Wellsprings of Work

Samuel "Skip" Halpern brings a unique set of perspectives and experiences to the subject of meaningful work.After earning an undergraduate degree at Brown University in an interdisciplinary program of philosophy, psychology, religion, and political science, he graduated from law school and then embarked on a nearly 50-year career in investing, law, and business. His work life haslargely revolved around protecting pension and health benefits for a wide range of workers, from airline pilots to Broadway stagehands, from professional athletes in baseball, hockey, and tennis to steelworkers, teamsters, auto workers, and others. He has advised U.S. governmentagencies, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and investment organizations sponsored by the governments of China, Thailand, Brunei, and Sri Lanka.Halpern began his career as a litigation lawyer, dealing with fiduciary responsibility in investing pension and healthcare fund assets. Shifting gears, he then helped launch an investment consulting subsidiary of the broker dealer and investment bank, Bear, Stearns & Co. He anda business partner eventually acquired the firm, renaming it Independent Fiduciary Services, Inc., and, after 15 years, sold it to a much larger, publicly traded company.Still finding "meaning and motivation" in his work, he now serves as an expert witness in litigation involving pension and 401(k) investments and provides ongoing advice to the National Hockey League Players Association on their defined benefit pension fund. Visit his site at PrudentExpertLLC.com.He earned his undergraduate humanities degree at Brown University, attended the London School of Economics and earned his law degree at The George Washington University National Law Center in Washington, DC. His thinking is influenced by extensive personal and business travel, including East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin and South America.He and his wife, Barbara, live just outside Luray, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, a couple hours' drive outside of Washington, DC. They both are engaged with local, state, and national politics, lots of outdoor activities, and a network of friends and family. You can reach him by email through the website for this book, wellspringsofwork.com, or at skiphalpern@outlook.com.