Norman J. Benford

Norman J. Benford

Norm chairs the national trusts and estates/wealth management practice of the firm and counsels high net worth individuals and families in connection with estate planning and other complex tax issues as well as business succession and other non-tax family matters. He also counsels individuals and institutions serving as fiduciaries of estates, trusts and guardianships in connection with administrative matters and disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.

Areas of Concentration

· Personal estate planning

· Resolution of estate, gift and generation-skipping tax disputes with IRS

· Business succession

· International estate and pre-immigration planning

· Administration of trusts and estates, including contested probate and trust matters

· Establishment and operation of private and public charitable organizations

· Negotiation and preparation of marital agreements

Professional & Community Involvement

· Adjunct professor, University of Miami School of Law, for more than 30 years, teaching courses on international estate planning, fiduciary administration, drafting and domestic estate planning both in the Estate Planning LL.M. and J.D. programs

· Member, Advisory Committee, Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning

· Fellow and Past Regent (and Executive Committee member), American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

· President, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Foundation

· Member, International Academy of Estate and Trust Law

· Board of Trustees, Florida Philharmonic

· Board of Trustees, Chairman of Executive Committee, Mercy Hospital

· Chairman, Endowment Committee, University of Miami

· Board of Governors, Doral/Ryder Open

· Board of Trustees, Plymouth Congregational Church

· Board of Trustees, Fairchild Tropical Garden

Awards & Recognition

· Listed, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, 2008 and 2009 editions (National Leader, Wealth Management; Florida Leader, Estate Planning)

· Selected by Super Lawyers magazine, 2006, 2007 and 2008

· Listed, Who's Who in America

· Listed, The Best Lawyers in America (every edition)

· Board Certified Estate Planning and Probate Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education

· Listed, 2005 Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine, listing of Florida's top attorneys as selected by their peers

Military Experience

· First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, 1959-1964

Articles, Publications, & Lectures

· Author, "Transfer Tax Audit Issues; What's Hot, What's Not," Special Session, 37th Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning

· Co-author with Diana Zeydel, "Valuation Principles and Recent Developments, Practical Guidance for the Estate Planner," ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal, Summer 1999

· Author, "Hot Transfer Tax Audit Issues," Special Session, 33rd Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning

· Author, "Adequate Disclosure Regulations: Closure and How to Achieve It," Special Session, 37th Annual Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning (2003)

· Lecturer, "Valuation Principles and Recent Developments," 23rd Annual Midwest Estate, Tax & Business Planning Institute

· Lecturer, "Decisions Near the End of Life," Education Development Center and the Hastings Center

· Lecturer, "International Estate Planning," University of Miami School of Law Estate Planning LL.M. Program, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

· Panelist, "The Future Vision of Estate Planning," Wilmington Trust Company, Palm Beach, Florida (2007)

Fellow: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (Past Regent; Executive Committee Member).

(Board Certified Lawyer, Wills, Trusts and Estates, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education)