Meet Our Instructors

Mr. Duke is a practicing attorney at the Duke Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. He works directly with select clients and their advisors and specializes in the areas of international and domestic taxation, estate and asset protection planning providing wealth preservation and wealth protection planning. He was named to list of "Top 100 Attorneys" in the U.S., Worth magazine, December 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (four consecutive years and for each year that Worth included this designation). Mr. Duke was also named as a “Leading Lawyer” in the “Fifth Edition of the Citywealth Leaders List” in Citywealth Magazine: www.citywealthmag.com, and selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the practice area of Trusts and Estates.

He has many years experience in these areas and consults with us as a member of our advisory board. Mr. Duke lends his experience to help us construct and implement sophisticated tax and wealth transfer strategies. Throughout his career he has done extensive estate and international tax planning for high net worth individuals and business owners. Mr. Duke is also is a professor of law, an accomplished speaker and author.

He was also a member of the Editorial Advisory Boards of the Asset Protection Journal, A Panel Publication, Aspen Publishers, Inc., New York, (1999-2002), Offshore Finance, U.S.A., O.F.C. Publications, Inc., Canada (1998-2002), and Vault, O.F.C. Publications, Inc. Canada.

Mr. Duke is the co-author of the Offshore Strategies newsletter and was editorial advisor to “The Jacobs Report on Asset Protection Strategies and Asset Protection Forum.He also is the co-author of "Offshore Tax Strategies" newsletter; and was editorial advisor to "The Jacobs Report on Asset Protection Strategies", and the "Asset Protection Forum." In 2002 he authored two chapters in Asset Protection Strategies, a publication of the Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law of the American Bar Association.

His teaching credits include him as a member of the Committee of Academic Advisors and a Visiting Professor of Law, LL.M. Program for International Taxation, St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, FL (2000-Present); Adjunct Professor of Law at the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University for International Tax and Asset Protection Planning (1983-1999);

He is also directly involved with the International Taxation & Offshore Financial Center at St. Thomas University School of Law and the Center for International Financial Crimes at the University of Florida College of Law.

Mr. Duke is also an accomplished public speaker. He has been a regular speaker at "The Annual Global Conference on Anti-Money Laundering, Compliance & Offshore Tax Planning," sponsored by The University of Florida’s College of Law’s Center for International Financial Crimes Studies, St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami, Florida), since its inception. He has also spoken before The Bahamas Bar Association, The Royal Society of Fellows (S-6), and numerous other engagements.

Born in Lineville, Alabama; Mr. Duke is admitted to Alabama State Bar and the Florida Bar. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Auburn University; a Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law of Samford University; and an LL.M in Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law. He is also "Of counsel" to The Kleinfeld Law Firm, Attorneys at Law, Miami, Florida.

Mr. Duke is a Distinguished Fellow of The Royal Society of Fellows. Other memberships include the International Tax Planning Association; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners; The Offshore Institute (1994-1999); International Bar Association, Section on Business Law and the Committee on Taxes; International Business Law Consortium, Fellow and Honorary Legal Scholar and International Academy of Tax Advisors, Center for International Legal Studies, Salzburg, Austria (1996-1999); Inter-American Bar Association; Tax Section of the American Bar Association (Committee on Corporate Stockholders' Relationships, (1975-1977); Committee on Closely Held Corporations, (1977-1990); Committee on Individual Investments and Workouts, (1995); American Bar Association Committee on Asset Protection Planning, of the Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section (1997-Present); Committees on International Taxation and International Property, Estate & Trust Law of the International Law and Practice Section (1995); Tax Section and International Law Section of the Alabama State Bar and The Florida Bar; Samford University Professional Advisors Council (1996-Present).

Mr. Lavorgna has been in the financial services industry for 34 years, and currently has offices in Martinsville, Virginia and Vernon, NJ. He is the President and CEO of Business Services International, Inc. and Forsyth Wealth Management, Inc., a registered investment adviser.

Mr. Lavorgna, a Wealth Manager and Investment Advisor Representative, has been listed in the 2005-2006 “Guide to America’s Best Financial Planners” published by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. He works directly with clients and their advisors to provide financial planning, pre-immigration planning, risk management, investment, retirement, tax, asset protection, and estate planning services in both domestic and international markets. He has done extensive financial and estate planning for professional athletes, high net worth individuals and business owners. He also works with non-profit organizations and clients that have an interest in charitable giving, family wealth planning, and asset protection. Throughout his career, he has given many lectures and seminars on financial planning, asset protection and estate planning.

He also provides: global estate planning; asset protection planning through domestic and offshore financial centers; and has planning experience designing offshore structures and international private placement life insurance. He also has experience in testing, developing and enhancing the tax and estate planning aspects of financial planning and asset allocation software tools for Wealth Managers.

He has expertise in Trust Centered Estate Planning, Global Estate and Gift Tax Planning, Wealth Management, Investment Management, Charitable Planning, Personal Financial Planning, Asset Protection Planning, U.S. International Tax Planning, Pre-Immigration Planning, Offshore Tax Structures and Private Placement Life Insurance.

Mr. Lavorgna was an adjunct professor for investments and financial planning at Sussex County Community College during the 1980’s and taught accounting, computerized accounting and business law, a course he developed, for the Patrick Henry Community College distance-learning program. He was a thesis promoter and also taught international tax credits as a visiting professor for St. Thomas University School of Law Masters of Laws Graduate International Taxation program. Mr. Lavorgna currently teaches as an adjunct professor for the Thomas Jefferson School of Law Graduate International Tax Program. He is also a Certified Trainer for the American Academy of Financial Management.

He has been a radio talk-show guest, been quoted in and written articles for local newspapers, and has independently published numerous articles and two books.

Mr. Lavorgna has earned an Associates Degree In Business and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Upsala College, a Juris Doctor Degree from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School (JD), and a Masters of Law (LL.M.) with a concentration in International Taxation and Offshore Financial Centers from St. Thomas University School of Law, an LL.M. in Wealth Management and Private Banking from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and a Certified Financial Planning (CFP®) designation from the College for Financial Planning. He is a Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) and a Chartered Trust and Estate Planner (CTEP). He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Wealth Management in the J.S.D. program at Thomas Jefferson University School of Law.

He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, National Association of Tax Practitioners, the American Bar Association, and is a Distinguished Fellow of and the current President of the Royal Society of Fellows for International Tax.

He is licensed to sell insurance, a former licensed securities representative (Series 7, 24, 63), Registered Investment Advisor Associate of Forsyth Wealth Management.

Vernon K. Jacobs, C.P.A.

Vernon K. Jacobs is the President of Offshore Press, Inc., Editor and publisher of the online Wealth Protection Research Library, co-author of The Offshore Tax Manual and co-author of Risk Management for Amateur Investors.

He is an independent tax accountant and consultant who presently concentrate on offering tax services for U.S. persons with offshore investments or entities and for non U.S. persons who have tax obligations in the United States.

Mr. Jacobs is a CPA and was an auditor with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells from 1962 through 1966. DH&S is now part of Deloitte Touche. He formerly was the chief accountant for Old American Insurance Co., and V.P./Controller for the company. He developed a reputation in the industry for creative tax planning for insurance companies. While he was with the insurance company, he completed the exams for the Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) programs.

He was the founding Editor of the extremely popular Tax Angles tax advisory newsletter, served as the Editor of The Small Business Tax Report, as the Tax Editor of the Real Estate Intelligence Report, Tax Editor for Private Practice, Consulting Editor for The Journal of Accounting and EDP, and the author of hundreds of articles published by dozens of magazines and newsletters.

He also developed and published one of the first tax planning software programs for micro-computers; a program to analyze tax shelters; a program to analyze divorce tax settlements and a program to analyze pension distribution options and published The Financial Systems Report, a newsletter on financial planning software.

Mr. Jacobs was a college instructor and has been a featured speaker at dozens of financial and tax seminars for CFP’s, CLU’s, CPA’s and lawyers. He was also a seminar instructor for the College of Financial Planning.

He has been licensed to sell life and annuity products and had a series 7 license. He was a Member of the Board for the Kansas City International Association of Financial Planners and the Kansas City Charter Life Underwriter Society until he chosen to work as a fee only tax advisor.

Mr. Jacobs is presently a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the International Trade Club of Kansas City, the International Tax Planning Association and is an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.

Jeffrey Lewis, CFA

Jeffrey D. Lewis, CFA, is currently the marketing director for the Bolton Financial Group, a Managed Futures manager-of-managers. He is responsible for marketing the firm's products to wealthy individuals and institutions globally.

Jeff graduated from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in both History and Economics, and he received highest honors in History. He attended the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University on North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he concentrated in Finance.

He has worked in Private Wealth Management for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in their Memphis office, where his clients were wealthy families in the southeast. His specialties were portfolio management and restricted stock. He and his team managed several hundred million dollars of assets. He has also worked for Cazenove Incorporated as a corporate finance analyst/associate.

In addition, he worked as vice president for Lewis Auto Glass, a family-owned auto glass wholesaler, where he was in charge of business development and regional offices.

He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2000. He is a member of the Memphis society of the Certified Financial Analysts Institute. He also holds his Series 7, 31, and 66 licenses.

Miss York is an attorney licensed in the state of North Carolina. Among her specialties are estate plannong, estate administration, business litigation and divorce financial planning.

She works directly with clients and their advisors providing immigration services in the areas of business and family immigration issues, helping clients obtain visas and permanent residency. She also works directly with pre-immigration issues and planning, as well as handling estate administration.

Her work consists of intra-company transfers, labor certification, family visas, professional work visas, treaty trader and investor visas, student and exchange visitor visas, permanent residence through investor visas, U.S. citizenship and naturalization matters.

She also concentrates in the area of divorce financial planning. She is currently a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst candidate at the Institute for Divorce Analysts.

Miss York is licensed to practice law in the State of North Carolina and in the North Carolina Western District Federal Court. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Iredell County Bar Association.

She was also a Professor of American Government and Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC.

Miss York earned her Juris Doctor from The Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she received a Certificate of Achievement Award in Litigation. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC.

She earned the Picket Award, which is an award for a student with a perfect 4.0 average for Social Science. She is also a lifetime member of the Kappa Omega Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national Political Science Honor Society and is also Phi Beta Kappa and a member Mu Sigma Epsilon Society.

Karl Bareither, CLU

Karl Bareither, CLU is founder and president of FBR System, Inc., a fee-based family business planning firm, that uses a holistic process approach to transfer wealth and renew both business and family. His approach is based on shifting focus to the entire family and is designed to meet the goals of all family members through a comprehensive planning process that focuses on renewing the quality of life for business owners and family members alike. Karl teaches you how you can become a family business wealth planning specialist, facilitator, and mediator.

Working with family businesses, he has also developed tools that enabled him to move beyond tax, legal, and financial planning. During this course, Karl teaches you the principles of what he has taught many advisors, which is how to use this system to make the entire family your client, not just the business owner.

Karl has written a book, Becoming a Wealth Transfer Specialist, which describes this system and recounts many of his experiences working with businesses and families.

He is a Chartered Life Underwriter, a Qualifying and Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has also been admitted to the Top of the Table.

George Mentz, J.D., MBA, CWM, MFP

Mr. Mentz is General Counsel and Attorney of AAFM US Academic Operations Worldwide - Board of Standards Member Director and Chairman of the Global Wealth Management Advisory Board and Advisory Board to AAFM Asia Operations, Director and General Counsel of IIPA LLC Global, ML, Limited Global, Editor and Chief for the Original Tax and Estate Planning Law Review. Mr. Mentz is a licensed Attorney and Counselor of Law in the US Federal Courts of Louisiana and was accepted as an Expert Witness NASD Arbitration Panel 2003.

He is an AAFM Certified Trainer in wealth management, market analysis, and estate planning by the AAFM Board of Standards and has trained Financial Advisors from internationally on Investment Management, Financial Planning, Taxation, Risk Management, and Estate Planning. He is the first person in the US to become Quad Designated and Board Certified as a JD, MBA, financial planner, and financial consultant.

Mr. Mentz served as a Senior Financial Planner and Wealth Manager for an International Wall Street Firm. He also consulted with several Fortune 100 Companies and International Banking Institutions, negotiated international agreements with CFP ™ Board and AIMR ™ International and is author of published articles and books in 20 Countries and 20 Major US cities on finance, wealth management, and e-business consulting.

He has served on the Board of Directors several non-public companies and one charity and has faculty appointments at law schools, MBA programs, business schools and training centers in Silicon Valley, Chicago, Denver, Miami, Hong Kong, Dubai, Beijing, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia and more.

Mr. Mentz received his Juris Doctorate in International Law after attending Loyola Law School and William and Mary Law School and achieved his M.B.A. after completing coursework Catholique University Graduate School in Louven, Belgium and Loyola College of Business Administration.

He also attended University of Innsbruck, Austria and law and business studies in Madrid Spain, Sao Paulo Brazil, Cuernavaca Mexico. He is a Condor Falcon School Member, Faculty Chairman of the Tax & Estate Planning JD & MBA Law Review, and completed research & studies, and provided international lectures in Belgium.

He is a member Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, Yale Club of New York, Plimsoll Club, Rio Grande Club, Delta Kappa Epsilon International, Skull and Bones Friars Member, Knights Templar Charity, Member Scottish Rite Masonic Bodies; York Rite; and Royal Arch. and a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal Society of Fellows. Prof. Mentz has recently won 2 national faculty awards for excellence along with a meritorious service medal from a global charity.