Understanding ethical requirements and applicable codes of conduct is critical to performing professional services with high standards of professionalism and client service.  It is also important in being able to mitigate the risk of being sued.  Among topics to be covered in this session will be conflicts of interest, privilege, Circular 230 ethical requirements, and ethical duties of business owners.

Our speaker will be Sheldon H. Smith, Of Counsel in the Denver office of Bryan Cave LLP.  Mr. Smith advises clients on ERISA, executive compensation, and fiduciary duties.  He represents public and private companies and governmental organizations in assisting them with employee benefit matters.  He has crafted a number of "state of the art" types of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans with a focus on saving taxes and providing effective tools for productivity and profitability.  Since 1980, Mr. Smith had been a member of either the adjunct or visiting faculties of the University of Denver College of Law.  He received his undergraduate degree (B.A.) from Washington University in St. Louis and both of his law degrees (J.D. and LL.M. (taxation)) from the University of Denver.

Mr. Smith has been one of the country's foremost continuing professional education instructors for thirty years.  He has presented seminars and given speeches in most of the states to many diverse types of professional groups, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Western Pension & Benefits Council, ASPPA, and others.  Mr. Smith has written numerous articles and course materials in his area of expertise.  He has been a member of the Western Pension & Benefits Council since 1986 and has served as its President and as President of the Denver Chapter.  He is the immediate Past President of ASPPA and sits on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee.  Mr. Smith was honored in 2009 as the Outstanding Alumni Law Star by the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.  He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Denver Bar Association.  Mr. Smith is admitted to practice before the Colorado Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, the United States Tax Court, the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

This lunch meeting will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel, 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, California 92108. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for registration and networking, and the presentation will run from noon to approximately 1:00 p.m.  The reservation deadline for the meeting is Wednesday, January 15, 2014.