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Biography

Lani Starkey, a tax attorney and accountant, is Associate Vice President, Principal Gifts and Estate and Gift Planning. A nationally recognized charitable tax planning expert, Lani frequently speaks at national, regional, and local conferences, and has authored articles in respected journals, newspapers, and newsletters. Lani is also an Adjunct Professor at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Lani received his LL.M. in Tax from the University of Florida’s Graduate Tax Program. He earned his J.D. cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law, and his B.B.A. in Accounting from Texas State University. Fortunately, Lani passed both the Bar and CPA exam on his first attempt.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Lani was Vice President and a Staff Attorney at Crescendo Interactive, Inc., a Southern California for-profit corporation. His responsibilities included teaching and speaking at over 30 tax seminars and conferences each year, consulting with nonprofits and professional advisors nationwide, and researching and writing tax articles.

Lani’s legal experience derives from both the private and public sector. After clerking for a large Texas gas corporation, he was a judicial intern for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt and the Los Angeles County Superior Court for the Honorable Robert M. Letteau.

Lani has strong ties to Hawaii and the University of Hawaii. Lani spent part of his childhood growing up on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. Lani's father earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from UH Manoa, and his sister earned a bachelor's degree from UH Manoa. In addition, Lani’s father is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hawaii Center in West Hawaii. Prior to moving to Hawaii, Lani was a longtime resident of Houston, Texas, and Malibu, California, where he was an avid triathlete and surfer.

Lani is a member of the University of Hawaii Foundation’s Heritage Society and President's Club. Lani is also a member of the State Bar of California, Hawaii Society of CPAs, Hawaii Estate Planning Council, Financial Planner’s Association of Hawaii, and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning.

Commentary

Show Them the Money: Understanding and Working with Professional Advisors

Thursday, October 11, 2007

This article is designed to equip gift planners with the ability to favorably interact and motivate donors' professional advisors. Common advisor objections to gift plans and examples of what to say to overcome or minimize those objections, as well as advisors' unique education and perspective to gift proposals, are explained. Finally, methods on how a gift planner can market and network with the professional advisor community to increase gifts are explored.

Extreme Makeover: Charitable Lead Trust Edition

Saturday, October 1, 2005

It is entirely possible and perfectly legal for an individual to transfer $5M, $10M, even $100M to family with no gift and estate tax. The individual could also become a philanthropist to a level never thought possible. The tool—charitable lead trusts. Despite this power, very few gift planners have actually closed a CLT. The reason is twofold: lack of understanding and lack of proper marketing. This article presents exciting new ways to think about CLTs, how to market them, and discuss the technical rules of CLTs as they relate to the new strategies.