Bruce A. Rawls

Mr. Rawls received his BS degree cum laude, in 1976 from the University of Alabama and his JD degree, cum laude, in 1979 from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University. He was research editor of the Cumberland Law Review from 1978-1979. In 1980, he received his LL.M. degree in Taxation from New York University.

Admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1979, Mr. Rawls practices tax planning in Burr & Forman LLP’s Birmingham office. He is an active member of the American Bar Association and its Sections on Taxation, Real Property, Probate and Trust, and Business Law. Mr. Rawls is a member of Attorney’s for Family-Held Enterprises and The Family Firm Institute, professional organizations devoted to the special problems of counseling and advising closely held and family business enterprises. He is also a member of the Birmingham Estate Planning Council and the Birmingham Tax Forum.

Mr. Rawls co-authored an article about the Alabama franchise tax (43 Alabama Law Review 683, 1992). Mr. Rawls also authored a series of articles on various estate planning topics which were published in Alabama Forests, a BI-monthly publication of the Alabama Forestry Association. In Spring 2000, he will serve as an adjunct faculty at Cumberland School of Law teaching federal income tax.

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Rawls is active in a number of Birmingham civic organizations.

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Bruce A. Rawls
Burr & Forman, LLP
Post Office Box 830719
Birmingham, AL. 35283

Leonard Wertheimer, III

Leonard Wertheimer, III practices in the areas of estate planning, business succession/continuation planning, estate administration and taxation.

He received his law degree from Emory University in 1972. Mr. Wertheimer has been a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel since 1983.

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Feld, Hyde, Lyle, Wertheimer & Bryant, P.C
2000 SouthBridge Parkway, Suite 500
Birmingham, AL. 35209

William J. Bryant

Mr. Bryant’s primary practice areas are business organizations, mergers and acquisitions, finance and general taxation, providing practical and creative solutions that facilitate the structuring, formation, and transfer of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other business entities. He assists the firm’s estate planning clients with business succession issues. Mr. Bryant helps plan and develop strategies, negotiates and structures the essential terms of a transaction, and provides tax planning counsel that otherwise affects the continued operation or transfer of the business.

Mr. Bryant received his undergraduate degree, JD, and LL.M. (in Taxation) from the University of Alabama, the latter with high honors. His civic and professional activities extend to various organizations on the local, state, and national level. He is currently the chairman of the national board of directors of the American Heart Association (2000-2001). Mr. Bryant is active in the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, University of Alabama National Alumni Association, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar, Birmingham and American Bar Associations, National Bond Lawyers Association, Estate Planning Council, and Birmingham Tax Forum.

The law firm of Feld, Hyde, Lyle Wertheimer & Bryant, P.C. practices primarily in the areas of estate planning/administration, taxation, and corporate and business law. The firm handles a broad spectrum of personal, tax, corporate and business issues, providing quality services in a personalized manner.

Feld, Hyde, Lyle, Wertheimer & Bryant, P.C. represents a diverse client base including owners of closely held businesses, executives of privately and publicly held businesses, professionals, and retirees.

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Feld, Hyde, Lyle, Wertheimer & Bryant, P.C
2000 SouthBridge Parkway, Suite 500
Birmingham, AL. 35209

L. Thomas Ryan, Jr.

L. Thomas Ryan, Jr. began his private law practice with an emphasis on civil litigation. His firm’s practice is now primarily devoted to advising clients in the areas of trusts and wills, estate and gift tax planning, corporate and business law, business succession planning, IRA and retirement planning, charitable gift planning, probate administration, elder law, prenuptial agreements, and adoptions.

He has served more than sixteen years as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Alabama Department of Human Resources, primarily in Adult Protective Services cases, Conservatorships and Guardianships. Mr. Ryan is a member of the Alabama State Bar and its sections on Elder Law (Charter member); Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; and Taxation Law; the American Bar Association; the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys; the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; and the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

He is admitted to practice before all courts in the state of Alabama as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. In addition to his busy practice, Mr. Ryan is a frequent speaker on estate planning topics, regularly presenting educational seminars for the public as well as to private groups. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he was Articles Editor for the Law and Psychology Review.

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The Ryan Law Firm
L. Thomas Ryan, Jr.
2319-B Market Place
Huntsville, AL 35801

W. Holt Speir

Mr. Speir received his J.D. in 1988 from the University of Alabama and his LL.M. (in taxation) in 1989 from New York University.

Since joining Capell & Howard, P.C., he has served as an Instructor in Estate Planning at Jones School of Law, as a member of the Board of Bar Examiners in Estate Planning, as the Chairman of the Tax Section of the Alabama State Bar, and he is listed in "Best Lawyers in America," a publication which bases its attorney rankings solely on a peer-review survey.

Mr. Speir practices in the areas of estate planning and business planning.

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W. Holt Speir III
Capell & Howard, P.C.
150 S. Perry Street
Post Office Box 2069
Montgomery, Alabama 36102-2069