Christine Goodson Forakis

Christine Goodson Forakis is a fourth generation Arizona native who is the founder and senior attorney of The Forakis Law Firm, PLC. Her family has been practicing estate planning in Arizona for over 45 years. She has over 17 years of experience in her field and is currently of counsel to the firm of Goodson, Manley, Forakis PLC. Her firm specializes in complex estate planning, business law, asset protection, charitable, and tax planning. The firm's clients represent some of the wealthiest families in Arizona including, athletes, politicians, farmers, business owners, and non-profit corporations.

Christine was a co-host for the weekly radio show Creating Your Family Dynasty on channel 1310 AM. She is a frequent public speaker for various groups including the National Business Institute, The Women's Chamber of Commerce, The Arizona Real Estate Investors Association, The Arizona Naturopathic Institute, the Society of Financial Service Professionals and many others.

She started her career as corporate counsel for Eastern Airlines, Inc. She is a member of the Arizona Bar Association, Section of Trusts and Estates. She is also a member of the Florida Bar. In the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Christine clerked under the Honorable Ungaro-Benages and was a Judicial Clerkship Scholarship recipient, one of two selected to receive a Judicial Stipend in Dade County, Florida in 1991.

Christine received her Juris Doctor degree in May 1992 from the University of Miami School of Law. During law school, she was elected to offices on two Law Reviews. She was Research and Writing Editor of Entertainment and Sports Law Review and Articles and Comments Editor of Business Law Journal. She has written numerous articles on estate and business planning.

Christine’s family has a long history in Arizona. Her great grandfather, Dr. F.G. Angeny, founded the Deaconess Hospital, which later became Good Samaritan Hospital. Her grandfather, J. Melvin Goodson, served as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Arizona, ran for governor of the state, and retired as President and Chairman of the Board of Arizona Refining Company.

Christine's charitable endeavors include being a member of the Board of Directors for the MMERCI, Inc. for over 14 years, which does equestrian therapy for abused teenage girls in the Prescott Mountains. She has formed numerous foundations and non-profit corporations for her clients and is the founding member of The Charitable Institute, LLC in Phoenix, Arizona and the Preventive Law Institute with her father John Goodson, who has been practicing estate planning in Arizona for over 45 years.

She was the Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Greater Phoenix Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and was the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Non-Profit, People Investing in People for two terms. She is a member of Le Tip International, The Camelback Corridor and is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and has served on many other boards and organizations in Arizona.

Recent seminars that she has given include the following:

• Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association’s “Asset Protection for Doctors” — Spring 2007 Convention
• National Business Institute’s — “Cutting-Edge Asset Protection Skills and Techniques” seminar, October 27^th, 2008
• The Medicare Supplement Leadership Conference “Estate and Asset Protection,” from October 8^th to 11^th, 2008
• National Business Institute’s — “Estate Planning Basics” seminar, November 26^th, 2007
• National Business Institute’s — “Making the Best Use of Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts” seminar, May 12^th, 2008
• National Business Institute’s — “LLC Trends and Developments” seminar, September 17^th, 2008
• Phoenix Women’s Chamber of Commerce seminar “Protecting your Assets,” in May 2008
• Society of Financial Service Professionals Seminar — “Mom and Pop are Ready to Retire, But is Their Money Ready Too” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 22^nd, 2008