CEPC Breakfast Meeting - February 27, 2024
Integrating Expert Perspectives: Business Succession Planning for Estate Planners
7:30am - 9:30am | Canopy by Hilton SouthPark

Join us for an insightful session that delves into the intersection of business succession and tax and estate planning, bringing together a valuation expert, attorney, former investment banker, and tax advisor. Business owners can greatly benefit from the advice of their trusted advisors, and it is crucial for professionals to understand the complexities and nuances associated with business assets to assist their business owner clients as they consider possible exit strategies.

This session aims to provide advisors with a comprehensive understanding of the strategic considerations and collaborative approaches essential for ensuring the seamless transition and preservation of value of their client’s closely held businesses. Our distinguished panel of experts will offer unique insights from their respective fields, fostering a holistic approach to business succession planning within the estate planning framework. Key highlights include:

Valuation Perspectives:

• Explore the intricacies of business valuation and its impact on business succession planning.
• Understand the methodologies employed in determining the true worth of a business.
• Uncover strategies to enhance business value and mitigate potential challenges.

Legal/Investment Banker Insights:

• Gain legal perspectives on business succession planning issues relevant to estate planning and how to address them with your client and provide advice regarding estate planning strategies.
• Evaluate options outside of selling the business to a third party or gifting to family members.
• Hear discussion on family dynamic issues and related considerations to developing a successful exit strategy.

Tax Strategies:

• Delve into the financial implications of business succession planning.
• Understand tax implications and strategies to optimize financial outcomes.
• Explore financial tools and frameworks to support effective wealth preservation.

This session promises valuable insights to enhance your expertise and contribute to the success of your clients' long-term financial goals. Don't miss this opportunity to broaden your understanding and strengthen your professional toolkit.

Register Here

Moderator: Andrea C. Chomakos
Chief Fiduciary Officer of Bank OZK

Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Chomakos was in private practice for over two decades, where she represented high net worth and ultra high net worth clients with comprehensive and sophisticated estate plans, buying and selling businesses and implementing charitable planning.

 Andrea is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, has been selected as one of North Carolina’s Legal Elite in Tax/Estate Planning and one of the State’s top 50 female lawyers by Business North Carolina and Super Lawyers by Thompson Reuter’s Legal magazine, and is a Chambers ranked estate planning attorney (Band 2) for 5 consecutive years.  She is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics, including charitable planning and income tax planning, planning with partnership and partnership taxation, as well as business succession planning.  Ms. Chomakos received her A.B. degree from the University of Michigan; her J.D. degree summa cum laude from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her LL.M. degree in Taxation from New York University School of Law.

Panelist: Phil Ross
Managing Director | Southeast Corporate Advisory | Banking leader
Brown Brothers Harriman

Phil is responsible for developing relationships with private business owners and advising them on all matters in the corporate life cycle, including organic and acquisition-related growth strategies, capital structure, succession planning, valuation, and liquidity events. Before joining Brown Brothers in 2018, Phil worked at BlackArch Partners as an investment banker and Robinson Bradshaw as a corporate attorney.

He received a B.B.A. (summa cum laude) in Accounting from East Tennessee State University and a J.D. (magna cum laude) from Wake Forest University School of Law. 

Panelist: Rob Snowden, ASA, ABV 
The Founder of South Park Advisors

Rob is the founder of South Park Advisors, an independent business valuation firm that caters to business owners, attorneys, accountants, commercial bankers, and other professional advisors. He has more than 25 years of experience providing valuation services to owners of closely held businesses. These services have been provided in connection with ownership transition and advisory, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), litigation support, dispute resolution, estate and gift tax reporting, charitable foundation reporting and lending purposes.

 Rob holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a BS in Management from the State University of New York at Geneseo. He is also designated as an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) of the American Society of Appraisers and Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a non-CPA finance professional. 

Panelist: Sandi Thorman
Leader of GreerWalker LLP’s Estate | Gift and Trust Practice
the Business and Professional Services | Financial Services Practice

Sandi has more than 20 years of tax and business advisory experience with a strong focus on the professional and financial services industry which includes attorneys, architects, engineers, investment advisors, private equity funds, mortgage bankers, investment banking firms, broker dealers, and insurance companies. Sandi assists closely held companies and their owners with tax planning and compliance needs. She has significant expertise in entity selection, entity structure, ownership changes, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, and estate planning.

 Prior to joining GreerWalker LLP in 2000, Sandi worked at KPMG in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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