 5:15 p.m.

May 1

• Diversity Breakfast: “Eliminating Bias in the Profession: Why Aren’t Law Firms and Corporate Law Departments Achieving Greater Success?,”  7 – 8:30 a.m.
• “Estate Planning in Economically Turbulent Times” with Jonathan Blattmachr, 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
• “Practice Made Perfect: Lessons from the Tax Court Judiciary, the IRS, and Private Practice,” with Judge James S. Halpern, 10 a.m. – noon
• “Green Construction: What Is It and What Does It Cost?,” 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
• “FLP’s Are Alive and Well (if done right!)” with Lou Mezzullo, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
• “The Land Sales Battle: Sellers and Purchasers War Over the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act,” 3 – 4 p.m.

For more information regarding the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law 20th Annual Spring Symposia, download a PDF of the brochure: http://www.abanet.org/rpte/2009/Symposia/ABA_2009_Symposia_Brochure.pdf.

The ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, with more than 30,000 members, is the leading national forum for lawyers practicing in these fields. The Trust and Estate Division is concerned with all aspects of trusts, estate planning, tax planning for estates, employee benefits, insurance, probate and trust litigation, and related issues. The Real Property Division focuses on legal aspects of the ownership, use, development, transfer, regulation, financing, taxation and disposition of real estate.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to cover any or all program sessions for free, including the teleconference. To obtain press credentials or for more information, contact Lynne Van Buskirk at 708/288-3112 or e-mail vanbuskl@staff.abanet.org.  Media registration will open on April 30 at 7 a.m. at the section’s registration area in the Fairmont Hotel.  Table seating for the two luncheons may be available to reporters.  Please see Lynne Van Buskirk on site to make arrangements.