Aggressive Representation in High-Asset Divorce Cases

Divorce proceedings, particularly those involving substantial assets and/or child custody, create great stress. The right legal representation is critical to understanding complex issues relating to both finances and custody.

Field Lomenzo, P.C., one of the leading boutique matrimonial law firms in New York, represents many prominent individuals who require the highest level of experience and attention. Its clients have included a Pulitzer Prize winner, professional athletes, music celebrities, business leaders, financial consultants, partners of major law firms, doctors and others of high net worth.

The firm believes that the client’s concerns are paramount. Thus, the attorneys of the firm are accessible at all times including evenings, weekends and holidays via cell phone and email to answer clients’ questions and act on their problems.

Some of the firm’s cases have set legal precedent and have molded the legal landscape on issues involving divorce proceedings including maintenance, legal fees, child support and equitable distribution. For example, after having lived apart for several years, a wealthy couple with homes in the U.S. and Europe decided to divorce. During the separation, the husband’s business thrived, with no involvement from the wife. However, she had contributed to her husband’s success in other ways. With help from Field Lomenzo, she was awarded half the marital assets.

“When representing the non-monied spouse, we work tirelessly to get a complete understanding of all issues, both financial and personal, to make sure our clients get the best result possible. When we represent the monied spouse, we consistently think outside the box in order to resolve the matter while keeping our client in the best financial and personal position at the resolution of the matter, be it through settlement or trial,” says Matthew H. Ehrlich, a partner at Field Lomenzo.

Case in point: When a certain wealthy couple in New York was going through a divorce, Field Lomenzo prepared methodically for trial and, on the eve of trial, worked around the clock to structure a settlement whereby the client obtained split residential custody of his children and achieved an advantageous financial resolution.

“When necessary, we work with outside consultants, including forensic accountants and property appraisers, to fully understand the entire asset picture,” says senior partner David A. Field, who is both AV-rated and selected by his New York peers and judges as a New York Super Lawyer®. “We are often able to hunt down assets and get more equitable settlements for our clients.” Mr. Field, a graduate of Columbia Law School (J.D.) and New York University Law School (Master’s of Law) has been practicing for more than 35 years, specializing in divorce and family law for the last 25 years.

Another case in point: When a certain wealthy couple was going through a divorce, the wife believed the value of her husband’s business interests was higher than claimed. “The case went to the New York State Supreme Court and was decided in our client’s favor,” says Mr. Field. “She ended up receiving two-thirds of the marital property, because her husband had significantly falsified and dissipated marital assets, which we discovered as a result of a thorough investigation.”

After the divorce, should the client wish to remarry, the firm will prepare a prenuptial agreement to protect the interests of the client and the children.

“Part of our job is to prepare our client for life after divorce,” Mr. Ehrlich says. “When you help somebody get on with their life in a positive way, it’s a wonderful feeling.”

260 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor | New York, NY 10016
212.370.2100 | www.newyorkfamilyattorney.com | info@fieldlomenzo.com

Preserve Your Assets. Protect Your Family.
Connors & Sullivan Attorneys at Law PLLC, Estate Planning and Elder Law Firm

Preserving your assets for transfer to the next generation according to your wishes should be a fairly straightforward matter, but taxes, medical bills and probate fees can all chip away at your estate, leaving little or nothing for your heirs. The right team of attorneys, knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of estate planning, elder law and related matters, can make a world of difference. Connors & Sullivan, which focuses almost exclusively on this very personal area of law, is such a team.

For nearly 30 years, the New York firm has been helping individuals and families throughout the region minimize their estate and capital gains taxes, protect their assets from medical bills or nursing home expenses, and avoid probate. Today it serves a wide-ranging clientele, including many people in their 70s, 80s and even 90s, from five offices in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

With 10 attorneys and three accountants, Connors & Sullivan is large enough to offer a full array of trust, estate and elder law services. “At the same time, we’re small enough to know everyone who comes in the door as a client or a family member, not a file number,” says Michael N. Connors, partner.

The firm’s large staff – there are five support staff members for every attorney – includes native speakers in Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Spanish, Italian and other European languages.

Holistic Approach
Connors notes, “In New York City a modest home can be valued at $1 million or more. Without appropriate tax planning the family could face a significant estate tax bill, since any assets over $1 million are subject to New York State estate tax. Our in-house accountants will work with the numbers and do everything legally possible to reduce that estate tax bill, while taking care not to, for example, raise the client’s income tax or capital gains in the process.

“Another common concern is the cost of nursing home care, which in New York averages $13,000 to $14,000 a month. An irrevocable trust can help shield assets from these bills.
“Some firms are good at estate planning, but not elder law,” Connors says. “Other firms are good at elder law, but not estate planning. We can put the whole picture together, whether you have $50,000 in the bank or $50 million in real estate. Our holistic approach is what sets us apart.”

7408 Fifth Avenue, Ste. 2 | Brooklyn, NY 11209 | 718-238-6500
110 East 59th Street | New York, NY 10022 |212-737-2700
200-20 Northern Boulevard | Bayside, NY 11361 | 718-225-7200
79-09 Metropolitan Avenue | Middle Village, NY 11379 | 718-238-6500
1250 Hylan Boulevard, Ste. 9A | Staten Island, NY 10305 | 718-238-6500 www.connorsandsullivan.com

Criminal Defense & Government Investigations

What happens when a stand-out, white-collar Manhattan criminal firm merges with its equally unique Southern counterpart?

Ryan Blanch and his team have amassed a number of remarkable results in complex, high- profile cases and government investigations.  The Blanch Law Firm made its name defending the elite: CEOs, options traders, published authors, hedge fund principals, banking executives, telecom and airline companies, and actors as well as an award-winning movie director to boot.  The case results and press mentions speak for themselves.

Similarly, Jim Parkman and Will White, of Birmingham, Ala., have compiled a client roster including HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, an Alabama  Senator and a former mayor of Detroit, to name a few.  Their verdicts were hard won against the odds. Perhaps that’s why Parkman, Blanch and White are each so highly-sought after.

The waters of white-collar criminal defense may experience a sea change — one that would combine Southern charm with New York tenacity — when the two firms merge.  It will be interesting to see what future results Messrs. Blanch, Parkman and White may achieve, never mind the accomplishments the two have already brought to the table.
(For the rest of this article go to RBlanch.com)

261 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor | New York, NY 10016 | 646- 350-1875 www.RBlanch.com

A Personal Approach to Litigation Yields Loyal Clients
Insurance Defense Law Firm Expands Into Commercial, Real Estate, and Trust & Estates Litigation

Forging client relationships that stand the test of time is the cornerstone of French & Casey, LLP, a progressive law firm that has built an outstanding reputation for efficiently achieving the best possible results for its clients. Based in Manhattan’s Financial District, French & Casey is a full-service firm offering representation in a wide range of legal matters such as complex litigation, transactional planning and sensitive negotiations. It is also certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by both the state of New York and the city of New York.

“We’re very responsive to our clients’ needs,” says Joseph A. French, the firm’s founding partner. “We value the close relationships we have with our clients, many of whom have worked with us for years. In fact, many of our current clients came to us directly after witnessing our success representing some of their competitors over the years. We have been able to obtain favorable results for them as well.”

Cost-Effective, Results-Driven Legal Services
French & Casey has been long renowned for successfully representing scaffold, hoist and other construction-related companies in personal injury and property damage claims in state and federal courts throughout New York and New Jersey. It has significantly diversified its client base in recent years to include large corporations, international insurance firms, small businesses, popular nightclubs and restaurants, prominent religious organizations and several high-profile celebrities. The mid-sized firm also has expanded its practice areas to encompass commercial litigation and insurance coverage, while partner Moira Casey adeptly handles estate planning and administration, trusts and estates litigation, and real estate.

“We have evolved into a diverse litigation firm that people outside the construction field have taken note of,” says French, who began his career as an assistant district attorney for Kings County (Brooklyn), New York.

Whoever the client, whatever the case, French & Casey’s focus is providing cost-effective, results-driven legal services with a personal approach. “While we always strive to extricate our clients from difficult situations as quickly as possible, we are not afraid to try a case when necessary,” says French. He adds that the firm enjoys an enviable trial record. He has tried over 75 cases during his distinguished 30-year career. “We also have gained a reputation for aggressively and successfully pursuing summary judgment decisions to resolve a lawsuit, and we’ve enjoyed a great deal of success representing clients in mediation and arbitration cases.”

29 Broadway, 27th Floor | New York, NY  10006 | 212-797-3544
42-24 235th Street | Douglaston, NY  11363 | 718-428-5292
www.frenchcasey.com

Creative and Cost-Effective Strategies in High-Stakes Litigation

When Fortune 100 companies face complex legal challenges in the areas of mass tort, product liability, premises liability and commercial litigation, they turn to the Manhattan law firm of Darger Errante Yavitz & Blau (DEYB) for help. Whether through litigation,  negotiation or trial, DEYB specializes in finding practical solutions to the most complex legal issues involving asbestos, benzene, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, Chinese drywall, dietary supplements, cell phones and much more.

Founded in 2011, but with many years of prior legal experience, this boutique litigation firm brings big-firm experience to every case. With partners who previously worked at some of the biggest firms in New York City, DEYB has prevailed against powerful adversaries. In one high-profile case, DEYB was instrumental in obtaining a court ruling that bankrupt companies were required to share liability for asbestos-related injuries, significantly lowering the financial burden on the firm’s clients. This seminal decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, and has had a huge impact on mass tort litigation throughout New York State.

“Each of our partners has 20 to 30 years of experience in litigation, mass tort and product liability,” says Craig Blau, a founding partner at DEYB. “We are solution-driven problem solvers. We get to the heart of complex matters quickly. We pride ourselves on listening to our clients and providing advice consistent with their business goals.”

Even small to midsize businesses and individuals receive this first-class representation. When water lines on residential property began leaking, the resulting flood damaged expensive equipment owned by a large utility company. The utility sued the homeowners, claiming they were responsible for monetary damages, which were significant and would have far exceeded the value of their property. An adverse decision in the case could have had costly repercussions for homeowners throughout New York State.

“Our partner Jennifer Darger argued that homeowners do not have any duty to maintain, control or inspect subsurface water lines, and therefore should not be held responsible for subsurface defects that they were not even aware of,” says Blau. “The court agreed with our arguments, and granted summary judgment in our favor.”

Blau, who at one time chaired the product liability department at a large New York City law firm, has been published in the New York Law Journal and contributed a chapter on product liability and mass tort litigation for the book Inside the Minds: Strategies for Limiting Product Liability (Aspatore, 2008). Partner Judy Yavitz, a former co-chair of litigation at a top New York City law firm and currently New York City Asbestos Litigation defense liaison counsel, is recognized repeatedly as a Super Lawyer®, while DEYB is recognized by Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms®. Partner Vincent Errante, an accomplished trial lawyer, regularly travels around the country defending companies in complex cases in some of the most difficult jurisdictions. Founding partner Jennifer Darger, also once a partner at a top New York law firm, has developed a particular expertise in organizing, synthesizing, managing and negotiating tens of thousands of mass tort claims nationally.

“I like the scientific aspect of a lot of the work we do,” says Blau, who was interested in medicine before going into law. “Plaintiffs often have an advantage over defendants, because juries tend to be sympathetic toward people who are sick or dying. We help juries stay focused on facts.”

116 East 27th Street at Park Avenue, 12th Floor | New York, NY 10016 212.452.5300
www.deybllp.com

Large-Firm Expertise. 
Small-Firm Efficiency and Service.

The world of commercial real estate is in a constant state of flux. The last 20 years alone have brought the savings and loan debacle, securitizations of mortgages, the crash of 2008 and a recent resurgence in development deals.

Through boom and bust, the commercial real estate group of Eiseman Levine Lehrhaupt & Kakoyiannis, P.C. has been a steady presence, helping clients navigate the most difficult challenges skillfully and efficiently. The group now represents some of the largest and most sophisticated real estate clients in the country.

The four named partners, who have been together since 1996, were each trained at the most prestigious New York City law firms. Eiseman Levine was created because the partners concluded that they could “represent clients better, faster and less expensively, but with the same level of sophistication and expertise,” according to Jonathan Eiseman, head of the firm’s commercial real estate group.

Eiseman Levine and its commercial real estate group serve a diverse national clientele, specializing in complex, multimillion-dollar acquisitions and sales, debt and equity financings, leasing, partnership and investment ventures, and cooperative and condominium law and plans. They also act as outside general counsel for real estate companies and franchisees in the hospitality industry, and handle real estate, leasing and employment issues for its franchise clientele. “Our clients enjoy unparalleled personal attention from our most senior partners,” says partner Wayne Lehrhaupt.

The firm’s corporate and securities litigation practice group, which counts publicly traded investment banks among its clients, is frequently called upon to litigate complex real estate issues against the nation’s largest firms. “Whether it’s a real estate or securities issue, it is with great pride that we can go toe to toe with any of them,” says Eric Levine, head of the firm’s litigation practice.

Recent commercial real estate transactions have included:
•  A $100 million development of mixed-use retail and residential buildings in downtown
Brooklyn.
•  An $85 million financing for a hospital in Washington State.
•  Development of a $55 million overnight delivery hub in New York City.

“We have the experience and expertise to handle the most sophisticated transactions and to adapt to any changes in the commercial real estate environment,” says partner Peter Kakoyiannis.

“We focus on the issues that are important to our clients,” Eiseman says. “Our clients know they can count on us to get their deals done as expertly and economically as possible.”

805 Third Avenue, 10th Floor | New York, NY 10022 | 212-752-1000
E-mail: jeiseman@eisemanlevine.com | www.eisemanlevine.com

Finding Justice for Changed Lives
Caesar and Napoli, P.C. Attorneys at Law

The law office of Caesar and Napoli, P.C., turns the notion of “David versus Goliath” on its head. No longer underdogs, injured individuals and their families pursuing significant awards for damages enjoy the legal firepower they need to face well-financed, formidable defendants.

“The best representation requires a great deal of time and money during discovery,” explains the law firm’s founding member, James Napoli. “The average family involved in one of these cases rarely has the necessary resources. We do. We put our clients on an even playing field.”

Caesar and Napoli is recognized as one of New York City’s most outstanding personal injury law practices, with numerous seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. The firm has a reputation for taking on clients others turn down. Painstaking discovery by attorneys whose practice is dedicated exclusively to injured victims often reveals details overlooked by less experienced or less diligent attorneys.

“Obtaining justice for injured victims is our passion, not a sideline. We never accept a case unless we are convinced it has merit and are fully committed to the best interests of the client. We won’t shortchange a case by encouraging a quick resolution that undervalues the long-term costs of the injuries. We roll up our sleeves and meticulously search for information that will help us in trial, including from sources that are typically ignored. We also retain the experts needed to establish the facts of the case irrefutably. In most cases, proper discovery can help us avoid a trial, but we won’t hesitate to argue before a court if that’s what it takes to get the award our clients deserve,” explains Napoli, one of The National Trial Lawyers’ “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” and a 2012 Super Lawyer®.

Caesar and Napoli has been responsible for obtaining many multimillion-dollar recoveries in seemingly unwinnable cases. One family was told there was little hope of winning compensation for their 18-year-old son, who was left paralyzed after his car slid off a poorly maintained city road. The City of New York claimed there were no records demonstrating the City had previous knowledge of the road’s dangerous conditions. The dogged perseverance of Caesar and Napoli resulted in the discovery of concealed documents revealing the city’s negligence in maintaining the dangerous stretch of road. The young man obtained a $5 million recovery. Recently, Napoli was asked to serve as trustee for the man.

“We form a very close personal bond with our clients, and it lasts long after their case has come to an end,” says Napoli. “We never take their trust for granted.”

The Woolworth Building
233 Broadway
New York, NY 10279
212-226-2100, 888-235-6766
After hours 646-733-8050
www.caesarnapoli.com

In-Depth Market Knowledge and Financial Experience
Our Focus: Your Goals

The 1211 Group at Morgan Stanley balances the intricacies of your financial situation with the dynamics of your life.  In the team’s view, accomplishing your financial objectives will require a combination of experience, process and perspective.

The partnership that became the 1211 Group was formed in 1985 by a team of professionals: Financial Advisor Stephen Ackerman, who has 45 years of experience; Financial Advisors Barry Ganz and Mark Seruya, each with 30 years of experience; and Financial Advisor and Family Wealth Director Russell Ganz, with 17 years of experience.

“The support team, too, has longevity and knowledge in the industry,” says Seruya. “Some have been with us for 20 years or more.”

Complete, Individualized Guidance
The Financial Advisors take a holistic approach to wealth management. While the group is particularly strong in fixed income assets, clients’ portfolios may be balanced with equities, real estate, life insurance, commodities and alternative investments, based on suitability, to help meet overall financial planning goals. “We have experience in many different asset classes and have navigated many markets,” says Ackerman. “We work with each client to determine the right allocation. Everything is tailored to their investment goals.” As of January 31, 2013, the 1211 Group managed over $2 billion in assets.

Clients meet the entire team to discuss income and growth needs, short-term concerns and long-term objectives. “We meet with our clients and go through their entire portfolio,” Barry Ganz says. As a Family Wealth Director, the team also has access to Morgan Stanley’s Family Wealth Advisory services, which offer a range of products and services typically found in a family office environment, according to Russell Ganz. “This means we have knowledge and experience in helping clients address particularly complex wealth management challenges, including trusts and estates, access to lending solutions, philanthropy, control and restricted securities, and business succession planning. We believe clients find that our ability to combine financial experience with an understanding of family wealth issues is a significant asset.”

The team prides itself on being service-oriented and places a heavy emphasis on client communication and accessibility.  “We are always available for clients, devoting as much time as they require,” Seruya is proud to state.

1211 Avenue of the Americas, 34th Floor | New York, NY  10036
Phone: 212 903-7699 | www.morganstanleyfa.com/1211group

Stephen Ackerman, Barry Ganz, Mark Seruya and Russell Ganz are Financial Advisors with the Wealth Management division of Morgan Stanley at the Avenue of the Americas complex. The views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Member SIPC www.sipc.org. Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors have engaged EMI Network Inc. to feature this profile in Forbes magazine. Stephen Ackerman, Barry Ganz, Mark Seruya and Russell Ganz may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration http://www.morganstanleyfa.com/1211group/. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where the above are not registered or excluded or exempt from registration. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley and its Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should seek advice based on their particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Trust and other fiduciary services are provided by third parties, including Morgan Stanley Private Bank National Association, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley.

Redefining ‘Full-Service’ Financial Management

The approach Louis C. Ciliberti, CLU, CFP, ChFC takes to providing financial services for his affluent clients boils down to eight words: Let us take care of that for you.

Estate plan design and managing investment portfolios were the initial focus of the firm’s service model. Today, if a client needs a mortgage, Ciliberti and his team bring in mortgage people. If a client wants to sell a Manhattan apartment, he’s got the attorney for the closing. For real estate in Southampton, he can suggest a few brokers. It’s about what the client wants to accomplish, he says.  “We bring in the appraisers, work with attorneys and business valuation people, and then we make sure it gets done right.”

The Family Office – and 
Much More
Louis C. Ciliberti & Associates, Ltd. provides a wide range of investment, insurance and financial management services. In a number of cases, these are for public companies or Forbes 400 individuals. In others, they’re for successful closely held businesses and their owners. Often, the firm helps clients in multiple areas, say, managing their investment and life insurance portfolios, and running their companies’ qualified plans and employee benefits programs.

“For some of our clients, we are the family office,” Ciliberti says. “For clients with a family office model, we handle assets they feel we’re better qualified to handle. We work for appreciative, smart people.”

Some have been clients for 20 years. All were someone else’s client before coming to Louis C. Ciliberti & Associates.

Understanding – and Action
Ciliberti, director of estate planning and wealth management, and colleagues Carolyn Winwood, RHU, who oversees medical benefits programs for clients, and James Zabatta, CFA, who works with qualified plans and portfolio oversight, are innovators and problem solvers. Ciliberti recalls finding a way to leverage the 2012 $5.12 million gift tax exclusion as seed money to allow a client to transfer over $65 million tax free to a grandchild’s trust.” “We work very hard to understand who our clients are and what they’re trying to accomplish,” he says. “We show them how to shield and grow their wealth, how to protect their families.

Ciliberti started in the financial services world as an investment advisor and life insurance broker. He is now a veteran in the areas of estate planning, business succession, wills, trusts, shareholder agreements, wealth management and qualified plans. “Let us take care of that for you” is really a statement of capabilities.

“It’s a service business,” says Ciliberti. “It always was and always will be.  We believe that nobody’s going to work harder for clients than we do.”

Main office: 1800 Walt Whitman Road | Suite 100 | Melville, NY 11747 
631-293-2260 | 212-586-5148 | staff@lccassoc.com | www.lccassoc.com

Securities offered through American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. member FINRA, SIPC.  Advisory services offered through American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., an SEC registered Investment Advisor.  Louis C. Ciliberti & Associates, Ltd. is not affiliated with APFS and APAI. Neither APFS nor its Representatives provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal or accounting professional before making any decisions.

Strong on Planning, Long on Client Relationships

Lawrence J. DeNoia, CFP®, CPA and his staff at ITI Strategies had just been through Hurricane Sandy. They’d lost power, they’d lost windows, they’d lost phones.

But DeNoia, president of the firm, hadn’t lost his enthusiasm for helping people. He spoke about his financial advisory practice, and about his activities with the Rotary Club and other organizations. These memberships, he says, are not for business, although contacts sometimes become clients.

“Join because you want to help your community,” DeNoia says. “People who choose to work with you do so because they’ve come to know who you are.”

It’s All About Strategy
DeNoia’s clients come to know him as a large-hearted guy – and a sharp-minded advisor. His practice, along with those of senior advisors Daniel V. Giaimo, CFP®, CPA and Joseph G. Kelly, is all about strategy. That means clarifying clients’ current situations, identifying their goals and developing plans to achieve their aims. The practice emphasizes retirement distributions strategies by coordinating investments with tax efficiency. ITI Strategies’ services also include tax preparation, insurance and estate planning.

The advisors at ITI Strategies, a wholly owned financial planning practice, charge either a fee or commission and they manage more than $150 million of client assets as of 1-31-13. “We don’t work for a company trying to sell its products. We work for clients who are trying to achieve goals. We find investments to meet their needs,” DeNoia says. “Also, because we have two CPAs on staff, we analyze the tax situation more deeply than other financial planning firms do.”

Managing the Managers
DeNoia says the firm develops the investment plan based on a client’s risk tolerance and retirement income needs. “Then we select one or several institutional money managers that match those criteria and put them on the account. The managers then choose the securities. We’re sort of like the general manager of a baseball team, assigning coaches. We’re saying, OK, this is going to be your hitting coach, this is your pitching coach, this is the general coach, and it’s up to the coaches to choose the players,” he says. “If the managers’ performance is good relative to their peers, we’ll use them. If they start ranking lower than their peers, we’ll change them.”

Through it all, the professionals at ITI Strategies provide the oversight. The practice’s value proposition is not simply investment performance, but the intellectual capital of ideas to help clients meet their goals and maintain their lifestyles.

Many of the firm’s clients are high-net-worth individuals, including executives, small-business owners and foundations. Many clients are retired or near retirement, DeNoia says, adding that people send friends and family to ITI Strategies. “We’re very low-key, and that’s one of the reasons why we get referrals.”

And then there is the civic involvement. “We’re out doing our job to help the community,” DeNoia says. “I believe we can all make a difference in making the world a better place, and it’s fulfilling to me to be there.”

994 Main Street
Peekskill, NY 10566

914-734-2800
www.itistrategies.com

*Licensed. Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NFP Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. NFP Securities, Inc. is not affiliated with ITI Strategies, Inc. or EMI Network Inc. NFP Securities, Inc. does not offer tax or legal advice.

 Wealth Strategies for All Market Conditions

When a widow inherited $5 million, she thought it was prudent to let a life insurance representative determine how to invest her money. Disappointed with the results, she turned to New York-based Cozzene Advisors for fresh ideas.

“We analyzed her portfolio and found the insurance salesman had put her in too many high-risk investments,” says Lewis Gelbman, MBA, RIA, RCB, principal of Cozzene Advisors. “We diversified the portfolio with an emphasis on managed futures. Now she is getting solid, consistent returns, with lower risk.”

A fully registered investment advisory firm, Cozzene Advisors seeks to build portfolios with a goal of making money for its clients, regardless of market conditions. Unlike most wealth management firms, Cozzene specializes in managed futures, which are less risky than many other types of investments because they are not correlated to the performance of stocks and bonds. The firm’s strategy is based on the Modern Portfolio Theory, which calls for a balanced portfolio containing an appropriate mix of different asset classes. The optimal portfolio allows for maximum return with minimal risk, adjusted as needed for the client’s unique circumstances.

“The average equity manager stays in the market a long time,” Gelbman says. “When you are in a bear market, as we have been since 2000, chances are you have lost money. Managed futures give you the ability to profit, even when the market goes down.”
Indeed, during the Wall Street crisis of 2008, when many investors across the country lost 40 to 50 percent or more, the majority of Cozzene’s clients came through comparatively unscathed.

Cozzene Advisors does not utilize mutual funds. Instead, stocks, bonds and alternative investments are individually selected, in accordance with each client’s unique circumstances, risk tolerance and goals. All managed futures are cleared through Vision Financial Markets LLC, one of the largest and most reliable privately held futures commission merchants (FCM) in the industry. That means Cozzene Advisors has access to a large pool of traders and can select the most qualified professionals to meet clients’ needs.

A frequent guest commentator on radio financial programs, Gelbman enjoys an excellent reputation among his peers. He holds a double master’s degree and a BA in economics. He has held numerous high-level financial positions, including vice president-treasurer at Guinness America, where he steadily grew the company’s employee pension fund for many years. He launched Cozzene Advisors in 2001.

“I enjoy working with people and helping them to achieve their dreams,” he says.
Cozzene Advisors Inc.

4 New King Street, Suite 101 | White Plains, NY 10604 | 914.761.3856
www.cozzene.com | www.bestmanagedfutures.com

The risk of loss exists in futures and option trading. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

Opportunistic Investing: Finding the 
Intersection of Favorable Macro Conditions 
and Attractive Valuations

Steven Kaczmarek is, to put it gently, unimpressed with the state of today’s economy. Slow economic growth is with us to stay, and that makes equities a less valuable investment than at any time in the past generation, Kaczmarek and his team believe. To them, it is essential in this environment to think outside the (style) box and invest opportunistically wherever favorable macro conditions and attractive valuations intersect.

Kaczmarek would know. He has nearly 35 years’ experience in the investment world, spending many of those years as a trader on the rough, brawling New York Mercantile Exchange, which he calls “the Wild West.” He dealt in such products as futures, options and swaps.

Kaczmarek founded East End Wealth Management in 2008. He and colleagues Gene Balas, CFA, Leon Gaudiosi and Alan Fogelman, CPA, CFP®, serve clients 
from their offices in Hampton Bays, N.Y., and Los Angeles. A Florida branch is planned. “I built this, East End Wealth Management, from the ground up, with an eye toward the future and where I think the industry’s going,” Kaczmarek says.

He describes the investment philosophy as top-down, with a focus on macroeconomic and thematic drivers. His firm’s holistic method incorporates both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Always forward-looking, East End Wealth Management seeks values in individual securities as well as asset classes. The firm’s results in fixed income speak to a deep knowledge of value-driven investing.

Right now, Kaczmarek says the firm’s philosophy suggests a more conservative bias, but ultimately, the investor’s time horizon, risk preferences and investment goals will determine the right approach. And the firm has a number of options to suit each investor’s needs: the Enhanced Income Strategy, the GMS model asset allocation portfolios of several risk levels, and a purely custom approach to portfolio management. These can be used together to create the right portfolio for each client.

An independent, fee-only investment manager, the firm manages accounts and is paid a management fee, not a trading commission. This means that the only incentive is to grow, not trade, client assets, aligning incentives for both the client and East End. The approach is unbiased, unemotional, opportunistic and yet conservative. “We consider ourselves to be fiduciaries,” says Kaczmarek. “And we keep our services affordable.”

East End Wealth Management, Kaczmarek says, provides objective financial quarterbacking in estate planning, retirement planning and pre-retirement planning, working to reduce clients’ downside risk and provide them with above-average risk-adjusted returns. Clients can go online, they can see exactly what they own, and they can ask questions about it.

“We are very client-centric. Our business is really all about our clients. On their behalf, we try to make people’s money work harder for them,” Kaczmarek says.

PO Box 1037 | Hampton Bays, NY 11946
631-574-2474 | Info@EastEndWealthManagement.com
www.eastendwealthmanagement.com | www.eastendwealthmanagement.org

Clients’ Core Values Guide Planning Process

When a financial plan is personally meaningful, clients are more motivated to succeed. So says Graef Financial Group founder Robert E. Graef, CFP®, ChFC®, CRPC®, whose mission is to help clients identify what they care about most and plan accordingly. Prior to establishing his own financial services firm in 2000, Graef spent nearly 20 years in the investment world; with his career move came an equally important transition. As skilled as Graef was at leveraging assets, the people who had worked hard for them—successful business owners, executives, professionals and retirees—would now be his principal focus.

“Discerning what’s most important to the client is essential to the planning process,” Graef explains. “Their compass, the things that resonate with them—this is the framework for each and every plan. It’s what makes the plan, and whatever solutions flow from it, more likely to stick.”

Building Upon What Matters Most
From his very first meeting with a new client, Graef signals a different way of thinking. He leaves figures and accounts out of the initial discussion, instead taking a measured, step-by-step approach to discern the client’s fundamental priorities. Once these have been established, they become the basis for setting goals and developing specific financial strategies to help achieve them. “It’s a complete cycle. We work with the client to develop a framework up front, then arrive at a comprehensive plan with touchpoints to return to and milestones to review—all with significant meaning attached.”

Client-Driven Service, Strategies
Thanks to Graef Financial Group’s high level of expertise and individualized service, the firm’s clients enjoy the ongoing advantage of added value. Before making any investments, Graef reviews clients’ existing estate and tax plans—in coordination with clients’ outside advisors—making sure they’re appropriately structured and recommending adjustments to optimize savings. His team is free to bring together some of the industry’s most experienced asset managers and build custom portfolios that aren’t dependent on any particular company or platform. “We’re always looking for more effective ways to structure clients’ portfolios. Our open architecture gives clients access to industrywide expertise. Clients don’t ever have to wonder who we’re working for.”

800 Westchester Ave. | Suite S 504 | Rye Brook, NY 10573 | 914-305-9020
www.graeffinancialgroup.com

Robert Graef is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer (member SIPC) and registered investment advisor.  CRN201301-2076668

Siller & Cohen Family Wealth Advisors
For the 10th consecutive year, a member of Siller & Cohen has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the top independent investment advisors in the country.

Helping our clients to identify and crystallize their financial goals and objectives – and then doing everything in our power to help them achieve those goals – is how we measure success. We are a boutique family wealth advisory firm that has been providing comprehensive financial solutions to high-net-worth families and business owners for 25 years. We provide the careful attention to detail and exceptional personal service of an independent firm, backed by the resources of a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company1.  Our team includes professionals with years of experience, including some with advanced degrees in taxation, Certified Investment Management Analysts ®, attorneys* and CFP®s.

What We Believe
Affluent families need a firm to coordinate all of their planning needs, working in concert with their other advisors to ensure that everything is done properly, and on a timely basis. We believe our wide-ranging expertise and collaborative, cross-disciplinary process provide our clients with the best results.

World-Class Investment Service and Financial Independence Planning
We design portfolios with the greatest chance of achieving clients’ goals, based on each client’s objectives and risk tolerance, using Modern Portfolio Theory, the Efficient Frontier and Monte Carlo Analysis. We use “best of breed” investment managers. Every client benefits from:

An Investment Policy Statement that sets forth agreed upon portfolio return objectives, risk parameters and liquidity needs.
Quarterly reviews of asset allocation and investment managers.

Formal meetings to review the portfolio’s performance and how the client is progressing toward financial goals.

Annual portfolio rebalancing based on updated capital market assumptions and our updated Efficient Frontier.
Asset location planning to reduce portfolio income tax exposure.

An analysis to facilitate year-end tax planning with the client’s accountant, setting forth the client’s realized and unrealized gains and losses for the year.

Sophisticated Estate Planning
We help our clients reduce estate taxes significantly, in the majority of cases saving them millions of dollars. Every client benefits from:
A careful review of appropriate estate planning designs and strategies, including SLATs, GRATs, sales to intentionally defective trusts, charitable and other strategies.

Financial modeling to determine which estate planning techniques the client can afford to implement without impacting his or her lifestyle.
A detailed summary of the final estate plan, with diagrams that illustrate complex designs in an easy-to-understand format.

Our coordination with the client’s attorney, and our review of the final legal documents to confirm they reflect the client’s desired design.
Our oversight of the implementation of all aspects of the client’s estate plan.

If requested, ongoing monitoring of the client’s estate plan to confirm that the plan is moving toward achieving the client’s ever-changing goals and objectives.

800 Westchester Avenue, Suite S-504 | Rye Brook, NY 10573 | 914.305.9050
250 Park Avenue, 7th Floor | New York, NY 10017 | 212.572.4874
www.sillerandcohen.com

Randy Siller and Jeffrey Cohen are registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors Inc.
Securities and advisory services offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer (Member SIPC) and registered investment advisor.  Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. 1Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation and its affiliates. Siller & Cohen is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.
Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. does not offer legal or tax advice. CRN 201301-2076001

International Planning Group Serves Life Insurance Needs of Ultra-High-Net-Worth Marketplace

Some companies thrive in their areas of operation. Others shape and even redefine entire professions. International Planning Group is in the second category.

With a sales staff of only 26, IPG is a world leader in life insurance-based wealth planning. The company creates customized solutions for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and large, closely held or multinational corporations the world over.

This is not the usual insurance sales and distribution company; far from it. The firm has a solutions orientation – as opposed to a product orientation – using life insurance as a wealth-planning methodology.

Everything about IPG is world-class, and was designed that way for a sound business reason: to address the evolving needs of the global client segment. “In the mid to late ’80s, I determined that profitable opportunities in the U.S. life insurance industry were diminishing and simultaneously recognized there was a significant untapped global market,” says IPG Founder, Chairman and CEO Jon Baker Sr. “At the time, there was no major U.S. planning organization that had an international platform built to serve the needs of high-net-worth individuals wherever they resided. I made a strategic business decision to build that platform and redirect energies into the underserved international market to facilitate generational wealth transfer planning and structure assets to achieve financial goals for many of the world’s wealthiest people.”

In order to better serve a global referral network of financial institutions, the firm developed a team of highly qualified and trained International Planning Group producers. Most have legal or financial backgrounds. All are IPG employees.

Company traits will surprise no one: professionalism, reputation, a global focus, referrals from top financial institutions, the ability to plan, the technology to implement. “Client service, of course, is second to none,” says Jon Baker Jr., president. “Our retention rate is about 97 percent.”

Clearly, IPG’s business approach is rock solid. “This year we’ll exceed $16 billion of life insurance in force.  And this is all on non-U.S. insureds.”

As a global company, International Planning Group has sales offices and/or companies in Boston, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Miami, Singapore and Switzerland. Sales and distribution stretch through Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

62 Walnut Street  |  Wellesley, MA 02481  | (781) 237-5900  |  info@ipgltd.com
www.ipgltd.com

Business-Savvy, Concierge Service in
IT Consulting

It’s 6:18 p.m. the day before the holiday. Everyone has gone. You’re about to run the last report, log off and leave. The network freezes.

You sigh. You dial IT service. You settle in for the wait. A few minutes later the phone rings. Coretelligent calling back: We’re on it.

Chances are, Coretelligent was on it even before your call connected. This information technology services firm proactively monitors clients’ systems to keep them running smoothly and to respond quickly if something needs attention. “We have established a very aggressive response time of 15 minutes,” says company founder Kevin Routhier, “and that’s a metric we hold to and we achieve more than 99 percent of the time. Not every issue has an immediate resolution, but every issue receives immediate action.”

STRATEGIC VISION
That’s good business, and business is the primary focus. When Coretelligent hires, the first qualification it seeks in a technical consultant is business acumen. “Understanding the client’s business and relative challenges are the first steps to identifying the appropriate technology,” Routhier says. “It isn’t just about the commodity of fixing a box or a network. It’s really about forging a unique partnership where thoughtful technology solutions maximize business opportunity for each client.”

Coretelligent goes well beyond day-to-day tactical support, infrastructure management and hosting. The firm lifts outsourced IT to a higher plane, adding value by integrating true strategic planning. “There is a time and a place for industry standard solutions, however they don’t always address a company’s specific needs,” says Routhier. “We create solutions tailored to the client’s business model. Our approach balances best practices with fiscal responsibility while mitigating security risk and downtime. We have a responsibility to our clients to architect solutions that traverse traditional, virtualized and cloud offerings in a scalable solution that drives long term value.”

TECH EXCELLENCE
Routhier started his firm in 2006 to fill a gap he recognized in the IT outsourcing ecosystem. “I founded Coretelligent based on the simple principle of white-glove, concierge-approach IT services. The business and customer-service aspects really needed to be brought to a much higher level. I felt we could accomplish this through attentive consultation with strategic, technical and communicative excellence,” he says.

Companies can, of course, build their own IT organization and infrastructure. In this scenario, Coretelligent’s prevailing expertise in virtualization, high availability solutions and cloud integration adds significant value by complementing and augmenting the skills of the internal IT staff.

Coretelligent has over 100 clients, more than 25 employees, and, with its ranking of 1,736 on the Inc. 5000 list, a success story to tell. “We are customer focused, we are service oriented. When we anticipate a client need or receive a client’s request, we act with full force.”

75 Second Avenue, Suite 210
Needham, MA 02494 | 781-247-4900
800 West El Camino Real, Suite 180 
Mountain View, CA 94040 | 415-857-4060
www.coretelligent.com

Legal Solutions to Complex Matrimonial Disputes Galasso, Langione, Catterson & LoFrumento, LLP

Divorce is never easy. Emotions can run high, especially when children, large sums of money, homes or businesses are at stake. The law firm of Galasso, Langione, Catterson & LoFrumento (GLCL) leaves no stone unturned when preparing cases for clients who include business owners, corporate executives and other high-profile individuals. While representing celebrities like P. Diddy, Nas and D.J. Clue has drawn GLCL understandable notoriety, the work that excites them most normally involves complex business valuation issues that take advantage of their facility with managing otherwise daunting accounting methodologies.

In Baron v. Baron, the firm’s ample skills were tested in addressing a niche subprime auto-financing business that their adversary’s expert had valued at over $80 million. After convincing the court to adopt a value of $50 million, GLCL made a series of unique arguments relative to the wife’s lack of contribution that led the court to award the wife only 20 percent of that $50 million value, despite the fact that the parties had been married for over 25 years.

“That decision was affirmed by the Appellate Division and is often cited by judges throughout the state in justifying a disparate equitable distribution award,” says founding partner Peter J. Galasso.

With full-time accountant Steve Pass on staff, GLCL is especially adept at understanding different methodologies used to determine valuations of privately held businesses when assets that may have been accumulated throughout many years of a marriage have to be divided equitably.

“We handled a case in which our client’s wife unsuccessfully argued that her husband’s employment contract, which was to pay him $50 million over five years, was an asset to be valued,” says partner Jeffrey L. Catterson. “When confronted with that issue and the fact that the two parties were $30 million apart on what they believed the valuation of our client’s complex minority business holdings were, we brought in three separate valuation experts whose costs were managed by our own in-house accountant. That not only helped keep costs down but also assisted in resolving the case.”

While achieving such favorable multimillion-dollar results for clients fuels GLCL’s reputation, it hardly defines the practice. The firm’s mantra is to bring the client to a better place, despite the complexity of a case. From prenuptial agreements to divorces, alimony, paternity, domestic partnership issues, custody disputes and more, GLCL balances toughness with diplomacy, always seeking to minimize stress.

The lawyers at GLCL have a combined 83 years’ worth of experience handling not just marital disputes, but also complex business litigation and high-end personal injury cases. Each of the firm’s partners is recognized as a Super Lawyer®. They also lecture frequently for the New York State Bar Association, Nassau County Bar Association, Nassau County and Suffolk County Matrimonial Bar Associations, and the Suffolk County Bar, and write articles for respected legal publications such as the New York Law Journal. Peter J. Galasso is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and partner Michael F. LoFrumento has been recognized as one of the top 10 leaders in matrimonial law on Long Island by the Ten Leaders Cooperative.

“Typically, a client comes to us during a very difficult time in their life. Part of our job is to navigate them through their worst moments,” LoFrumento says. “We are proud of the fact that our clients often thank us for ‘taking care of them.’”

377 Oak Street | Suite 101 Garden City, NY 11530 516.222.6500 www.galassolangione.com

New York’s Go-To Real Estate Tax Law Firm Podell, Schwartz, Schechter & Banfield

Not everyone is cut out for a career in the review and reduction of real property tax assessments. In fact, to the casual observer, it may seem to be an indecipherably complex and convoluted discipline. Fortunately for those who need legal representation in property taxation, Podell, Schwartz, Schechter & Banfield has an enduring interest and expertise in this area. While prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, the firm’s determination to seek out and solve new challenges enables it to consistently achieve the best results for its clients.

As the largest, one of the oldest, and indisputably the most comprehensive real estate tax law firm in New York City, Podell, Schwartz, Schechter & Banfield represents thousands of property taxpayers. It has a steadfast commitment to delivering unsurpassed, client-centered legal services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

“Because our practice concentrates solely on real estate tax assessment reductions, tax abatements and tax exemptions throughout New York State, we have developed extraordinary expertise in this specialized field over the past six decades,” says William E. Banfield, partner. “Collectively, our lawyers and professional staff have hundreds of years of experience. Because we are staffed with appraisers, former assessors and former Tax Commission and court personnel, our firm knows how the other side of the property tax system thinks and works. That’s insight we employ daily in the service of our clients.”

Many of the firm’s lawyers serve or have served on national, state and local bar association committees that deal with property taxes, as well as lecture and write on property taxes. The firm also includes the current and a past president of New York City’s Real Estate Tax Review Bar Association.

Single Source Solution for Real Property Tax
With 14 knowledgeable, experienced and highly skilled attorneys, and a full staff of appraisers, auditors and paralegals, the firm vigorously prosecutes all proceedings entrusted to it, through all levels of the administrative and legal system. Podell, Schwartz, Schechter & Banfield is large and experienced enough to handle real estate tax matters of great complexity while giving all of its clients the individual attention they deserve.

“We have dealt with many interesting and complex property tax valuation issues,” says Banfield, “from skyscrapers to land underwater, from air rights to contaminated property, from huge commercial and residential complexes to museum valuation. The simple fact is that every property is unique. It is our job to make certain that individual assessments are fair and equitable. An item of expense that can be controlled is an item that can augment a property’s value. We are always aware that a reduction in a property’s taxes is an increase in its bottom line.”

Podell, Schwartz, Schechter & Banfield, LLP
605 Third Avenue | 18th Floor | New York, NY 10158 212-883-6500 | www.pssb-law.com

You’re Never a Number at Constellation Financial & 
Wealth Management Services

Only yesterday, or so it seemed, the young woman was a newborn, her parents’ newest tax dependent. But here she was, 22 years old, with financial concerns of her own.

“I remember clearly her dad coming into my office and dropping her Social Security card on my desk and saying, ‘I have another tax deduction this year,’” says Stephen P. Piotte, E.A., CEO of Constellation Financial & Wealth Management Services. “In fact, the plan I worked out with him helped her get through college, while allowing him to continue to save for his and his wife’s retirement. Now here was his daughter, all grown up, wanting to open her own IRA and needing help with her taxes. I found it extremely gratifying.”

Active Investment Management
Close, personal client relationships, including multigenerational relationships, have always been a hallmark of Constellation Financial. The firm provides a wide range of financial services, including investment management, retirement and college planning, tax preparation and business consulting, to individuals and businesses.

“We get to know our clients on a personal level so we can advise them on all kinds of financial decisions,” Piotte says. “Our trademarked logo says it all: ‘We review your numbers without ever treating you like one.’”

According to Piotte, it is never too early to start saving for retirement, and he cautions clients against saving for their children’s college before securing their own retirement. “Your children will have time to pay off their loans, but you may not have time to make up what you’ve spent on their education,” he says. Ideally, of course, clients are able to help their children without sacrificing their retirement, but this is not always possible.

An enrolled agent as well as a financial advisor, Piotte has the knowledge and expertise to advise clients on the tax implications of any financial decision. “You cannot look at the wealth management side without looking at the tax side,” he says.

Piotte and his team believe in active investment management, with frequent client communication. “We don’t just buy a set of mutual funds and forget it,” Piotte explains. “We look at clients’ portfolios daily and make any necessary changes. Our customers like knowing there is someone who is reviewing and watching and taking the stress of ‘Am I making the right decision?’ out of their hands. That’s what we offer our customers, and it’s the reason they come here.”

179 Great Rd., Suite 210 | Acton, MA 01720  978-266-1930
CustomerService@CFWMS.com | www.CFWMS.com
Constellation Financial has been awarded Boston Magazine’s 5 Star Wealth Manager Award for the fourth consecutive year.

Securities offered through 1st Global Capital Corp. Member FINRA, SIPC
Investment advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc. Five Star Award is presented to 7% of wealth managers with five years of experience in the financial services industry. The final list identifies the wealth managers, of those evaluated, in the local market that score highest in client satisfaction. Each wealth manager was reviewed for regulatory actions, civil judicial actions and customer complaints. Details of the award can be viewed at www.fivestarprofessional.com/wmresearch. Third-party rankings and recognitions from rating services or publications are no guarantee of future investment success. Working with a highly rated advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor of any client nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation. 

Private Wealth Management Since 1838

Managing investments is a lot like steering a ship. It is easy to stay on course in good weather, but when the sea is rough, there is nothing so reassuring as having an experienced captain at the wheel.

For nearly 175 years, Welch & Forbes has been at the helm, helping New Englanders protect their assets through all types of market conditions. Founded in 1838—before the stock market existed—this revered Boston firm originally oversaw the personal business affairs for the families of sea captains and ship owners while they traveled the world. Much has changed during the ensuing decades, but one thing that remains the same is Welch & Forbes’ commitment to the high level of customer service their many discerning clients expect and deserve.

“People are understandably nervous about the economy,” says President and Portfolio Manager Jay Emmons, CFA. “We look for the best companies to invest in, that have fundamental characteristics that can stand the test of time. Our clients have great confidence in the research we do.”

Portfolios as Unique as Each Client
From real estate and railroads in the mid-19th century to the technology boom that began over a century later, Welch & Forbes has long invested in innovative businesses on behalf of its clients. With $3.4 billion in managed assets, the firm manages all accounts on an individual basis, most often with the individual portfolio manager serving as trustee.*

“We create portfolios for our clients company by company, stock by stock, bond by bond. We don’t typically use mutual funds or other investment products,” Emmons says. “We invest in the tried-and-true manner — looking for companies with long-term, sustainable, competitive advantages.”

As one of the country’s oldest wealth management firms, Welch & Forbes often represents multiple generations of some of New England’s most influential families, in one case dating back to the Civil War era. The reason for that loyalty is simple—trust earned through open communication, conservative principles and genuine concern for each client as a unique person.

“We are privileged to have clients who appreciate that we help get them to a point where they can leave a legacy to the next generation and to their favorite charities,” Emmons says.

* as of September 30, 2012

45 School Street, Old City Hall Boston, MA 02108 | 617.557.9800 www.welchforbes.com
Knowing wealth. Knowing you.

Personalized Wealth Management for Retirement

Retirement should be a time to relax. Concerns about the global economy and uncertainty over the future of 
taxes, health care, Social Security and other variables, make it increasingly difficult to 
know which way to turn. Massachusetts-based Flagship Financial Advisors, LLC helps take the worry out of wealth management for retirees and those who are approaching retirement.

“We believe in doing the planning before we start with investment selection,” says Managing Director Paul V. Ryan Jr., CFP®. “You have to know where you want to go, before deciding how to get there.”

From wealth management to retirement planning, estate planning and more, the Flagship team customizes plans based on each client’s risk tolerance and goals, making age- and lifestyle-appropriate adjustments as markets fluctuate.

Founded in 1997, Flagship Financial Advisors, LLC has grown steadily, thanks in large part to referrals from clients. Ryan, who has been licensed since 1988, has guided many families, couples and individuals through all types of market conditions, including the 2008 Wall Street crisis.

“While many people throughout the country were concerned about how the market drop would affect their retirement, we positioned our clients into appropriate asset classes, which is designed to help minimize portfolio volatility,” he says.

Ryan also serves as the managing executive with the largest broker/dealer group in New England, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., one of the country’s most respected networks of independent advisors. There are more than 45 independent professional representatives in the group managing more than $1 billion in client assets.  As part of the Royal Alliance family, Flagship Financial offers the resources and experience associated with larger firms, with the personal attention their clients desire. As an independent firm, Flagship Financial Advisors, LLC provides unbiased advice and designs portfolios that are tailored to each client’s unique financial circumstances while maintaining the utmost transparency.

“Our clients repeatedly say to us that they value how we tailor their current investments with the investments we suggest, based on their needs,” Ryan says. “The best thing about our business is that we get to help folks become and feel more independent in their retirement.”

301 Edgewater Place, Suite 400
Wakefield, MA 01880
781.224.9924 | 800.631.9997
www.FlagshipFA.com

Securities, insurance, and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Additional advisory services offered through Flagship Financial Advisors, LLC, which is not affiliated with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy, such as asset allocation, can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Steering Client Legacies With a Steady Hand

Before she became a trusted financial advisor to her fellow North Shore residents, Pamela M. Nottingham was a registered nurse. She later became the director of admitting for two merging hospitals, leading her to pursue a graduate business degree and forge a new career path in the financial sector.

“As a nurse, I was used to looking at the big picture,” Nottingham recalls. “When I became an advisor, I had no interest in the hot stock of the day. I really wanted to focus on what was important to my clients and to help them achieve their total financial health.”

As Managing Director–Investments for the Nottingham Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors for more than 20 years, Nottingham has come to be known for her “white glove” client service and her sincere, “plain English” financial speak—no doubt shades of her past career. She’s also known for her hand-picked team of experienced professionals who serve clients with the highest level of integrity, commitment and care.

Seasoned Team, Trusted Resource
Pamela Nottingham, CFA, CIMA®, CFP®, Managing Director-Investments, holds an M.B.A. from Salem State University. She also holds Series 3, 7, 9, 10, 31, 63 and 66 securities registrations as well as life and health insurance licenses.

Judy Rich is a Senior Registered Client Associate with more than 25 years’ experience in the financial industry and in-depth knowledge of investment services and products, information services and operational procedures. She holds Series 7 and 63 registrations.

Lesley Dever, Financial Consultant, is a 24-year veteran of the financial industry. She brings considerable experience in the areas of investment planning, insurance products and market research.

Kelly Connelly, Client Associate, addresses clients’ important needs and oversees the team’s administrative functions with enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge gained from more than a decade in the financial services industry.

Relationships Built to Last
From clients’ initial office visits to the ongoing plan monitoring and communication they come to rely on, Nottingham Wealth Management Group aims to provide an unsurpassed client experience. And it shows in clients’ everyday interactions with Nottingham and her team.

“These are very close relationships,” Nottingham says. “Clients ask us for advice and input in all areas of their lives, and we express our appreciation in very personal ways. When your clients become your best advocates, as ours have, you know you must be doing something right.”

138 Conant Street | Beverly, MA 01915 | 978-524-1622
www.nottingham.wfadv.com

Insurance products are offered through nonbank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC. 0912-03338

Technology-Focused, Relationship-Driven

Insurance is about protecting people at their most vulnerable time. When Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage to the Gulf Coast, insurance companies needed help delivering on this promise. Connecticut-based Kelser Corporation enabled its enterprise insurance customers to provide immediate assistance, with the rapid deployment of technology and personnel to the region.

A leading information technology solution provider, Kelser is known for its expertise in project management, engineering, executive consulting and supply chain services. Kelser also specializes in management of the entire IT lifecycle, from order initiation to asset disposal.

“We’re large enough to handle the job, but small enough to care about each of our clients,” says President Barry Kelly. Founded in 1981 as New Technology Systems, Kelser has helped its customers transform IT into a business enabler. Their focus is on the relationship with a customer, helping them meet their business goals and objectives in the most cost-effective way possible.

“We believe in long-term relationships,” Kelly says. “We support our customers through all business cycles, as opposed to going in for the quick sale. Whether a company is growing or contracting, we help develop strategies to solve business challenges.”

Kelser’s in-house professionals are the best in the business. Jonathan Stone, one of the industry’s most respected IT specialists, recently joined Kelser as Technology Solutions Executive. “Jon’s background as an IT executive provides Kelser the unique ability to understand the IT landscape from the customer’s point of view,” Kelly says. “We listen to our clients and then figure out a solution that best meets their needs.”

Premier certifications from HP, Cisco, Intel, VMWare and other leading manufacturers put Kelser on the cutting edge of technology. For example, Kelser was among the first to offer the 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ vPro™ Processors, which significantly increase PC security without compromising performance.

The company has received countless awards, including six years as Supplier of the Year from a Hartford-based global leader in healthcare insurance. A large part of the Kelser culture is giving back to the community. The Kelser Foundation supports numerous charities year round, culminating in the Kelser Charity Challenge, one of the region’s most popular golf events for the last 16 years. The foundation supports the American Lung

Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Wounded Warriors Project and many more deserving organizations.

A local presence with global reach, Kelser is ready for the next chapter, with a clear eye on the future.

“I grew up in this area, and I love the people,” Kelly says. “Our employees are like family and our customers are number one.”

111 Roberts Street, Suite D | East Hartford, CT 06108
860.528.9819 | toll-free 800.647.5316
www.kelsercorp.com

Joseph Juran’s Legacy Continues
Under Leadership of Juran Institute CEO Joe DeFeo

Joseph Juran’s pioneering work in the early part of the 20th century helped set the pace for what would eventually become known as the Lean Six Sigma and quality industry. The role of the quality professional is still being written, thanks in part to Juran’s successor and CEO of Juran Institute, Joseph A. DeFeo.

“Traditionally, quality management was the responsibility of certified quality professionals and engineers. Now the field has matured and quality no longer exists in a vacuum – it is the responsibility of the leadership. Managers from C-Level down are being asking to lead organizational transformations. To be successful, they need to understand how to design, control and improve processes that drive business performance. In addition to understanding traditional finance and risk management, they must understand how the design, control and improvement of quality drive business performance. They must be able to see how the various people, processes, systems and the whole organization work together on the relentless pursuit of breakthrough,” explains DeFeo, one of the world’s leading authorities on transformational change systems and breakthrough management principles.

Building on Juran’s groundbreaking work, DeFeo and his seasoned team specialize in organizational breakthroughs that result in long-lasting improvements in sales, costs and customer satisfaction. “Rather than a short-term drive-by intervention, we transfer our knowledge to clients so they can continue to improve on their own,” says Brian Swayne, Executive Vice President. As a part of the transformative process, the Institute is raising the clarion call for businesses and agencies to refocus on customers and integrity. “Executives of organizations must become the surrogate voice for customers,” the Institute explains. “The highest measure of an organization’s performance is when the quality of products and services exceeds customer needs and delights them.”

“Under DeFeo’s leadership, the Juran Institute is clearly, and refreshingly, not ‘stuck’ in a static mode of defining the parameters of quality management like so many other firms do,” says Quality Digest CEO, Jeff Dewar. “They are focused on adding value for today’s businesses and their customers.”

Juran Institute 800-338-7726 | www.juran.com

Building What the World Needs

Burns & McDonnell: Employee-Owned, Client-Centered

At a time when businesses everywhere are struggling,
one company is bucking the trend. Connecticut-based Burns & McDonnell is not just surviving, it is thriving, growing and even hiring.

“Our claim to fame in the Northeast is building $1 billion and larger projects,” says Brett Williams, manager and senior vice president of the engineering, construction and environmental consulting solutions firm. “We can take care of everything from purchasing real estate to permitting, community relations, material procurement and full construction management. For those building massive scale projects, we have a lot to offer – one-stop shopping for a full range of project execution services.”

A global company with over 3,400 employees around the world, Burns & McDonnell is established in the Northeast and familiar with doing business here. The firm has 270 local employees, and, Williams is quick to add, next week there will be more. Good news for serious employment candidates: Burns & McDonnell was ranked 26th in Fortune’s 2012 List of 100 Best Companies to Work for, and has been honored by the Hartford Business Journal as a Best Place to Work in Connecticut for the last three consecutive years.

Creating a Culture of Excellence

The firm is employee owned, and that is crucial for creating a culture of excellence. “This is a great place to work because people here really care,” says Williams. “We work together closely, but, in effect, we’re also working for ourselves. We have a compensation structure that rewards achievement and success, and features large year-end incentives primarily tied to individual performance. It takes a certain type of person to work here. You have to have a fire in your gut.”

Outstanding motivation is a hallmark of the Burns & McDonnell staff. Eighty-five percent of company stock is owned by the employees who conduct the day-to-day work. “We push ourselves extremely hard,” says Williams. “I cannot thrive in my job unless the people sitting next to me are thriving in theirs. We’ve got each other’s backs. Our marching orders are to make our clients successful, and we take that to heart. Our extraordinary amount of repeat business shows we’re treating clients well.”

Both clients and employees can appreciate the entrepreneurial environment at Burns & McDonnell. Employees are encouraged to find ways to build a better mousetrap – or a more efficient electrical transmission grid. “This is a company with very clear direction,” says Williams, “but at the same time it’s incredibly flexible. We have the freedom to pursue what is best for our clients and the communities we serve.”

108 Leigus Road | Building A, Suite 1100 | Wallingford, CT 06492
www.burnsmcd.com
203-284-8590 | Contact: Elise Holder

Transforming Facility Management Into a Competitive Advantage

FM Facility Maintenance Offers a Convenient, Single-Source Solution

One of the largest convenience store chains in the world was searching for a comprehensive solution to address the massive task of maintaining its entire portfolio of stores in North America. The challenge was to identify a third-party facility management company capable of implementing a fully integrated plan that produced the strategic results desired by “corporate” and also met the day-to-day tactical needs of the company’s entrepreneurial franchisees that represent the lifeblood of the worldwide brand. The company turned to FM Facility Maintenance, an industry leader in integrated facility solutions that provides intelligent facility, construction, and energy management solutions for leading retail, convenience store and restaurant chains and other businesses across North America.

Despite a global trend that shows convenience store maintenance costs rising by as much as 18 percent over the last three years, FM Facility Maintenance has been able to drive down its client’s overall maintenance cost by an impressive 11 percent during that same time span. FM Facility Maintenance has been able to achieve these results by introducing efficiencies and new techniques that are much more predictive, proactive and responsive. More important, FM has partnered with the company’s franchisees to develop new tools and techniques that speak to their everyday business concerns and have given them complete visibility into the utilization and performance of their revenue-generating assets.

“We were able to reduce the chain’s operating costs per store by over 14 percent adjusted for inflation, while maintaining 99.5 percent uptime for key revenue-producing equipment,” says Jim Reavey, CEO of FM Facility Maintenance. “We also helped our client manage their store growth more effectively, enhancing their relationships with their national stores, and offered solid guidance in prioritizing capital requirements to effectively address the aging of store equipment.”

Fast-Growing Provider of Integrated Facilities Solutions

Based in Hartford, Conn., FM Facility Maintenance manages over 30,000 customer locations, representing more than $500 million in spending. The company helps customers manage and maintain everything from high-tech broilers and freezers to advanced POS systems to plumbing, lighting, flooring, landscaping, signage, fire protection equipment and beyond, through its network of over 7,500 pre-qualified service providers, who handle over 2 million client work orders annually. The success of FM Facility Maintenance’s comprehensive, proactive approach to serving customers has earned the company recognition as one of the “Top Fastest Growing Private Businesses in America” by Inc. Magazine in its Inc. 500|5000 list for the last three years.

Reavey credits an innovative, fully integrated technology platform and field-proven delivery model, along with knowledgeable industry experts and a network of elite service providers, for making FM Facility Maintenance the partner of choice for some of the largest Fortune 500 companies with geographically dispersed portfolios.

“What sets us apart from our competition is our ability to identify operational improvements that drive down cost, and provide the proactive analyses our clients need to make more informed decisions,” notes Reavey. “Further, our scale, density and strong network of valued service providers allow us to deliver exceptional service in the industry at competitive rates.

“By aligning our clients’ facilities management with their financial and operational strategies and objectives, we help them reduce costs, increase productivity, grow revenues and protect their brand image. They are also able to allocate capital more effectively, budget more accurately and prepare more realistic financial forecasts. Their success becomes our success.”

With companies everywhere looking for new and better ways to reduce cost and stay competitive, FM Facility Maintenance is showing how more efficient and economical facility maintenance can become a competitive advantage. “We helped one of the world’s most popular convenience store retailers become even more popular among customers and investors alike,” Reavey says. “Imagine how we can help your company.”

www.fmfacilitymaintenance.com
10 Columbus Blvd., 4th Floor | Hartford, CT 06106
860-466-7400 | Toll free 877-860-7400

Turns Ads Into Live,
Inbound Calls – and Sales

By Marc Jennings

Goodbye, cold calls. Goodbye, expensive leads. Goodbye and good riddance to the customer chase. Hello to a better way of making sales and making money.

Ring2 Media does for its clients what advertisers and telemarketers certainly have wanted to do for decades: prequalifies prospects, delivers them directly to sales professionals and leaves nothing to be done except the closing. How – with today’s wall of Do Not Call laws – has Ring2 accomplished this?

The company has changed the direction of business from outbound sales calls to inbound purchasing calls. Consumers catch an ad and dial the phone. And people who might once have said, “Don’t call us!” are now calling you. They don’t need to be sold. They want to buy.

Company founder and CEO Mark Fidel has a background in running call centers and buying media. This collective experience gave him a perfect vantage point to spot and solve the costly flaws in the process. “In response to ‘Do Not Call’ telemarketing compliance laws, marketers were forced to generate inbound calls,” Fidel says. “Many call centers buy traditional media, then cross their fingers and hope they get calls. Good luck with that. We offer a better choice. We generate the calls and our clients buy them from us, paying only for the calls we send them. That’s performance-based marketing, and it’s a no-brainer. Ring2 Media assumes the risk, freeing up clients to focus on their core business – selling.”

Fidel has really simplified the process. Clients dictate the advertising medium they want to deploy – TV, radio, print, Internet – whatever they want. Ring2 Media makes the media purchase. Interested prospects phone the toll-free number. Calls come to Ring2 Media’s central hub, where software immediately relays them to the appropriate client call center – and a sales representative answers. Ring2 Media records the calls, and staff members monitor them for quality. The key here is that clients simply tell Ring2 Media how many calls they want and pay a set price per call, so they know what they’re spending before they spend anything. This works for companies that need a high volume of calls and for those where a smaller but still steady flow of calls is better.

Fidel says it’s important for clients to staff their call centers with sales professionals. For example, an insurance company needs a licensed agent taking the calls. “That’s the only way this will work. It streamlines things on the client’s end, and it also benefits consumers because they don’t have to waste their time talking to some call center agent who isn’t really qualified to field the difficult questions. “Your job is to close those sales,” he says. “Our job is to light up your switchboard.”

As his thoughts turned increasingly toward retirement, the investor was having growing doubts about the way his financial advisor was managing his money. He was particularly concerned that the advisor wasn’t adapting to his changing priorities. He also was worried that, despite his considerable wealth, the advisor didn’t have an adequate plan in place to ensure he would have the income he desired once he left the workforce.

The investor ultimately sought a second opinion. At the recommendation of a friend, he made an appointment with financial advisor Steve Pendergast.

“The client’s needs and priorities had evolved, but his previous advisor’s investment strategy hadn’t evolved with him,” Pendergast recalls. “I helped restructure his portfolio to be in line with his current goals and objectives. Over the years we’ve tweaked the edges from time to time, to try to take advantage of various market disruptions — such as the recent downturn in municipal bonds — and of gyrations in the marketplace.”

Success stories like this are commonplace for Pendergast, now a First Vice President – Investment Officer with Wells Fargo Advisors in solo practice in Danbury, Conn. Like the investor described above, many of his clients initially seek him out because they are unhappy with their current advisor’s investment approach, and nearly all come via word-of-mouth referrals.

While each client has his or her own unique blend of needs, goals and risk tolerance, many have followed Pendergast’s steadfast belief in the importance of maintaining a constant level of liquidity in their portfolios to help cushion against market losses.

“This way, clients aren’t forced to make emotional decisions in bad markets,” he explains. “It makes for a much calmer approach to investing.”

According to Pendergast, a large percentage of his clients’ holdings are in diversified investments, tailored for their needs. Each client receives an in-depth portfolio review emphasizing after-tax, risk-adjusted real rates of return. In addition, many take advantage of Wells Fargo’s extensive lending capabilities offered through affiliates.

Pendergast enjoys close, longstanding relationships with many of his clients, and he encourages them to consult him if they have questions or concerns about any financial matter. “Whether they need business advice, have a question about their portfolio or even want a recommendation on where to go on vacation or send their son or daughter to college, I want my clients to feel comfortable calling me,” he says. “I want my number to be at the top of their speed dial.”

Steve Pendergast, First Vice President – Investment Officer Wells Fargo Advisors
93 Lake Avenue, Suite 202, Danbury, CT 06810-6384 203-744-6000 | 800-535-0888 Email: stephen.pendergast@wfadvisors.com | www.stevependergast.com

Investment and insurance products: NOT FDIC-Insured/NO Bank Guarantee/May Lose Value

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Not long ago, Stamford Landing was one of the Connecticut city’s most glaring eyesores. The 5-building, 200,000-square-foot office park on Stamford Harbor sat half-vacant and required major improvements and upgrades. Seaboard Properties believed with the right investment and management, the site could become a thriving diversified business park and a model for the resurgence of Stamford as a major urban center.

“We bought the property, implemented a major capital program and added a lot of tenant amenities,” says President John DiMenna. “As a result, the complex was consistently 90 to 95 percent occupied. We sold it in 2007 and our investors enjoyed a tremendous return.”

Seaboard Properties specializes in finding hidden gems in Connecticut’s most vibrant city, with a diversified portfolio of multifamily, retail, office and hospitality. Founded in 1992, this closely held company has consistently thrived, even during economic downturns like the current recession.
“Because we are locally owned and we are focused on one locale, we are able to deliver the ultimate services to our clients, while finding opportunities that others cannot,” DiMenna says.
Opportunities such as: Park Square West, a nine-story Class A luxury apartment property in the heart of downtown Stamford. 100 Prospect, two luxury residential towers within walking distance of the popular Bedford Street corridor. Marriott Courtyard®, a 115-room hotel in the center of downtown Stamford. The property also includes 4,000 square feet of retail, occupied by Napa & Company, named “Best of the Gold Coast 2012” by Connecticut Magazine.

1 Atlantic Street, a landmark office property contiguous to the Marriott Courtyard®.

And there are many more examples, each acquired, renovated and managed with an eye on Stamford’s future as a major emerging 24/7 urban center in the Northeast.
“We think Stamford is the number one urban environment in the NY/NJ/CT metropolitan area outside New York City,” says DiMenna, who has been involved in Stamford real estate for 25 years. “Financial services, health care, tech industries and, more recently, media companies are relocating to Stamford because of the relatively low cost of living, its 24/7 downtown center and its proximity to Manhattan.”

Seaboard Properties proudly supports many community organizations, including the Stamford Center for the Arts, the Housing Development Fund, Stamford Hospital and others. In 2008, DiMenna was honored for his work with the Fairfield County chapter of the March of Dimes. Seaboard Properties is committed to giving back to the community that has rewarded the company’s investments during the past 20 years.

“I love the transformational aspect of real estate,” DiMenna says. “To take something that’s distressed and make it better is rewarding not just to our investors, but to the entire community.”

1 Atlantic Street | Stamford, CT 06901 | 203.357.1600 www.seaboardproperties.com