The Advanced Tax Institute exists to help high-performing lawyers and CPAs bring the best advice to their clients and their firms. Access in-depth updates on NEW tax laws and regulations across a variety of focus areas.
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Eric J. Rollinger Principal
Tax law attorney and Certified Public Accountant Eric Rollinger is a multifaceted member of Stein Sperling’s nationally recognized tax litigation and controversy team. He takes great pride in having successfully settled hundreds of disputes with the IRS and state taxing authorities. Eric brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his clients’ cases. Detail-oriented and practical, Eric provides each client with an informed course of action structured around the unique aspects of the case. He recognizes that financial concerns often keep clients up at night and, maintaining open lines of communication at all times, he works hard to resolve their cases efficiently and optimally.
As a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF) and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA), tax controversy and litigation support cases especially appeal to Eric, and he frequently provides relevant support in the areas of income analysis, tracing, tax consequences of marital awards, corporate structures, business valuation and financial forensics. Eric is actively involved in many professional organizations both on national and state levels, staying current with evolving tax laws and regulations. He has co-authored articles on maximizing deductible expenses and implications of tax incentive challenges in the Journal of State Taxation and MACPA Statement magazines.
Peter Haukebo, Esq. is a tax attorney and a Partner in the Special Credits practice group at Frost Law. Since 2020, Peter has leveraged his background in tax and corporate law to work with business owners throughout the U.S. to help them claim much-needed relief from PPP, EIDL, and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). His familiarity with the ever-changing tax code and recent legislation allows him to provide second opinions for businesses even if they already filed a claim so that the business owner can properly maximize their tax credits received. His efforts have helped inform hundreds of business owners on the intricacies of ERC and allowed many to claim significant refundable tax credits.
Peter’s other tax and business law experience focuses on the areas of tax controversy, tax planning, and business transactions. He also manages a team of attorneys and oversees the Legal Innovation Department at the law firm. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, he practiced at Chaney | Haukebo LLP.
Education
Speakers: Eric J. Rollinger, JD, MPA, CPA, CVA, MAFF, Senior Equity Principal, Stein Sperling Attorneys at Law and J. Peter Haukebo, Esq., Partner, Co-Chair of Special Tax Credits, Frost Law
Stay informed on latest IRS trends and procedures that impact tax compliance and reporting. This session will cover past and current IRS operations and procedures including a look at the Employee Retention Tax Credit. Ideal for tax professionals and advisors, this presentation will equip you with the knowledge needed to understand and navigate the evolving tax landscape effectively.
Brian O'Connor is co-chair of Venable's Transactional Tax Group.
Brian provides sophisticated tax and business advice to publicly traded and closely held businesses and their owners. His practice focuses on foreign and domestic tax matters for partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, both C and S corporations, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and regulated investment companies (RICs). He is also regularly consulted by wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs on federal and state income tax matters and federal estate and gift tax issues.
As a transactional tax attorney, Brian works on transactions ranging from small sales transactions to merger or acquisition transactions in the billions of dollars. Similarly, as a tax controversy attorney, he has represented both individual clients in small audit matters and publicly traded corporate clients in tax disputes with amounts at issue in excess of $1 billion.
Before joining Venable, Brian was an attorney-advisor for the Office of Chief Counsel at the IRS, where he worked on high-profile legislative projects, regulations, and other published guidance related to partnerships, S corporations, trusts, common trust funds, and cooperatives.
His valuable experience and continuing connections with the government, when combined with his significant private practice experience, permit Brian to provide unique insights to his clients, both large and small, on important tax and business issues.
Liz Stieff focuses her practice on tax advisory and planning matters for domestic entities and individuals. Liz regularly provides transactional tax advice on a range of matters, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, private equity transactions, and fund formation. She also works with clients on business formation and operational issues, including choice of entity, capital raises, equity incentive planning, and the like. In addition, she has experience working with clients to structure investments and transactions involving real estate investment trusts and qualified opportunity zone funds.
Speaker: Brian J. O'Connor, Esq., Partner, Venable LLP and Elizabeth Fialkowski Stieff. LL.M., J.D., Partner, Venable LLP
Jordan M. Halle
Partner, Co-Chair of Tax & Private Wealth Section
Mr. Halle’s practice focuses on business and corporate law, partnership and individual tax matters, franchising law and corporate transactional matters. Before joining Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP, he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Lynne A. Battaglia of the Court of Appeals of Maryland.
As Co-Chair of Whiteford’s CARES Act committee, Mr. Halle has written numerous articles about the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), keeping the firm and its clients updated on all the latest developments and has guided dozens of clients through the PPP process, representing millions of dollars in PPP funding, including recently successfully appealing a forgiveness denial with $2+ million at stake.
Michael March
Partner
Mr. March is an experienced tax controversy lawyer who has represented individuals before the Department of Justice in the Federal District Courts of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Florida, and the District of Columbia on matters involving allegations of bank fraud, foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) requirements, and tax evasion, among much more. He has managed teams in resolving civil tax controversies in all stages of administrative proceedings before the U.S. Tax Court, as well as in parallel investigations by the IRS, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. He has extensive experience with complex civil litigation and appeals and white-collar criminal defense.
He previously clerked for the Honorable Philip S. Jackson on the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.
Speakers: Michael March, J.D., LL.M., Partner, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP and Jordan Halle, J.D., LL.M., Partner, Co-Chair of Tax & Private Wealth Section, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP
Tax planning for the Tax Cut and Jobs Act’s provisions that are set to expire after 2025. We will cover business tax provisions as well as individual tax provisions and how to best prepare for the potential changes.
Jonathan Havens is the Managing Partner of Saul Ewing LLP’s Baltimore office, and serves as co-chair of both the firm’s Cannabis Law and its Food, Beverage & Agribusiness Practices. Companies in the cannabis, life sciences, food and beverage, and cosmetics industries turn to Jonathan for advice on how to get and keep their products on the market. Since 2019, Chambers USA has recognized Jonathan as one of America’s leading lawyers in cannabis law. In 2021, Law360 selected Jonathan as a cannabis law rising star. He is regularly interviewed by mainstream and trade press outlets, alike, and has been quoted by or authored pieces for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, CNBC, WIRED, MarketWatch, Engadget, Law360, High Times Magazine, and Marijuana Business Daily. Jonathan began his legal career as a regulatory counsel with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and prior to law school, he served as a legislative aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
Speaker: Jonathan Havens, J.D., Partner, Saul Ewing, LLP
This exciting and interactive discussion will center on the cannabis legal landscape, IRC 280E, and the road ahead. More specifically, attendees will come away from the session with a better understanding of how the cannabis industry is navigating 280E and how the industry can prepare for the potential rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III (i.e., 280E no longer applying to the industry).
Eli utilizes his background as a CPA and attorney to vigorously defend clients before the IRS and state taxing authorities. Eli is also the firm’s lead on international tax matters, which involves complex international tax compliance issues, resolving many offshore voluntary disclosures and streamlined filing compliance procedures, as well as preparing complex Passive Foreign Investment Company (PFIC) computations. He also represents clients in a significant number of tax collection matters, federal and state examinations and appeals, IRS criminal investigations, and matters before the federal and state tax courts.
His tireless efforts in all aspects of the firm’s practice have been instrumental in fueling the firm’s success and growth.
Eli was a Legal Extern at the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel, where he conducted legal research, analyzed cases for potential strengths and weaknesses, participated in settlement conferences, drafted proposed factual stipulations to comply with court rules, and drafted several pleadings and motions.
Eli also managed a team of accountants at the Baltimore Creating Assets Savings and Hope Campaign, a non-profit tax preparation organization, where he prepared income tax returns for moderate-income families, provided tax expertise to tax preparers, ensured quality review, and maintained the site in accordance with IRS regulations. Under Eli’s supervision, his team was awarded the Quality Tax Preparer Award for the lowest number of organization-wide rejected returns.
Eli is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor with honors. Eli is an active member of the American Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Maryland and is a licensed Maryland CPA. He has also been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star.
Eli is a husband and father of four and enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. His ultimate goal at Frost Law is to utilize his analytical skills to quickly and proficiently identify problems within tax cases and solve problems favorably for his clients.
Peter Palsen joined Frost Law as the International Tax Professional in 2020. Peter delivers world-class experience in designing, implementing, and reporting complex tax structures for conducting cross-border business activity. After retiring from a Big 4 firm as a 15-year international tax partner in New York City, Peter served as both head of international tax and head of overall tax at two major U.S. multinational companies.
For over thirty years, Peter has followed international tax developments around the world – specializing in key markets like Puerto Rico, China, India, Mexico and Brazil. He consults on all cross boarder taxation aspects including the substantial business and individual tax incentives as well as required anti-deferral inclusions, foreign tax credit offset rules, and transfer pricing arrangements.
Peter has personally negotiated tens of millions of dollars of settlements of transfer pricing and other tax controversies across the globe and has participated in dozens of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and joint venture transactions.
Speakers: Peter Palsen, International Tax Professional, Frost Law, and Eli S. Noff, Esq, CPA, Partner, Hughes Noff Tax Law, LLC
This session will provide an overview of IRS information reporting and income tax obligations related to foreign assets, the penalties for failure to comply, and the available procedures to bring clients into compliance.