To Establish Your Trusts in Florida or Not to Establish Your Trusts in Florida? Berlinger v. Casselberry is the Question
Jonathan Gopman is a partner in Akerman LLP's Naples office and currently the Chair of Trusts & Estates, Family Services Practice Group at Akerman, which currently boasts the largest estate planning practice group in Naples, Florida. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Asset Protection Planning Committee of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section of the ABA (for the 2013-2014 bar year). He is an adjunct professor at AMU Law School, currently serving on its Curriculum Advisory Committee and chaired the school's first annual Estate Planning Day Conference held on April of 2014. He is a member of the legal advisory board of Commonwealth Trust Company and STEP. He is AV rated. In 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 he was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® and as a Florida Super Lawyer for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and included in Florida Trend's Legal Elite for 2010 and 2011. In the Dec. 2005 and 2007 issues of Worth Magazine he was recognized as one of the top 100 estate planning attorneys in the US. He is a co-author of the revised Bloomberg BNA Tax Management Portfolio on Estate Tax Payments and Liabilities. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles on asset protection and estate planning and chapters in books on asset protection and frequently lectures on these topics throughout the world. He has been interviewed for and quoted in a number of publications such as the N.Y. Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, Wealth Manager and Elite Traveler. He is the originator of the idea for the statutory tenancy by the entireties trust (“STET”) in 12 § 3574(f) of the Del. Statutes. His articles and presentations have served as an impetus for changes to the trust laws of several states. In Feb. of 2011, he was appointed to a special committee of the Nevis government and Nevis International Service Providers Assoc. to revise the Nevis International Exempt Trust Ordinance. He is the only attorney in the US appointed to this committee and working with Nevis on this project. He also consulted with attorneys David Neufeld and Jan Dash on the structure of the charging order provision to be included in the upcoming revision of the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance and consulted with Jan Dash on the revisions to the Nevis Banking Ordinance with his colleague, Linda Charity.
