BMC Associates provides speakers to families in business, business partners and the professionals that serve them. Our subjects all focus on methods of preventing and resolving business conflict. The Speakers program is led by Dr. David Gage, a principal of BMC and a nationally-recognized expert on business mediation and collaboration. All BMC speakers are active practitioners in business mediation and conflict prevention.

For more detailed information on BMC's capabilities or to arrange for a speaker, contact Dr. Gage by e-mail at dgage@BMCassociates.com, by phone at 703-465-1262 or by mail: Dr. David Gage, BMC Associates, 3000 Spout Run Pkwy, Penthouse, Arlington, VA 22201.

Recent Presentations

 Greater Washington Society of CPAs
"Helping Clients with Succession Planning"
Washington, DC
July 21, 2010

David Gage was a co-instructor for this Continuing Professional Education program for CPAs.  Succession is one of the most complex issues facing entrepreneurs.  Business owners are frequently passing their companies to more than one person - partners, children, key employees - and for many, it goes painfully awry.  Some owners wishing to pass on their companies never get the full value out of their companies because they fail to plan carefully. This seminar focused on ownership and management transitions in family and non-family businesses.

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 Institute of Management Accountants
"Putting Mediation to Use within the Corporation"
Rosslyn, VA
November 15, 2006

Ed Kopf discussed the roles of mediation and facilitation in enhancing corporate performance.

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 Virginia Beach Foundation
13th Annual Estate Planning and Charitable Giving Seminar
"Mediation as a Model for Family Business Transitions"
Virginia Beach, VA
October 4, 2006

Ed Kopf explored how mediation techniques can make a positive contribution to establishing, operating and planning generational change in family businesses.

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 Toledo Estate Planning Council
"Holistic Estate Planning and ‘Accidental Partners’"
Toledo, OH
February 7, 2006

This is another in David Gage's series of presentations to estate planning councils across the country on collaborative approaches to estate planning.

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 Lancaster County Estate Planning Council
"Holistic Estate Planning and ‘Accidental Partners’"
Lancaster, PA
January 26, 2006

David Gage explored ways in which an inclusive, holistic approach to estate planning can improve the experience and outcome of the process for both older and younger generations.

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  Financial Planning Association, National Capital Area
“Collaborative Family Estate Planning”
Washington, DC
December 8, 2005

David Gage discussed the implications for financial planning of an inclusive, holistic approach to estate planning.

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 Jewish Community Foundation
“The Challenges of Sibling Partnerships in the Philanthropic World”
Los Angeles, CA
December 5, 2005

David Gage explored how siblings become partners in their family's philanthropic activities and the challenges they face.

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 International Management Consultants, DC Chapter
“ Being Ben & Jerry: How Successful Business Partners Do It”
Washington, DC
November 10, 2005

David Gage discussed the role of preparation and planning in creating successful partnerships.

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Maryland Psychological Association Fall Conference
“ Working with Families Facing Transition: Mediating Family Estate-Planning Meetings”
Towson, MD
October 28, 2005

David Gage and Edward Kopf conducted a workshop on the role of psychologists in collaborative estate planning.

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 Family Firm Institute Annual Conference
“Holistic Estate Planning: Involving and Preparing the Next Generation”
Chicago, IL
October 20, 2005

David Gage joined with two leading experts on issues of family and wealth, Olivia Boyce-Abel and Thayer Willis, to discuss the role of the next generation in estate planning.

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 Susquehanna Valley Estate Planning Council
“ Holistic Estate Planning and ‘Accidental Partners,’” Half-day seminar
Lewisburg, PA
September 21, 2005

This was another in the series of luncheon keynotes that David Gage is presenting to regional estate planning councils. He explored ways in which an inclusive, holistic approach to estate planning can improve the experience and outcome of the process for both older and younger generations.

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  The Estate Planning Council of the Upper Ohio Valley
“Holistic Estate Planning and ‘Accidental Partners’”
Wheeling, WVA
September 15, 2005

David Gage made this presentation on collaborative approaches to estate planning.

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 CPAmerica Conference
“ The Benefits Of Discovering Personal Values”
Las Vegas, NV
August 20, 2005

David Gage conducted this workshop on the uses of Personal Value testing for CPAs in their own partnerships and their practices.

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 International Council for Small Business World Conference
“Entrepreneurial Partners: How To Make It Work Well Using the Partnership Charter Process”
Washington, D.C.
June 2005

David Gage discussed the Partnership Charter process and led a discussion of applications of the technique in Third World economies.

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 Mercer County Estate Planning Council
"Holistic Estate Planning for Developing More Successful Estate Plans"
Princeton, NJ,
May 25, 2005

This was another in the series of luncheon keynotes that David Gage is presenting to regional estate planning councils. He explored ways in which an inclusive, holistic approach to estate planning can improve the experience and outcome of the process for both older and younger generations.

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 The National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys' 35th Semi-Annual Conference
“Collaborative Family Estate Planning” 
Indianapolis, IN
March 13, 2005

David Gage made this presentation on collaborative approaches to estate planning.

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  American Women in Radio & Television
" Workplace Conflict Management: The Art of Turning Lemons into Lemonade"
Washington, DC
February 25, 2005

Ed Kopf spoke at the AWRT Leadership Summit on practical ways in which managers can change conflict into collaboration at all levels of an organization (including employees, managers, owners and directors.)

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