Lunch Time General Session – A View From The Bench – Planning & Investment Management

Donovan Filpi is a Wealth Management Advisor and First Vice President with the Special Needs Team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Donovan works closely with clients in Orange County and San Diego, developing customized strategies to help them identify their life goals and pursue those objectives with clarity and resolve. He enjoys developing long-term relationships that attest to his deep-seated interest in the comfort and well-being of clients, their family members, and community.

Donovan has worked in financial services since 2005 and joined Merrill Lynch in 2006. He earned his B.A. in Psychology with a specialization in Business from UCLA. Donovan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He also holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning. He is also a recipient of the prestigious David Brady* award bestowed upon the Merrill employee who goes beyond expectations in his dedication to clients. Donovan also holds the Chartered Special Needs Counselor® designation.

Donovan lives in Vista, California, with his wife Jessica and their three children Luca, Gianni and Julie.

Paul Bartschi is a Senior Financial Advisor and Vice President at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Paul works closely with trust attorneys and fiduciaries in the Greater Los Angeles area, helping them better serve their clients by developing customized financial roadmaps that reflect each client’s unique needs and priorities. He is skilled in anticipating critical decision points in a client’s financial life, assembling the information and resources that facilitate informed analysis and cohesive tactics. A clear communicator, Paul enjoys unwinding complexity, assisting clients in developing a more purposeful path forward. Paul began his wealth management career in 2001 at Morgan Stanley. Four years later, he moved to Merrill. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from California State University, Sacramento, and his M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from California Lutheran University. Paul is proud to be part of the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list, (published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year), 2024 and 2023 as a member of The Special Needs Team.

Paul lives in Camarillo, California, with his wife Sarah and their daughters, Ashley, Briana, and Isabella. A committed volunteer, Paul supports various charitable organizations and serves in his ecclesiastical leadership. He is a former board member and chairman of the Boys and Girls Club of Camarillo. In his free time, he enjoys boating and motorcycle riding.

Judge Ana Maria Luna has served as a bench officer in the Los Angeles County since 1992. She holds undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish from the University of California, Irvine. She received her juris doctorate degree from the University of Southern California Gould Law School in 1984. Before joining the bench in 1992, Judge Luna practiced as a family law attorney and as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County. Judge Luna has extensive experience in handling family law matters involving issues of child custody, support and property division. Since 2020, Judge Luna has handled a probate calendar where she manages estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship cases including long cause trials. She has lectured to bar associations and professional organizations including best practices as to case management and evidentiary hearings.

Judge Lund currently serves as the Presiding Probate Judge handling all probate, trust, conservatorship and guardianship of the person and estate cases in Ventura. He was appointed Superior Court Judge by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in December 2009. Judge Lund was named 2022 Judge of the Year by the Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Lund was in private practice for 13 years, handling wills, trusts, probates, conservatorships and guardianships, and also served as a Probate Referee Assistant to Gregory R. Gose, California Probate Referee, assisting in the valuation of all kinds of probate estate assets.