Joseph Tombs

Joseph Tombs has thirty years of experience in various aspects of law and financial planning. He started his career as a tax and estate planning attorney. Joe has served on the full-time faculties of four universities: University of Georgia, University of Louisiana, Georgia State University, and Texas Tech University and as an adjunct professor at University of Southern Virginia, Kaplan University, and Lubbock Christian University. Joe served as an Associate Vice President of First Colony Life Insurance Company and Director of Advanced Marketing at GE Financial Assurance. Joe has developed a specialty in planning for the recipients of tort settlements and is a founding member at Amicus Financial Advisors, LLC and Tombs Maxwell LLP.

Education:

• J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, 1988, Concentration in tax and estate planning
• M.B.A., Texas Tech University, 1988
• Post-graduate Study in Insurance, Finance and Economics, University of Georgia, 1990-1994
• M.S. in Financial Services, College for Financial Planning, 1994
• B.B.A. in Finance, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, 1985

Certifications/Licenses:

• Attorney, licensed in Texas since 1989
• Registered Settlement Planner (RSP) since 2016
• Certified Financial Planner^TM (CFP^®) since 1992
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) since 1996
• Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) since 1995
• Associate in Risk Management (ARM) since 1995

Professional Experience:

• Amicus Financial Advisors, LLC, Partner and Financial Planner (2004-Present)
• Tombs Maxwell LLP, Partner and Attorney at Law (2009-Present)
• Amicus Settlement Planners, LLC, Partner and Settlement Planner (2004-Present)
• Lubbock Christian University, Adjunct Professor of Financial Planning (2012-2013)
• Texas Tech University, Adjunct Professor of Financial Planning (2006-2010)
• Texas Tech University, Assistant Professor of Financial Planning (2000-2005)
• GE Financial Assurance, Associate Vice President and Director of Advanced Marketing (1998-2000)
• Georgia State University, Assistant Professor of Financial Planning (1995-1998)
• Tombs, Moody & Clontz, LLP, Founding Partner and Financial Planner (1996-1998)
• University of Southwestern Louisiana, Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics (1994-1995)
• University of Georgia, Instructor of Insurance (1990-1994)
• Shannon, Porter, Johnson & Pfluger, Tax and Estate Planning Attorney (1988-1990)

Professional Service:

• Registry of Settlement Planners Board – (President, 2008-2014)
• Settlement Planning Education Center (President, 2014-Present)
• Society of Settlement Planners – (President, 2009; 2016-2018) (Vice President, 2008), (Education Chair, 2007)
• South Plains Trial Lawyers Association – (President, 2008, Secretary/Treasurer 2007, 2009-Present)
• CFP^® Board of Examiners – Audit Committee Member and Content Expert

Publications:

• “Protecting the Settlement Recovery: Planning Options for Settlement Recipients and their Attorneys,” (with Gregory B. Maxwell), Utah Trial Journal, Spring/Summer, 26-30, 2010.
• “Slowing the Dissipation of Life Insurance and Annuity Death Benefits,” (with David M. Cordell), Journal of Financial Planning, December, 21.5, 34-37, 2008.
• “Easing College Graduates’ Transition into the Financial Planning Profession,” (with Joseph W. Goetz and Vickie Hampton), Financial Services Review, 14, 231-251, 2005.
• “Planning Considerations for Personal Injury Settlement Recipients,” (with David M. Cordell), Journal of Financial Planning, 18.1, 26-28, 2005.
• “Putting the Client First: Fees and Commissions in Variable Annuities,” (with David M. Cordell), Journal of Financial Planning, 18.9, 40-43, 2005.
• The Effect of Product Line Focus on Insurer Stock Returns, (with Robert E. Hoyt), Proceedings of the International Insurance Association Annual Meeting, 331-337, 1994.

Presentations at Professional Meetings: (A sampling of over 100)

• “Handling Complex Financial Problems that Arise at Settlement” South Plains Trial Lawyers Association, Lubbock TX, Nov. 2016.
• “Integrating Holistic Settlement Planning into QSF Administration” 6th Annual Evolve QSF Conference, Memphis, TN, Nov. 2016.
• “Use of Structured Settlement Annuities and Special Needs Trusts in Settlement Planning” Joint Session of the Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting and Academy of Special Needs Planners Annual Meeting, Tucson, March 2016
• “Comprehensive Settlement Planning: Unique Ideas, Tools & Practices” Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting, Tucson, March 2016
• “QSF Team: Who Sets the Roster?” 5th Annual Evolve QSF Conference, Memphis, TN, Nov. 2015.
• “QSFs in Settlement Planning” 4th Annual Evolve QSF Conference, Memphis, TN, November 2014.
• “Reimagining Settlement Planning” Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting, New Orleans, April 2014
• “Liability Medicare Set-Asides” Complex Lien Resolution in Personal Injury Settlements, National Business Institute, Dallas, TX, December 12, 2013.
• “Financial Settlement Planning” Special Needs Alliance Annual Meeting, October, 2013.
• “Financial Planning for Tort Victims” Annual Continuing Education Seminar, SLC Financial Planning Association, Salt Lake City, UT, 2012.
• “Settlement Planning for Minors” Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting, Washington DC, May 2010.
• “State of the Art in Settlement Planning” Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting, Washington DC, April 2009.
• “When Everything You Have Been Taught is Wrong: Why Financial Planners Botch Settlement Planning,” DFW Financial Planning Association – Planning Symposium, Dallas, April 2008.
• “Financial Settlement Planning,” 2nd Annual Meeting of Academy of Special Needs Planners, New Orleans, LA, March 2008.
• “Dissipation Risk in Settlement Planning” and “How we Perform Settlement Planning at Amicus,” Society of Settlement Planners Annual Meeting, Washington DC, March 2008.
• “Settlements: What’s Taxable and What Isn’t?” Texas State Bar Consumer and Commercial Law Course, Houston, Texas, September 2007.
• “Measuring, Predicting and Managing Dissipation Risk in Settlement Planning.” Society of Settlement Planners Midyear Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, September 2007.
• “Convincing Attorneys to Recommend Structured Settlements.” National Structured Settlement Trade Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, April 2007.
• “Enough is NEVER Enough: Using a Net Recovery to Sustain a Brain Injured Child.” Utah Trial Lawyers Association Brain Injury Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 2007.
• “Taxation of Personal Injury Settlements.” Texas Tech University Tax Institute, Lubbock Texas, October 2006.