Judges – USA Awards
Karen Jones
Citywealth
Editor & CEO
Karen founded Citywealth after a career at News International, The Times, and Sunday Times in the legal, financial and recruitment sections. She also ran the Legalease flagship title Legal Business/Asia Pacific Legal 500, and launched Legal Business Awards and Legal 500 parties. Karen then took over In Brief magazine, where she grew the organisation from a buyout where it had gone bankrupt to a successful £500,000-a-year publishing and events business. Her work as a Citywealth CEO was recognised by four New York Stevie Awards: Women helping women (2014, 2015), Innovator of the year (2015), and Entrepreneur of the year (2015)
Darcy Katris
Morrison Cohen LLP
Partner
Darcy Katris is a partner at Morrison Cohen LLP, where she co-chairs the Family Office Group. She has more than 25 years of experience advising clients in complex trust, estate and tax issues. Her practice includes estate and tax planning, drafting wills and trust agreements, administering estates and trusts and representing clients in Surrogate’s Court. She also handles the formation of family limited liability companies and advises trust companies on fiduciary issues.
Darcy has a specific niche in advising clients with art collections. Her art-related estate planning experience includes forming a museum, negotiating with auction houses to sell artwork, advising clients on ways to display an art collection through a foundation, and administering estates with very substantial art collections being sold at auction, including the estate of Robert H. Ellsworth.
Darcy was included on the list of Best Lawyers in America® for Trusts and Estates in 2022 and 2023 and was recognized by New York Super Lawyers every year from 2012 to 2022. Chambers USA High Net Worth Guide 2022 ranked Darcy as a Band 2 practitioner for Private Wealth Law: Mid-Market New York. She received a J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S., magna cum laude, from Iona University.
Heather Flanagan
Wealthspire Advisors
Managing Director, Head of Family Office Services
Heather serves as Head of Family Office Services, overseeing the firm’s enhanced family office service platform, as well as trust and estate services.
With deep expertise in wealth management and trust services, she joined the team from Rockefeller Capital Management where she was head of trust and family office services, president and board member of its trust companies, and a member of the executive committee. She has extensive experience building and managing teams, working directly with UHNW clients, and as a practicing attorney and philanthropy advisor.
Heather is actively involved as a member of several industry organizations, including the UHNW Institute, the Purposeful Planning Institute, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Alicea Castellanos
Global Taxes
CEO & Founder
With 20 years of experience, Alicea specializes in U.S. tax planning and compliance for non-U.S. families with global wealth and asset protection structures which include non-U.S. trusts, estates and foundations that have a U.S. connection.
Alicea is an active member of the Society of Trusts & Estates Practitioners (STEP), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPAs), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the International Fiscal Association (IFA).
Alicea was awarded with a prestigious NYSSCPA 40 Under 40 Award, selected as having notable skills and visibly making a difference in the profession.
In 2021 and 2022, Alicea was the Gold and Silver Winner, respectively, of Citywealth’s Powerwomen Awards in the category USA – Woman of the Year – Business Growth (Boutique). In 2023, she continued her winning streak by receiving the Gold award for Company of the Year Female Leadership (Boutique). Furthermore, Alicea is currently listed in the Global Elite Directory 2023, which is an annual exclusive directory of the world’s elite lawyers and outstanding wealth advisors advising ultra-high net-worth clients.
Bonnie Lynn Chmil
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Partner
Bonnie Lynn Chmil is a litigation partner at Katten. Bonnie represents high-net-worth individuals, families, and fiduciaries, including trust companies and banks and other companies that offer trust and private wealth services in high-stakes litigation. She is recognized by Citywealth as one of the “Top 100 International Private Client Litigation Lawyers” in 2023. Other recognitions include Chambers High Net Worth for New York Private Wealth Law and Private Wealth Disputes, and Private Client Global Elite “Ones to Watch.”
Francesca Boschini
Deutsche Bank Wealth Management
Director, Head of International Wealth Planning & Head of Insurance Solutions ‒ Americas
Francesca Boschini is Director – Head of International Wealth Planning & Head of Insurance Solutions for the Americas at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. Ms. Boschini is based in New York and is in charge of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management Americas cross-border and international wealth planning practice and of its insurance planning solutions platform. When working directly with clients Ms. Boschini provides technical assistance on wealth planning and insurance planning matters to U.S. and international families. She works to develop and execute solutions for the complex global wealth preservation, estate and insurance planning needs of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.
Ms. Boschini has over 25 years of experience in the wealth planning field. Prior to joining the firm, she worked at RBC Wealth Management for 18 years, as head of its U.S. & International Wealth Planning team and served as a Director on the RBC Delaware Trust Company Board of Directors.
Ms. Boschini is a frequent speaker at international trust and estate planning conferences globally, and has authored several articles published in leading professional journals. She is fluent in English, Italian and Spanish with a working knowledge of Portuguese. Ms. Boschini is an active member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), of the Institute for Family Governance (IFG) where she is an Advisory Board Member, with a focus on working with the Next Generation on Family Governance and Wealth Education, enhancing the role of women in finance and fostering the development of young female leaders.
Gretchen Beall Schumann
Rabin Schumann and Partners
Partner
Gretchen Beall Schumann has extensive experience in matters involving complex domestic and international family law. Ms. Schumann is listed in Metro Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Attorneys in New York and Top 50 Women Attorneys in New York. She is rated by Chambers and Partners High Net Worth Guide and featured in The Spear’s 500.
Ms. Schumann is the former President and a current Director of the New York Women’s Bar Association Foundation, Inc., a past President of the New York Women’s Bar Association, and a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is a frequent presenter for legal, academic and corporate institutions and the author of chapters on New York family law practice for international publications.
Ilka Gregory
HQ, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group
Head of Wealth Advisory
Senior investment professional with experience in leading teams to understand family office and ultra high net worth clients’ financial objectives and present solutions in Investment Management, Wealth Planning, and Family Office Services.
Andrea Santos-Morales
UBS Wealth Management
Managing Director
Head of Wealth Planning International Americas
Wealth Planner, Mexico, Central and Northern Latin America
Andrea is responsible for the UBS International Wealth Planning offering for the firm’s US booking center. She and her team of Wealth Planners work with ultra-high net worth international clients of UBS and their advisors in developing and implementing creative and comprehensive strategies to assist clients with their complex financial needs such as preservation, transfer and management of wealth across generations and borders. Andrea is also the Wealth Planner in charge of Mexico, Central and Northern Latin America.
Harumi Urata-Thompson
HUT Consulting
Founder and CEO
Harumi Urata-Thompson is founder and CEO of HUT Consulting. She specializes in leading and advising companies on taking innovative paths to achieve strategic, operational and marketing success in their businesses. She is an experienced executive running Web3 companies. Currently, she is consulting to and serving as advisor to several companies. In addition, she acts as mentor to a number of people and speaks at numerous events. Subjects include Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Cybersecurity, Outerspace, Cross-border Business, and Diversity and Inclusion.
Harumi has an MBA from INSEAD and a BA, magna cum laude, in business from Sophia University in Japan. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst, Project Management Professional certified, an Advanced Communicator and Leader of Toastmasters, and bilingual in English and Japanese. Harumi has traveled extensively, plays piano, keenly follows performing arts.