Partners

Leslie C. Giordani
Ms. Giordani represents high net worth individuals and family offices in the design and implementation of domestic and international trust, investment, and life insurance structures. She also consults to financial service providers on such matters. A frequent author and speaker in the areas of private placement life insurance, asset protection, and foreign trust planning, Ms. Giordani is often interviewed and quoted in financial publications. An ACTEC fellow since 2003, Ms. Giordani was named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2003 through 2007 by Law & Politics and Texas Monthly magazines and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. After a brief career in Nursing, Ms. Giordani graduated with honors from the University of Houston Law Center in 1990, where she served as Articles Editor of the Houston Law Review.

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Elizabeth M. Schurig
Ms. Schurig represents a wide array of clients faced with multi-jurisdictional tax, estate, and business planning issues, and she is experienced in the design of complex estate and business plans for U.S., non-U.S., and dual-citizen clients. In addition to her expertise in the design, administration, and tax compliance of both inbound and outbound foreign trust and business structures, she has an extensive background in traditional probate, trust, and estate administration. Ms. Schurig frequently advises clients on the resolution of international tax and treaty issues in connection with their estate and business planning, and serves as outside counsel to several high net worth family offices. A frequent author and speaker in the areas of domestic and international estate planning, asset protection, and foreign trust planning and tax compliance, Ms. Schurig has written numerous articles and has been quoted in various publications, including Practical Accountant and Bloomberg Wealth Manager. She is an author and editor of the four-volume treatise, Asset Protection: Domestic and International Law and Tactics, (Thomson/West Group, updated quarterly), and is an author of “A Closer Look at U.S. Asset Protection Trusts,” Asset Protection Strategies Vol. II, Ed. Alexander A. Bove, Jr. Ms. Schurig is board certified as a specialist in the area of estate planning and probate law, was named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2003 through 2007 by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines, is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and was named in Worth Magazine's Top 100 Attorneys list for 2006 and 2007. Ms. Schurig graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1988 after receiving her B.A. in English from Baylor University in 1984.

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Carolyn M. Beckett
Ms. Beckett specializes in the U.S. and international tax aspects of using alternative structures for the ownership of business and investment property, with particular emphasis on the use of partnerships and other pass-through entities such as trusts and family limited partnerships. Due to Ms. Beckett's extensive background in federal income taxation for both individuals and entities, she brings significant value to the proper analysis of international tax and treaty issues for the firm's multi-jurisdictional clients. She also advises clients concerning the tax considerations involved in the purchase and sale of real estate and the use of like-kind exchanges and other complex arrangements relating to real estate structure and tax issues. Ms. Beckett is licensed to practice law in Texas and New York, is Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant by the State of Texas and was named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2004 through 2007 by Law & Politics and Texas Monthly magazines. Ms. Beckett graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 1972 after receiving her B.B.A. in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin in 1969.

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Steven J. Tackett
Mr. Tackett's practice covers all aspects of estate planning, probate, and transfer tax law, including the design and implementation of traditional and non-traditional estate plans for both U.S. and non-U.S. clients and the probate of wills and the determination of heirship of decedents dying without wills.  Mr. Tackett is highly experienced in mediation of probate disputes and in the judicial construction, reformation, modification, and termination of trusts and in the administration, settlement, and distribution of estates and trusts.  Mr. Tackett represents clients with tax controversies pending before the Internal Revenue Service and assists in the preparation, examination, and appeal of federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns.  Mr. Tackett was named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2003 through 2007 by Law & Politics and Texas Monthly magazines and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.  Mr. Tackett graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 1971 after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin in 1968.

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Derry W. Swanger
Mr. Swanger has extensive experience in assisting U.S. and foreign individuals with the design and implementation of traditional and more sophisticated estate planning and asset protection strategies. This includes the preparation and implementation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, disability documents, marital property agreements, corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies for business succession planning, as well as beneficiary designations necessary to coordinate a client’s life insurance and retirement assets with his or her overall plan. Mr. Swanger has worked extensively with individual and corporate executors and trustees, advising them with respect to the tax and non-tax issues associated with the administration of estates and trusts, and is experienced in the judicial construction, reformation, modification, and termination of trusts. Mr. Swanger graduated from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1984 after receiving his B.B.A. in Accounting, with highest honors, from The University of Texas at Austin in 1981.

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Stephen L. Phillips
Mr. Phillips’ practice includes the planning, structuring, re-structuring, and implementation of for profit and non-profit organizations and their recurring operations, as well as their nonrecurring transactions such as joint ventures, private equity funds, and mergers and acquisitions, both domestic and international. Mr. Phillips’ practice also includes individual estate and income tax planning, business planning, and business succession, and asset protection planning. When the need arises, he represents his clients in federal and state tax controversies, both administratively and in court. Mr. Phillips is Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was named Best Austin Tax Lawyer by the Austin Business Journal in 2005. Mr. Phillips graduated from The University of Texas School of Law, with honors, in 1985 after receiving his B.B.A. in Accounting, with highest honors, from The University of Texas at Austin in 1983.

Michael H. Ripp, Jr.
Mr. Ripp practices in the areas of private placement life insurance, trust, and asset protection planning and is also board certified as a specialist in the area of estate planning and probate law. A significant portion of Mr. Ripp’s practice includes advice to hedge fund and fund of funds managers regarding the establishment and operation of insurance dedicated funds (IDFs), including an IDF’s legal and business relationships with domestic and international insurance carriers. Mr. Ripp also represents individuals and family offices in the design and implementation of domestic and international trust, investment, and life insurance structures, including the tax planning and compliance aspects of such structures. In addition, he counsels major financial institutions and boutique financial service providers on matters of interest to the ultra high net worth marketplace. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and was named as a Texas Rising Star in 2004 through 2007 by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines. Mr. Ripp graduated from Washington University School of Law in 1997 after receiving his B.B.A. in Business Analysis (Management Information Systems) from Texas A&M University in 1994.

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Associates

Amy P. Jetel
Ms. Jetel focuses primarily on the design, implementation, and administration of outbound and inbound foreign trust and related business, investment, and life insurance structures, including the tax planning and compliance aspects of such structures. Ms. Jetel also provides essential research and analysis for the resolution of international tax and treaty issues for the firm's clients, and assists in the support of several high net worth family offices. Ms. Jetel also practices in the areas of traditional estate and disability planning, probate and estate administration, and entity formation and governance. She has written various articles on estate planning and asset protection, and serves as a contributing author of the four-volume treatise, Asset Protection:  Domestic and International Law and Tactics, (Thomson/West Group, updated quarterly), and is an author of “A Closer Look at U.S. Asset Protection Trusts,” Asset Protection Strategies Vol. II, Ed. Alexander A. Bove, Jr. She was named as a Texas Rising Star in 2005 and 2006 by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines. Ms. Jetel graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2002 after receiving her B.A. in English, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998. Ms. Jetel is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Cindy L. Grossman
Ms. Grossman’s practice encompasses a wide variety of corporate and partnership transactions with federal and state tax implications, including stock and asset acquisitions and sales, partnership freeze transactions, and real estate transactions using special purpose entities. Ms. Grossman has a breadth of experience in corporate and partnership formation and operation, entity conversion, and business succession planning. In addition to her experience with entities, Ms. Grossman has represented clients in federal and state tax controversies, and she is well versed in domestic and international estate and asset protection planning. Ms. Grossman graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 2004 after receiving her M.A. in Philosophy from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2002 and her B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Religious Studies from Emory University at Atlanta in 2000.

Michelle L. Terbay
Ms. Terbay practices in the areas of private placement life insurance, trust, and asset protection planning as well as domestic estate planning and probate law. Ms. Terbay also assists hedge fund and fund of funds managers in connection with establishing insurance dedicated funds (IDFs) and promoting business relationships with insurance carriers. Additionally, her practice encompasses the creation and administration of charitable trusts and tax-exempt organizations, including public charities and private foundations. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the Austin Bar Association, and the Austin Young Lawyers Association. Ms. Terbay graduated from Baylor University School of Law in 2005, cum laude, after receiving her B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000.

Claire E. Dinsmoor
Claire Dinsmoor practices in the areas of domestic and international estate planning, probate and estate administration, and entity formation & governance. Ms. Dinsmoor assists in the design and implementation of both traditional and sophisticated estate plans, including drafting of wills, trusts, disability documents, and partnership and limited liability company agreements. Prior to joining GSBT, Ms. Dinsmoor worked as a staff attorney for Justice Alan Waldrop. During this time, she gained experience researching and preparing drafts of judicial opinions for criminal and civil cases. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the Austin Bar Association, the Austin Young Lawyers Association, and the Estate Planning Council of Texas. Ms. Dinsmoor graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 2005, with honors, after receiving her B.A. in English, Phi Beta Kappa, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002.