Where There's A Will, There's A Way | Student Education Series
Join the WDCEPC for a discussion on closing the racial wealth gap through a career in estate planning. Learn about the estate planning profession, pathways to entry and success, and the need for diverse lawyers in the field. A career in estate planning can promote social justice by building, keeping and leveraging wealth for families and communities of color.
Pizza will be available in the Student Lounge on the ground floor of Houston Hall starting at 12:00pm, courtesy of Bessemer Trust.
About the Speakers:
Vanesa Browne, Esq., is Vice President and Fiduciary Officer at Bessemer Trust. In this role, she is responsible for managing fiduciary administration risk, and advising clients on matters of trust administration. Prior to joining Bessemer, Vanesa was an associate at Maynard Cooper & Gale, responsible for advising fiduciaries on the administration of estates and trusts. She also represented both individual and corporate fiduciaries in litigation matters and pre-litigation dispute resolution. Vanesa earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. in political science from the University of Florida. She is licensed to practice law in Alabama and Washington, D.C.
Natasha D. McFarland, Esq., LL.M., is an Associate, at the estate planning lawfirm Birchstone Moore LLC. Prior to joining the firm, she was a tax manager at EY. Natasha received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law, her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.S. in Marketing from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Stephanie Perry, Managing Partner, Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. concentrates her practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and premarital and domestic partnership agreements. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is admitted to the Bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. Stephanie has been recognized as one of the area’s top estate planning attorneys by Washingtonian and Best Lawyers; in 2018, Bethesda Magazine named Stephanie as one of the top 17 estate lawyers in Montgomery County, Maryland, as recommended by her peers; she has also been recognized by Maryland and D.C. Super Lawyers in the areas of estate planning and probate every year since 2015. Stephanie is President-Elect of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland and is also a past Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Estates, Trusts and Probate Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar, and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Montgomery County.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Stephanie received her B.S. in Political Science and English from Florida State University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. After practicing in Atlanta for several years, she joined Pasternak & Fidis.
James D. Saintvil, Esq., LL.M. Principal, Jayde Law, PLLC, focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable giving, and business succession planning. James has an extensive background in tax, having owned an income tax preparation firm prior to attending law school. Before establishing Jayde Law PLLC, James was an Associate at Birchstone Moore LLC, where he worked on complex estate plans for high-net worth clients. Prior to his tenure as Birchstone Moore LLC, he was an associate at Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. where he worked with clients to establish and implement their estate plans and assisted clients in estate administration matters. James received his J.D., cum laude, from Widener University/Delaware Law School and his LL.M. in Taxation and a Certificate in Estate Planning from Georgetown University Law Center. He received his B.S. (finance), cum laude, from Wiliam Paterson University of New Jersey. James is admitted to the Bar in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
About the Moderator:
Sarah Moore Johnson, Esq., is a founding partner of the estate planning law firm Birchstone Moore, LLC. She is a respected leader in the Washington, DC estate planning community who concentrates on estate planning, trust and estate administration, business succession planning, asset protection, and charitable giving while minimizing income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and as a Top Attorney in the Washingtonian magazine, Sarah focuses on planning for family offices, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, and art collectors. She particularly relishes streamlining and improving existing estate plans for her high net worth clients.
Prior to attaining her law degree, Sarah was a senior financial analyst in the Valuation Services Group of Arthur Andersen LLP in Atlanta, and in that capacity gained considerable knowledge in valuing assets and using discounts in estate planning. Sarah also clerked for American Cancer Society's Office of Corporation Counsel, where she became familiar with the tax laws applicable to charitable organizations. Prior to co-founding Birchstone Moore, Sarah was a partner at Venable LLP. She received her J.D. magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law and her B.S. in Business, magna cum laude, from Wake Forest University. She is admitted to the Bar in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia.
