The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law is a prestigious body that comprises leading estate and trusts lawyers from civilian and common law jurisdictions around the globe. Its membership - all experts in trusts, estate and inheritance law, and/or tax law - includes solicitors, barristers, notaires, judges, and law professors. The group's proceedings manifest a comparative approach, offering perspectives on issues of direct and immediate concern for both civil and common law jurisdictions.

This volume records the May 2000 week-long conference in Berlin, which focused on four main topics:

This volume, the second published by Kluwer Law International, continues to engage the deep interest of researchers, academics, practitioners, law reform bodies, governmental groups and their advisers working in this complex and varied field of law. It makes available to a wide audience the analyses of academic and professional leaders on topics of immediate relevance.