John Duncan, a partner in Kozusko Harris Duncan, Chicago, concentrates on the representation of family offices, private multi-family private trust companies, investment funds and similar family entities, and multi-family offices, private banks, and wealth advisors committed to serving private clients. A current major focus is on helping single family and multi-family private trust companies pursue their highest calling—building strong families—by supporting the development of strong and caring beneficiaries.

Over the past 27 years, John has worked with more than 155 ultra-wealthy families (and their advisors) on family strategic structures and family governance. He has helped form over 100 trust companies, including close to half of the regulated Private Trust Companies in the United States and an equal number of commercial wealth management-focused trust companies and trust departments.

John has devoted a significant portion of his professional life to drafting and consulting on legislation to facilitate the development of trust law and the single and multi-family private trust company industry, beginning with a model trust company act for CSBS that has been adopted by nearly half the states. He was principal author of New Hampshire’s 2007-2008 trust law revisions, in large measure subsequently adopted by Nevada and Tennessee, propelling all three states into top five trust law states rankings. John served as principal draftsman of new and innovative Delaware private trust company legislation and informally advised the draftspersons of the new Florida private trust company act. John has also contributed to other federal financial institution and trust laws and regulations including for Illinois, South Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, Delaware and North Carolina.

John publishes regularly in professional journals including, with Anita Sarafa, in the Spring, 2011 ACTEC Journal “Achieve the Promise-and Limit the Risks-of Multi-Participant [Directed] Trusts”, and in Trusts and Estates Magazine, most recently “The Private Family Trust Company-the most customized financial institution ever devised”, February 2017, and the inaugural issue of The International Family Offices Journal, “The private trust company comes back on shore – in the United States”, September 2016. He presents in major forums including at every Family Office Exchange Private Trust Company Conference/Workshop since the first one in 1992.

Before forming his own firm in 2000, John headed the banking and investment practice of the international law firm Jones Day. In 2012, Private Asset Management named John to its “Power 25” list of prominent players in wealth management and family offices who “excel in thought leadership and levels of influence in their respective fields.” John is a member of the Collaboration for Flourishing Families (Past Chairman, Strategic Planning Committee) and STEP, and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. cum laude 1971) and The University of Chicago Law School (J.D. 1974; Visiting Committee, 2015-17).

Richard Johnson is a tax partner with the law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP. For nearly 30 years, large family-owned and closely held businesses, high net worth individuals, family offices, and tax-exempt organizations have relied on Richard for practical tax, business, and estate and trust planning solutions. Richard formed the first private trust company under Tennessee law and has been responsible for forming or served as local counsel for more than half of Tennessee's private trust companies. He drafted new legislation updating Tennessee’s private trust company law, which greatly expanded the definition of a private trust company.

Richard was one of only two attorneys in Tennessee to receive to receive a top ranking (Band 1) in the 2017 edition of the Chambers High Net Worth guide. He is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and serves on the Family Office Exchange's Thought Leadership Council. Richard has been recognized since 2001 by Best Lawyers in America for his experience in Tax Law and Trusts & Estates. Best Lawyers named him Nashville's Lawyer of the Year in Tax Law in 2017 and 2015, and in 2012 the publication honored Richard as Nashville Lawyer of the Year in Trusts and Estates. Richard has served as Chairman of the Tax Sections of both the Tennessee Bar Association Tax and the Nashville Bar Association. Additionally, he is a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation, and he is recognized as a "Mid-South Super Lawyer."

Richard earned his J.D., with honors, from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1986 and his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida in 1987. He earned a B.A., cum laude, in Accounting from the University of Mississippi in 1983. Richard is a Fellow in the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and the former chairman of the tax section of the Tennessee Bar Association.

John currently serves as President of Shoebox Private Trust Company based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to coming to Shoebox, John was President and C.O.O. of Diversified Trust, a Tennessee chartered public trust company with over $5 billion in assets under management and four offices across the Southeast. During his fifteen year tenure at Diversified he established and managed the Atlanta office, led the development of family office services, created and managed two hard asset investment partnerships and led the conversion of the firm’s custody, operational and reporting systems. Prior to that John served as an Investment Director of the Delta Air Lines pension fund, where he had direct responsibility for the fund’s $1.4 billion real estate and timberland portfolio. As a Director for the $10 billion fund, John was also involved in overall asset allocation strategies, manager selection and reporting.

John started his career in commercial real estate and has over a dozen years’ experience in the development, leasing and management of commercial properties in the Southeast. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi, a law degree from the Nashville School of Law and a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. John is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. John has served on numerous family business, foundation and non-profit boards.