The Firm has launched a program to help clients navigate family transitions. We have drafted specialized trust language, along with supporting background materials, to underscore the importance of planning for transitions in family businesses, philanthropy, joint investments, and other collaborative ventures. To deepen the learning experience, the Firm has also partnered with dramatic arts professionals to produce a film for interactive streaming and discussion with private audiences.
The resulting film, Transitions, follows a family that has weathered two prior transitions across two generations. Now, the leading generation discovers it holds three competing plans for how the family should move forward at a critical fork in the road. The story explores family connection, individual autonomy, leadership styles, conflict and collaboration — illuminating how people confront a shared problem from different angles.
We owe a special thanks to Don Kozusko and Andrew Stone who worked on the filming on location in Chicago, collaborating with Shaking the Tree and HMS Media. As a member of the creative team, Don was also deeply involved in the story design, the scriptwriting, the rehearsals at Looking Glass Theatre, and the filming across four locations, working with 17 actors, writers, directors, and filmmakers. The film is now in post-production, and we are preparing facilitation materials for use in interactive discussions. We look forward to sharing more with you soon!
