Michael Schiff Elected Vice Chair of STEP Gold Coast Florida

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiduciary Trust Company International, a global wealth manager and wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, announces that Michael Schiff, managing director, has been elected vice chair of the Gold Coast Florida chapter of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Based in London, STEP is a global body which consists of 100 branches and chapters across 95 countries, and counts more than 20,000 attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and other practitioners around the world as members. STEP Gold Coast Florida seeks to bring together trust and estate professionals in the South Florida region to help them keep on top of the latest international planning trends and changes in multijurisdictional law, and empower them with networking opportunities and educational resources to serve their clients effectively.

"I am proud to be able to facilitate collaboration among professionals in South Florida who help individuals and families plan their financial futures," said Mr. Schiff. "With multijurisdictional processes and protocols continuing to evolve, we are glad to play a leading role in ensuring trust and estate practitioners throughout our community stay up-to-date on international planning matters and remain positioned to provide useful inheritance and succession planning advice."

As vice chair of STEP Gold Coast Florida, Mr. Schiff will be responsible for expanding its membership base within the accounting, family office, insurance, legal, banking, and planning communities in South Florida. He will work with professionals who already have an international element to their practices or wish to gain exposure to international planning concepts. Mr. Schiff will also assist with formulating topics and procuring speakers to draw attendance at STEP Gold Coast Florida events.

Many Fiduciary Trust leaders are active STEP members and officers. Ellen Kratzer, Fiduciary Trust managing director, was elected chair of STEP USA, which oversees the 17 STEP branches and chapters in the U.S., earlier this year.

"STEP is a vital forum for bringing trust and estate practitioners together for the benefit of high-net-worth individuals and families all over the world, including here in South Florida," said Gail E. Cohen, chair of Fiduciary Trust Company International's board of directors and general trust counsel. "Michael's leadership at STEP Gold Coast Florida, and Ellen's leadership in STEP USA, underscore our commitment to ensuring individuals and families in the markets we serve receive the best possible advice and service when planning to grow, protect, and pass along their hard-earned wealth."  

STEP seeks to promote high professional standards among those who work in the trust and estate field and educate members of the public about inheritance and succession planning issues their families may experience. Understanding every professional in the trusts and estates area will likely encounter exposure to international matters, STEP provides a forum where members can discuss multijurisdictional issues and learn about recent developments related to international planning. STEP members can receive the well-respected TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) designation if they attain a combination of qualifications and experience as a specialist focused on inheritance, tax, and succession planning.

About STEP
STEP is the global professional association for practitioners who specialize in family inheritance and succession planning. STEP works to improve public understanding of the issues families face in this area and promotes education and high professional standards among its members. STEP members help families plan for their futures, from drafting wills to issues surrounding international families, protection of the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving. Full STEP members, known as TEPs, are internationally recognized as experts in their field, with proven qualifications and experience. Find out more at www.step.org.

About Fiduciary Trust
Fiduciary Trust Company International, a global wealth management firm, has served individuals, families, endowments and foundations since 1931. With over $75 billion in assets under administration and management as of June 30, 2019, the firm specializes in strategic wealth planning, investment management and trust and estate services, as well as tax and custody services. The firm and its subsidiaries maintain offices in New York, NY, Coral Gables, FL, Boca Raton, FL, St. Petersburg, FL, Los Angeles, CA, San Mateo, CA, San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, Wilmington, DE, and Arlington, VA. For more information, please visit fiduciarytrust.com, and for the latest updates, follow Fiduciary Trust on LinkedIn and Twitter: @FiduciaryTrust.

About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton. Franklin Templeton's goal is to deliver better outcomes by providing global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the Company has expertise across all asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and custom multi-asset solutions. The Company's more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With employees in over 30 countries, the California-based company has more than 70 years of investment experience and over US$692 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2019. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com.  

Copyright © 2019. Fiduciary Trust Company International. All rights reserved.

Contacts:

• Rebecca Radosevich:  212-632-3207
  rebecca.radosevich@franklintempleton.com
• Laura Simpson:  973-850-7319
  lsimpson@jconnelly.com