Speaker Biographies

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William T. Hutton, Partner:  Bill Hutton is a recognized expert in nonprofit and tax law, with an emphasis on the tax aspects of land conservation and preservation, including conservation easement planning. He acts as counsel to both national conservation organizations and local and regional land trusts, and advises individuals and corporations on the income and estate tax consequences of conservation transactions. Mr. Hutton is also a professor of law at University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

Gregory D. Hendrickson, Special Counsel:  Advising both land owners and land trusts on conservation approaches for real property, Mr. Hendrickson negotiates transactions, analyzes income, gift, and estate tax consequences of complex transactions, and consults with governmental and private citizen stakeholders on achieving ecological goals and environmental values through limited development projects. Mr. Hendrickson serves as the Real Property Manager of Hokukano Ranch and Kealakekua Heritage Ranch in South Kona, Hawaii.

Ellen A. Fred, Associate: Ms. Fred serves clients on all aspects of land conservation law, including drafting and customizing conservation easements and related documents, analyzing the state and federal income, gift, and estate tax implications of employing various conservation approaches, and negotiating with landowners, tax-exempt organizations, and governmental agencies.  Ms. Fred was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Humboldt Watershed Council and a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Melvin Brunetti of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Reno, Nevada. 

Jocelyn B. Garovoy, Associate:  Ms. Garovoy's practice focuses on land use and real estate matters. She is also a member of the firm's conservation transactions group, advising landowners and land conservation organizations in varying aspects of land conservation transactions.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Garovoy practiced as a land use and litigation associate in the Kailua-Kona office of Cades Schutte, LLP. She served as the president of the board of directors of the Hawaii Island Land Trust, and as a Commissioner for the Hawaii County Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission.  She is the author of: "Ua Koe ke Kuleana o na Kanaka" (Reserving the Rights of Native Tenants): Integrating Kuleana Rights and Land Trust Priorities in Hawaii. (Harv. Env. L. Rev, 2005). 

Jim Hallstrom, President, The Hallstrom Group, Honolulu, Hawaii: Mr. Hallstrom is prominently recognized in the Hawaii appraisal community where he has been established for over 35 years. Specializing in resort property and land development, his practice has included many conservation assignments for clients ranging from Federal agencies and conservation groups to private trusts on all islands and portions of the South Pacific.  He holds professional designations with the Appraisal Institute and Counselors of Real Estate, and he and others in his firm are “Yellow Book certified” for Conservation Easement valuation work. (Mr. Hallstrom will join the panel for the Oahu and Kauai workshops.) 

Paul Cool, Vice President,John Child & Company Appraisers, Honolulu, Hawaii:  Paul joined John Child & Company in 1973. He has appraised property on all the major islands in Hawaii. He was recently involved in an assignment on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean; he has also valued properties on the U.S. Mainland and on Guam. Paul serves in leadership positions in NAIOP Hawaii (the Hawaii Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties), the Hawaii Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate, and the Appraisal Institute. (Mr. Cool will join the panel for the Hawaii Island and Maui workshops.)

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