Building and Protecting Generational Wealth
The flagship talk.
- The core documents every adult needs and what each one does
- How probate drains an inheritance and how to avoid it
- The first steps to take this month
Keynote, workshop or employee session
“Families rarely lose wealth to bad investments. They lose it to missing paperwork and conversations nobody had.”
Portia M. Wood, Esq., estate planning attorney and founder
Portia Wood is an attorney licensed in California and Maryland who makes the most avoided topic in personal finance clear enough to act on. She founded Wood Legal Group, the Legacy Wealth Institute and DynasticAI, and she lives in Coimbra, Portugal.
Seen and heard on Good Morning America, MSNBC, ABC, Pod Save the People, Black Enterprise, Rolling Out, Authority Magazine
Watch Portia
At the Global Woman Summit in London, Portia tells the story of her ancestor Enoch George Howard, who was born enslaved, bought his freedom and his family's, and came to own the land he once worked.
Ownership creates opportunity, but legacy creates lasting change.
Global Woman Summit, London. Watch on Instagram
Three ways to bring Portia to your audience
Reporters on deadline
A licensed attorney who explains wills, trusts, probate, heirs' property and family wealth in quotable, plain language. Same-day comment is often possible.
Stages, panels and campuses
Keynotes, panels, workshops, employee sessions and commencement addresses for companies, associations, universities and community organizations.
Podcasts, radio and TV
Warm, story-driven and clear about what listeners should do next. Records virtually from Portugal in any time zone.
What she talks about
Every topic ends with something the audience can do this week.
- Wills, trusts and the documents every adult needs
What each document does, what it costs not to have one, and the first step to take this week.
- Probate and trust administration
What happens after a death, step by step, and how probate drains an inheritance.
- Heirs' property and family homes
How families lose a home or land after a parent dies, and what keeps it in the family.
- Generational wealth and the racial wealth gap
Why wealth does or does not pass down, and the structures that change the outcome.
- Aging parents, caregiving and the money conversation
Powers of attorney, health care directives and how to start the talk.
- Protecting children if a parent can't
Naming a guardian, trusts for minors and the decisions parents put off.
- AI and family wealth
What AI tools get right and wrong about an estate plan, from an attorney who founded an AI wealth company.
- Building a life and legacy abroad
Americans moving to Portugal, planning across borders, and raising a family in a new country.
- Women founders and legacy businesses
Building companies in law, education and technology as a single mother, and planning for what outlasts you.
Signature talks
How Families Lose Property, and How to Keep It
The story behind her Rolling Out feature.
- How heirs' property and informal planning cost families homes and land
- Why a home without a plan can end up in court
- What keeps property in the family
Keynote, conference or community program
What Legacy Will You Leave Behind?
For commencements, convocations and milestone events.
- Why legacy is built in ordinary decisions, not only in wealth
- What a lawyer learns about families at the hardest moments
- One decision every graduate can make this year
Commencement, convocation or keynote
Also available: Protecting Your Children If You Can't, Legacy Starts at 18 for young adults and new earners, Family Wealth in the Age of AI for fintech and advisor audiences, and Building a Legacy Business for founders and women's leadership events. Every talk is tailored to the audience. See every format
Trusted in the rooms that matter
212
audience responses collected through Talkadot. 100% rated the session valuable.
- Microsoft
- Visa
- The Links, Incorporated
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (BBAAC Financial Fortitude)
- Center for Urban Families
- Maternal Mental Health NOW
Named a Top 40 Under 40 attorney by the National Black Lawyers for nine consecutive years. Former adjunct professor, Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law.
“This is everything! We are given actual tools to implement real change in our lives.”
“This session will change your life and your pockets.”
“Thank you for not being a gatekeeper!”
The work behind the voice
Portia speaks from four businesses she built and runs.
Wood Legal GroupVirtual estate planning, probate and trust administration firm, founded 2018.
Legacy Wealth InstitutePlain-English generational wealth education for families.
DynasticAIAn AI-powered private wealth platform for families.
Portia In PortugalEducation and relocation support for Americans moving to Portugal.
Put Portia at the top of your list
For events, include the date, audience and format. For press, include your outlet and deadline.