Withers Bergman LLP

Trust, Estates and Charitable Planning

Consulting Partner

Lou's principal concentration is in the areas of taxation, estate and business succession planning, and employee benefits. Lou was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law Graduate Program in Estate Planning from 2004 to 2007 and on the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009. He was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School from 1978 until 2006.

He is a past Chair of the American College of Tax Counsel; a Past President of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; a Charter Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel; an Academician and a former Vice President of the International Academy of Trust and Estate Law; a former Vice-chair of the ABA Section of Taxation; and a past Chair of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law.

Lou frequently serves as an expert witness in matters related to estate, tax, and business planning and trust administration, including malpractice matters on behalf of defendant attorneys.

He has been consistently ranked in Chambers, The Best Lawyers in America®, Best Lawyers in San Diego, Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating™, Who's Who in American Law, Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers and Top Attorneys in Business Services in the _Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers._ He is also the recent lifetime achievement honoree of Bloomberg's Leonard L. Silverstein Award for Distinguished Service in Tax for his contributions to estate planning during his career.

Bloomberg/BNA Estates, Gifts & Trusts Advisory Board

American Bar Association, Current Chair of the Chapter 14 Subcommittee of the Estate and Gift Taxes Committee of the ABA Section of Taxation

Immediate Past President and Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate

Academician and Vice President of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law

Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Advisory Committee

Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, Board of Directors & Professional Advisors Council Chair

American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Charter Fellow

American Bar Foundation, Fellow

Virginia Law Foundation, Fellow

Virginia State Bar

University of Maryland, M.A.

University of Maryland, with high honors, Phi Kappa Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa, B.A.

University of Richmond School of Law, Gold Medal Recipient for Best Student in Graduating Class, Phi Alpha Delta, Omicron Delta Kappa, J.D.