Ethical Wills and Value Letters: What Is Your Legacy Other Than Money?

Wealth Matters 8-24-2016 — Robert Port, Millie Baumbusch, Craig Frankel

What are Ethical Wills and Value Letters? What will your legacy be, other than money? Attorneys Craig Frankel, Robert Port and Millie Baumbusch answer these questions on this episode of “Wealth Matters”.

Craig Frankel/Gaslowitz Frankel

Craig Frankel is an experienced litigator who specializes in civil disputes within the areas of business law, contracts, will and trusts, fiduciary duties, employment claims, civil rights, and civil appeals. Known throughout the legal profession as a principled, aggressive attorney who gets the job done, Mr. Frankel emphasizes open and frank exchanges with every client, adversary, and the court. As a founding partner of Gaslowitz Frankel LLC, he takes pride in his firm’s ability to create favorable resolutions for their clients, whether through trial or settlements. Mr. Frankel’s approach to his practice is centered on the belief that any successful result must meet both the financial and emotional challenges of his clients. Therefore, in addition to his years of experience in a courtroom, Mr. Frankel is well versed in mediation and alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Mr. Frankel attended the Honors Program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Grail Honor Society. He later attended the University of Georgia School of Law as a Bryant T. Castellow Scholar, where he served as Executive Editor of the Georgia Law Review and a research assistant to Deans Beaird and Brussack. After achieving his J.D. with honors, Mr. Frankel clerked with the Hon. John C. Godbold, then Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Mr. Frankel is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs, wealth management programs, and estate and tax programs, where he discusses fiduciary duties and the risks for fiduciaries. Additionally, his successful law practice is balanced with extensive pro bono work. Mr. Frankel currently serves on the Board of Directors of Hillside Hospital, a residential and outpatient facility for severely abused or emotionally disturbed adolescents and their families.

Robert Port/Gaslowitz Frankel

Robert Port is a business litigation attorney with extensive experience in general commercial litigation and fiduciary disputes involving wills, trusts, estates, guardianships and conservatorships. With an emphasis on representing investors harmed by the misconduct of their stockbroker, investment advisor, insurance agent, or other trusted advisor, Mr. Port has handled court and arbitration cases across a broad range of fiduciary and financial disputes. This includes cases arising from inappropriate investment strategies, unsuitable sales of annuities and life insurance products, failed or unlawfully offered private placements, real estate investment trusts (REITs), excessive trading (churning), unauthorized trading, sale of unregistered securities, and losses suffered as a result of Ponzi schemes.

Mr. Port graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Psychology. He then went on to receive his J.D. with honors from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Port is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been repeatedly selected as a Georgia “Super Lawyer.” As a widely published expert in his field of practice, Mr. Port’s articles have been featured in the Georgia Bar Journal, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Daily Report (an ALM publication), and the Public Investors Arbitration Bar (PIABA) Journal. Mr. Port is the editor of Georgia Business Litigation, a one-volume, comprehensive guide to matters business litigators encounter. Additionally, he has been interviewed and quoted by a variety of media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, TheStreem.com, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Daily Report.

Mr. Port’s passion for law is rooted in the thoughtful analysis of legal issues, the challenges associated with understanding issues from multiple perspectives, and the rigorous debates over disputed issues of law and fact. He thrives on taking complex legal arguments and presenting them in ways that simplify the complexity and create compelling cases for his clients.

Millie Baumbusch/Gaslowitz Frankel

Millie Baumbusch is a litigator who specializes in fiduciary matters, including disputes concerning wills, estates, trusts, and business interests. Her particular focus is on contested guardianships and conservatorships. Ms. Baumbusch represents clients in all phases of litigation, from filing pleadings and conducting discovery through strategizing for and managing hearings and trials. In addition, she often engages in settlement negotiations to assist clients in resolving their disputes prior to trial, saving resources and permitting them a measure of control over the outcome.

Ms. Baumbusch attended Brown University and obtained a B.A. degree in English literature. She was an Assistant Vice President at Chemical Bank in New York City, where she was a lending officer to middle market companies and held several positions in strategic planning and market research. Ms. Baumbusch attended the Georgia State University College of Law, earning a J.D. cum laude. While in law school, she served as Research Co-Editor of the Law Review.

Ms. Baumbusch is certified in civil collaborative practice and has more than 1,200 hours of hands-on experience with Guardianship and Conservatorship cases. She has made CLE presentations and lectured on guardianships, how to avoid estate disputes, and related topics.

Ms. Baumbusch’s passion for estate and trust litigation is rooted in the combination of analyzing complex legal issues and being attuned to family dynamics. With cases that often involve clients’ family members, Ms. Baumbusch focuses on the legalities involved and interactions with opposing counsel, while never losing sight of the impact the final outcome will have on her client’s family. She understands that seeking a mediated settlement that would foster a better family relationship is often a more appropriate approach than taking an aggressive stance in litigation. However, each case presents different family, factual, and legal issues, making every day a fresh challenge.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

Gaslowitz Frankel is an experienced trial practice firm specializing in all aspects of complex fiduciary litigation throughout Georgia and the Southeast. With a focus on representing individuals, companies, banks, and fiduciaries in dispute involving wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, businesses, and securities law, their experienced and highly qualified litigation attorneys have tremendous credentials and a proven history of success.