Estate, Gift & Trust Conference (C67693)

DAVID A. HANDLER leads the Trusts and Estates Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. David is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and a member of the NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame as an Accredited Estate Planner (Distinguished), the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and the professional advisory committees of several non-profit organizations. He is the author of numerous articles in estate planning and taxation journals, and writes the monthly “tax update” column for Trusts & Estates Magazine. He is one of only about 20 U.S. lawyers ranked in “Band 1” by Chambers USA in the Private Wealth category, is listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, (Trusts and Estates) and its 2016, 2019 and 2025 Trusts and Estates “Chicago Lawyer of the Year”. David is a co-author of The Complete Estate Planning Sourcebook (published by Wolters Kluwer). He is a frequent lecturer at professional education seminars. David is a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and received a B.S. Degree in Finance with highest honors from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business.

Robert S. Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished) is a partner with Keebler & Associates, LLP and is a 2007 recipient of the prestigious Accredited Estate Planners (Distinguished) award from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. He has been named by CPA Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners in the United States and one of the Top 40 Tax Advisors to Know During a Recession. His practice includes family wealth transfer and preservation planning, charitable giving, retirement distribution planning, and estate administration. Mr. Keebler frequently represents clients before the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the private letter ruling process and in estate, gift and income tax examinations and appeals, and he has received more than 250 favorable private letter rulings including several key rulings of “first impression.” He is the author of over 100 articles and columns and is the editor, author or co-author of many books and treatises on wealth transfer and taxation. Mr. Keebler has been a speaker at national estate planning and tax seminars for over 25 years including the AICPA’s: Estate Planning, High Income, Advanced Financial Planning Conferences, ABA Conferences, NAPEC Conferences, The Notre Dame Estate Planning Conference and the Heckerling Estate Planning Institute. He also served as chair of the AICPA’s Advanced Estate Planning Conference from 2014-2020.

Dan Finn is a 1994 graduate of the University of Wisconsin law school. He has over 25 years of experience helping clients and their advisors in the realms of business, estate, and retirement planning. Dan spent 25 years with Northwestern Mutual, where he consulted with advisors, delivered presentations, and wrote multiple articles (including for national publications “CPA Journal” and “Estate Planning” magazine). He was senior director in NM’s advanced planning area, and for 3 years had been the director of their trust services department. In late 2023, Dan joined Principal’s Business and Advanced Solutions division, where he assists financial professionals and their clients with buy-sell agreements, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and related business topics. In addition to his law degree, Dan holds a CLU and CFP designation. He is married and has 2 daughters.

Ryan James Boyle is a Senior Vice President and Chief U.S. Economist within the Global Risk Management division of Northern Trust. In this role, Ryan is responsible for briefing clients and partners on the economy and business conditions, supporting internal stress testing and capital allocation processes, and publishing economic commentaries. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Ryan held multiple management roles at TransUnion. He researched and reported on trends and key topics in the consumer credit industry, and he led initiatives to improve the breadth, depth, and quality of data reported on consumer files. Before TransUnion, Ryan worked as an economic consultant at Navigant Consulting, supporting expert testimony in competition and securities litigation. He started his career as a business analyst at ABN AMRO/LaSalle Bank. Ryan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in computer science, with highest honors, from DePaul University. In addition, Ryan completed the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Paige B. Goepfert, CPA, MST is a managing director within Andersen’s Private Client Services practice and works with ultra-high-net worth families, family offices, business owners, and executives on tax planning and income tax compliance. She also leads the Family Office strategy team. Paige has over 20 years of experience in public accounting specializing in pass-through, individual, fiduciary, and estate taxation. For family office clients, Paige provides expertise on a variety of tax matters with a focus on structuring of family offices, development and implementation of multi-generational wealth transfer plans, and preparation of related tax returns. She also consults with clients regarding other planning matters including use of partnerships, gifting, private foundations and other charitable vehicles. Paige also works with executors and estate administrators in managing a decedent’s estate. Paige frequently lectures on estate planning, taxation of trusts, and wealth strategies for the AICPA Advanced Estate Planning Conference and a variety of other professional venues. She has also published an article in The Tax Adviser: Important Lessons Regarding Valuation Issues.

Susan T. Bart is a partner in the Private Clients, Trusts & Estates Group of the Chicago office of ArentFox Schiff LLP. Susan is recognized in Band 1, Chambers High Net Worth Private Wealth Law Illinois (2016-2024) and Central Region (2023-2024). She is recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers as one of Illinois’ Top 10 Attorneys in all practice areas (2024-2025); Top 50 Women Attorneys (2005-2009, 2013-2018, 2020-2025) and one of Illinois’ Top 100 Attorneys (2006, 2023-2025). Susan is also named in the Illinois 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America as the Lawyer of the Year in Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, and as a Best Lawyer in many years. In 2017, Susan was named a National Law Journal Divorce, Trusts and Estates Trailblazer. Susan was named the Best Lawyers’ 2011 Chicago Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year. Susan was the recipient of the 2013 Austin Fleming Award from the Chicago Estate Planning Council; this Award is presented to a person highly regarded by practicing estate planners for his or her expertise in the field and who has made a significant contribution to the improvement of estate planning practices. Susan was co-chair of the drafting subcommittee for the Illinois Trust Code, which become effective January 1, 2020 (Chicago Bar Association, Trust Law Committee). She was the Reporter for the Uniform Law Commission Trust Decanting Act. She is a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), former Chair of ACTEC’s Estate and Gift Tax Committee, former Regent, former State Chair for Illinois and a former editor of the ACTEC Journal. Ms. Bart earned a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude (Order of the Coif), in 1985 from the University of Michigan Law School where she was Articles Editor of the Michigan Law Review.