"Best of" 55th Annual Chesapeake Tax Conference

Practice Areas

Business Law, Estates, Trusts & Probate, Tax Law

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Chair of Stein Sperling’s nationally regarded tax law group, David De Jong is a recognized and highly sought industry authority with more than 45 years of experience. Raised in Montgomery County, David always intended to practice law in his “home town”. He has been instrumental in maintaining Stein Sperling’s collegial, small-firm feel while helping its tax department grow into a regional powerhouse.

David has a gift for putting himself in his clients’ shoes to gain a deep understanding of their tax-related concerns. He works hand-in-hand with them, providing first-rate representation and solutions customized to individual circumstances. David’s confidence and experience give his clients peace of mind that their tax matters – big and small – are in the right hands. David brings a high level of expertise, creativity, sound judgment and personal attention to helping solve his clients’ tax, estate and business matters.

Coauthor for 16 years of J.K. Lasser’s book, Year-Round Tax Strategies, David has been quoted frequently in a variety of publications including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has testified as an expert witness more than 50 times in tax, estate, business valuation and income matters and is an often requested speaker before industry groups throughout the country. Trained in collaborative law and mediation, David is available to assist divorcing and other disputing parties in resolution of those differences.

David is an integral part of many professional groups including the American Academy of Attorney-CPAs, of which he served as National President and received a prominent award for lifetime service to the organization. The Bar Association of Montgomery County recognized David as an Honorary Life Bar Leader for his many years of committed service. He is an adjunct professor at Washington & Lee University where he teaches an annual two-week intensive course in business transactions.

Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Estate Administration; Business Planning; Tax Controversies; Tax Law

Admitted: 1994, Maryland; 1996, U.S. Tax Court; 2001, U.S. Supreme Court

Law School: Howard University, J.D.

Member: Maryland State and American Bar Associations; Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants; American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants.

Biography: Phi Delta Phi (Treasurer, 1992 – 1993, President, 1993 – 1994). Certified Public Accountant, Maryland, 1987. Author: “Advising Clients on the New Tax Legislation,” 11 The Practical Tax Lawyer No. 1, Fall 1996; “The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997,” 12 The Practical Tax Lawyer, No. 1, Fall 1997. Lecturer of Law, Estate and Gift Taxation and Estate Planning, Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America, 2002.

Affiliations: Maryland State and American Bar Associations; Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants; American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants. Lecturer of Law, Estate and Gift Taxation and Estate Planning, Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America.

Licenses: Certified Public Accountant, Maryland, 1987.

Publications: “Advising Clients on the New Tax Legislation,” 11 The Practical Tax Lawyer No. 1, Fall 1996; “The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997,” 12 The Practical Tax Lawyer, No. 1, Fall 1997.

Mr. Schabes is an experienced tax and corporate attorney. He has extensive dealings on an array of tax controversy matters with the IRS on a national and international level, as well as with various state tax authorities. Most recently, he has been assisting clients on an array of tax matters under the CARES Act, including matters related to the Employee Retention Credit.

His vision and deep understanding of how clients can benefit from cutting-edge tax planning and structures for domestic and in-bound transactional matters is opening new doors for clients seeking innovative tax counsel and new business opportunities.

Mr. Schabes represents clients in complex business matters. His many successes include negotiation of countless mergers, acquisitions, management buyouts and sales to – and from – private equity and other joint venture-related entities.

Experienced in virtually all aspects of tax litigation at both the federal and state level, Mr. Schabes has taken the lead in many tax controversy cases involving the IRS and various state taxing authorities. These include IRS examinations and appellate matters involving income tax, excise tax and employment tax, as well as worker classification issues. His clients operate in widely diverse industries, including aviation, credit card, trucking and transportation, logistics, health care, real estate, hospitality, entertainment and the not-for–profit/exempt sectors.

Mr. Schabes has a successful track record of resolving disputes at all levels of the IRS. With many years of experience dealing with the IRS Collection Division on a national level, he is known for his determination in negotiating and resolving IRS tax assessments for both domestic and international based corporations, including Fortune 100 entities, limited liability companies, trusts and estates, entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and individuals. Once a tax liability is imposed, Mr. Schabes helps clients navigate numerous payment and priority issues. Such issues include the erroneous issuance of IRS tax liens and levies, and their subsequent release and withdrawal.

Recent economic conditions are prompting many clients to seek Mr. Schabes' counsel to handle tax workout situations involving large tax liabilities and abatement of various penalty and interest-related matters. He represents corporate and business directors, officers and employees who are confronting Trust Fund Recovery Penalty matters and similar issues at the state and local level. He provides legal counsel to both domestic and non-U.S.-based clients on participation in various voluntary compliance and amnesty-based programs, including the FBAR filing rules.

Mr. Schabes continues to serve as special tax counsel to several global companies, assisting them with numerous IRS and other regulatory and compliance-related issues, including those uniquely applicable under the federal excise tax provisions. He helps secure significant tax refunds for business clients and is often involved in groundbreaking federal excise tax matters such as those affecting various airlines and charter companies.

In addition to his involvement in various legal and aviation industry associations, Mr. Schabes is active in an array of charitable and community activities. He currently serves as a board member of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

Beth Shapiro Kaufman is a Partner in the Washington D.C. office of the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler, practicing in the areas of estate planning, estate, gift and

generation-skipping tax, and income taxation of trusts and estates. At Lowenstein, Ms. Kaufman is the National Chair of the Private Client Services Group, where she assists wealthy

individuals with their estate planning and tax controversies. She also advises lawyers and other professionals on complex issues regarding estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes in both planning and audit contexts. She is frequently retained by counsel to advocate a taxpayer's position before the Internal Revenue Service, and has been particularly active in obtaining

relief for failed generation-skipping transfer tax exemption allocations. From 1995 to 2001, Ms. Kaufman was an Associate Tax Legislative Counsel in the U.S. Treasury Department’s

Office of Tax Policy. In that capacity, she was responsible for estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax issues, as well as income tax issues relating to trusts and estates. Ms. Kaufman is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, where she currently chairs the Estate and Gift Tax Committee and serves on the Board of Regents. Ms. Kaufman received her B.A. from Pomona College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Mr. Schaufele is in his thirteenth year with the State of Maryland. Beginning in 2022, Andy welcomed his new position serving as the Chief Deputy Comptroller of Maryland;

effectively operating as the COO for the Maryland State Comptroller, overseeing the financial functions that form the backbone of the State’s financial system. This system

interacts with more than 6 million Marylanders, 3 million households, more than 300 thousand businesses, and every level of government.

Prior to this role, Andy served as the Director of the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, effectively operating as the State’s Chief Economist, and working across the State’s non-judicial branches of

government in the formulation of economic, revenue, and budget projections. Andy also played a key role in debt management, including determinations of affordability and frequent

presentations to the major rating agencies. Andy has served as a champion for data usage in State government, ushering in the Comptroller’s data warehouse and leveraging that data for

business improvement, policy intelligence, tax compliance, public transparency, and best-in-the-nation fraud detection.

Before joining the Comptroller’s Office, Andy spent seven years in various private sector management positions, working in both consumer and commercial-oriented product lines. Andy holds a bachelor’s degree from Towson University, where he studied management and economics, and a Master of Business Administration from the joint University of Baltimore and Towson University program. He is a proud Baltimore native and currently lives in Severna Park, Maryland with his wife, daughter, and son.

VP - Brand Ambassador - Drake Software, Franklin, North Carolina, United States

CPA with over 20 years experience in both public accounting and private industry.

Experience

Drake Software

VP

September 2023 - Present (11 months)

Drake Software

25 years

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

May 2021 - 2023 (2 years)

Franklin, NC

VP Strategic Development

May 1998 - October 2021 (23 years 6 months)

I've been involved in the tax software industry in one capacity or another since 1993.

Deloitte

Tax Specialist

1988 - 1990 (2 years)

Deloitte Haskins & Sells

Education

Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee

Executive MBA, Strategic Leadership · (January 2021 - December 2021)

Oral Roberts University

BS, Accounting · (1982 - 1986)

Edward K. Zollars, CPA, is an author, CPE instructor with Kaplan Financial Education and a partner in the CPA firm of Thomas, Zollars & Lynch, Ltd. He has 41 years of public practice experience, specializing in closely held business and individual tax issues. Ed has both tax and technology expertise and produces a weekly tax podcast in these areas. He also writes tax development articles that have appeared in various tax publications and is the primary author on the Current Federal Tax Developments website. Ed served on AICPA tax division committees and has spoken at conferences for the AICPA and several state CPA societies.

Jane Ochsman Rowny, CPA, CFP®, CDFA®, is a life transition financial planner. She focuses her practice on providing divorce support, financial and tax planning, and wealth management to individuals. Jane helps clients transition through life’s significant changes toward the realization of their goals. She listens, supports, and guides her clients to make informed decisions about their finances.

Key decisions include changes in financial circumstances due to divorce, marriage, retirement, the death of a spouse, inheritance, plans to start a family, saving for college and strategic investment management. Jane helps clients understand the possibilities and evaluate their options, and guides them towards sound financial decisions A specialist in delivering creative solutions for financial challenges, Jane has more than 25 years of experience that includes expertise in divorce and prenuptial financial planning, financial planning, investment advisory services and individual tax planning and compliance.

As a director of Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM)’s divorce finance and litigation support services, Jane guides clients from initial inquiries through the completion of a divorce and beyond. She provides as prenuptial and nuptial financial planning. Her expertise encompasses collaborative divorce, mediation, litigation support and expert witness testimony. Jane has assisted with negotiations in several hundred divorce matters and is qualified as an expert in Montgomery and Howard counties in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Fairfax County in Virginia.

Jane loves to be outdoors and active, from playing tennis, golf, pickleball to skiing the slopes in Colorado and Utah. Her most notable outdoor activity, though, is hiking, having traversed sections of the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal, the W Trek in Patagonia, old Inca trails to Machu Picchu and the magnificent trails in many U.S. national parks. She’s passionate about

conservation and the environment and has participated in a conservation safari in Africa that focused on elephant and lion migration and health. When at home, Jane loves spending time with her family, friends and cats, and enjoys cooking and gardening.

Combining more than 15 years of experience in the accounting profession, with most focused specifically on divorce financial planning, litigation/forensic accounting and tax advisory, Jordan P. Egert, CPA, CFE, CDFA®, brings a keen eye and an empathetic approach to find results for his clients. In doing so, he creates peace of mind and a genuine sense of accomplishment through forensic accounting, divorce litigation, and tax advisory and planning engagements.

Jordan, a partner and director of divorce and litigation services at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM), works with clients on various disputed matters to help them meet their financial goals and aspirations – including collaborative disputes. His aptitude for practical problem-solving helps clients develop and execute plans for strategic cash flow, asset tracking and projections, lifestyle budgeting, tax and retirement projections, asset and liability division, spending analysis, asset identification, and alimony and child support. His experience also includes tax planning and advisory for individuals and he has assisted with numerous cancellations of debt tax matters as they relate to real estate assets (backed by both recourse and non-recourse debt instruments).

Jordan is a certified public accountant who also carries the certified divorce financial analyst and certified fraud examiner designations, which have led him to become a qualified expert witness for divorce and financial matters. His knowledge qualifies him to appear before courts as a financial expert throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia regarding forensic accounting, divorce financial planning and tax matters, but Jordan assists clients in court matters wherever they need support.

Jordan takes pride in ensuring his clients understand every step of the divorce and litigation process, following his mantra that a client interaction shouldn’t be just about the numbers and conclusions but about developing and embracing a professional relationship. He often shares his expertise by speaking on divorce and financial-related topics throughout the region and serving as treasurer of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia.

He finds inspiration outdoors, where he frequently can be found hiking, biking, running and trekking. Jordan is a life long tennis player and one of Florida’s top competitive pickle ball player. He also has a passion for classic vehicles and spends much of his free time collecting and reselling cars he works on himself.

Professional Qualifications and Education

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Qualified Financial Expert, Maryland and the District of Columbia
• Greater Washington Society of CPAs Margaret Deboe Leadership Program (Graduate, 2020)
• B.S. Accounting and Finance, University of Central Florida
• MBA Accounting and Business Administration, Florida Atlantic University

Professional Associations and Activities

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) (Member)
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (Member)
• Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia (Member, Treasurer)
• Florida Institute of CPAs (Member)
• Maryland Association of CPAs (Member)
• Virginia Collaborative Professionals (Member)

Principal at Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Experience

Grant Thornton Advisors LLC

Principal

June 2024 - Present (3 months)

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Grant Thornton (US)

21 years 2 months

Senior Manager

July 2003 - Present (21 years 2 months)

I work in the Washington National Tax Office of Grant Thornton LLP located in Washington, D.C., specializing in compensation and benefits. I track new

legislation and guidance, and advises Grant Thornton’s offices and clients with respect to tax issues that impact compensation and employee benefits.

I recently authored an article in the Journal of Taxation, and coauthored articles in Tax Analysts, the Journal of Accountancy, and The Tax Adviser.

I recently spoke at the AICPA National Conference on Employee Benefit Plans, the AICPA National Tax Conference and the American Bar Association

Tax Section Conference.

Partner

July 2017 - June 2024 (7 years)

Washington, District Of Columbia

Education

West Virginia University

Master's degree, Professional Accountancy · (2002 - 2003)

West Virginia University

BA, Accounting · (1998 - 2002)

Dr. Daraius Irani serves as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research at  Towson University. In this role, he fosters the development of partnerships between business, government, and education that contribute to the economic vitality of the greater Baltimore region.

For over 25 years, Irani has served in several senior leadership roles at Towson University. As vice president, Irani provides leadership and management to over 70 highly-skilled professionals who work on campus and in state agencies across the state. Collectively, his teams work to open the doors of the university to solve pressing problems, further community collaboration, expand learning opportunities, and generate economic development.

Irani is committed to Towson University and has set priorities that reflect that commitment. These include working to better integrate the Division into the University; advancing Towson University’s reputation as a leader in applied research, education, and entrepreneurship; and making positive impacts through university-community partnerships.

Additionally, Irani serves as chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) at Towson University, a policy group providing economic, fiscal impact, and policy analysis to state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector firms. During his tenure at RESI, Irani has managed and served as lead economist on well over 500 research and analysis projects. He also has produced over 250 economic and fiscal impact statements for a diverse portfolio of clients.

Irani is often called upon to provide economic presentations to organizations across Maryland. He has appeared on CNN, the Marc Steiner show, WYPR’s Midday, and Maryland Public Television’s Business Connection. He is often quoted in articles published by Maryland Daily Record, Baltimore Business Journal, The Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post.

Education

Dr. Irani holds a Ph.D. in economics from University of California, Santa Barbara; a M.A. in business economics from University of California, Santa Barbara; and a B.A. in economics from University of California, San Diego.

Personal

Dr. Irani is an avid bicyclist and golfer.