Steve J. Sokic, Senior Manager with Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited, is participating in the October 5 **Product Development Seminar** being hosted by BFSB and industry partners. RBC Trust is Royal Bank of Canada’s Global Private Banking trust subsidiary in Nassau, Bahamas.

Mr. Sokic will discuss how Canada interacts with low and no tax jurisdictions, with specific focus on the transfer of wealth.

In addition to his leadership role in the Bahamas, Mr. Sokic also co-leads RBC’s *U.S. & Canadian Private Wealth Group* in the Caribbean region, working with external professional advisors in properly establishing, and later with his team, appropriately and efficiently administering, Canadian and US tax-compliant fiduciary structures for Canadians and Americans and for other individuals and families around the world with US and/or Canadian connections.

Prior to joining RBC several years ago, Mr. Sokic was a senior tax manager with Deloitte & Touche in Toronto for 9 years, practicing primarily in international trust and estate planning, with a focus on families with connections to the US and Canada. Mr. Sokic is a frequent speaker and author on various international trust and estate planning topics.

Mr. Sokic has a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics) from York University in Canada, as well as having attained his Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designations. He is also a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation and the International Fiscal Association.

Other speakers at the upcoming event include:

Mr. Ben Arrindell, Country Marketing Partner and International Tax Partner, Ernst & Young Caribbean;
*Topics*: Review of Emerging Offshore Model – Barbados; Impact of trade agreements on the Bahamian economy, with specific focus on fiscal measures available to Government (such as VAT).

Ms. Allison P. Shipley, Principal, Personal Financial Services Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers (Florida);
*Topic*: Review of Onshore Model – United States

Mr. Mark N. Sills, Partner in the Toronto Office of law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP;
*Topic*: Studying the Impact of Trade Agreements on the Bahamian Economy (WTO in particular)

Mr. Marshall J. Langer, Of Counsel, Shutts & Bowen law firm (Florida and London) is the featured Luncheon Speaker. He will address Seminar participants on: *”A High Tax and a No Tax Country Can Both Benefit from a Limited Revenue-Sharing Arrangement.”*