2015 2015 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATES BRANDON L. BLOOM brandon.bloom@tklaw.com Mr. Bloom is an associate at Thompson & Knight LLP. He focuses his practice on corporate and partnership tax, and he represents clients in private equity transactions and other business transactions involving corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. He provides clients with federal and state tax planning advice on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and other corporate restructuring transactions, as well as the formation, operation and disposition of partnerships and limited liability companies. He also represents borrowers and lenders in connection with the tax aspects of financing transactions. He served as the Vice Chair of the Energy and Natural Resource Tax Committee in 2011 2012 and 2012 2013. Mr. Bloom received his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. JOHN STEVEN (STEVE) BRITT sbritt@scottdoug.com Mr. Britt is an associate at Scott, Douglas & McConnico, LLP. He practices primarily in the firm s state and local tax litigation group representing large and small companies in administrative protests of tax assessments before various taxing authorities. He also litigates tax assessments in Texas district courts and advises clients concerning the tax implications of business transactions. Prior to joining SD&M, Steve was a high school teacher and a coach for ten years. Mr. Britt received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. 1
DOUGLAS (DOUG) M. COWAN douglas.cowan@hp.com Mr. Cowan is the Senior Tax Counsel of Global Tax Research and Planning with Hewlett Packard. His practice focuses on both inbound and outbound international tax matters. He has worked on projects for small, growth oriented start ups as well as large and mature companies. He has assisted clients in the energy and oil & gas sector, manufacturing sector, construction sector and the private equity sector. Mr. Cowan has provided advice on acquisition and reorganization structuring, intellectual property planning and migration, financing structures, foreign exchange issues and the implication of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act on initial investments and restructuring. Prior to joining Hewlett Packard, he was a Manager in Deloitte s Washington National Tax Office. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French and is licensed to practice in Texas and Washington, D.C. He is the Co Vice Chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section International Tax Committee. Mr. Cowan received his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center and his J.D. LINA G. DIMACHKIEH ldimachkieh@velaw.com Ms. Dimachkieh is an associate at Vinson & Elkins. Her practice consists primarily of planning to minimize federal income taxes imposed with respect to business transactions and investments involving partnerships, corporations, and individuals. She also has experience working on tax controversies with the Internal Revenue Service. She has represented many of the firm s clients in a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and capital market transactions. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. 2
KENNETH (KENNY) S. FREED kfreed@cjmlaw.com Mr. Freed is an associate at Crady, Jewett & McCulley, LLP. His practice areas include tax, estate planning, business mergers, sales and acquisitions and general business representation. He has experience in the taxation of partnerships and corporations, including the taxation of U.S. businesses with foreign operations and foreign businesses with U.S. operations. In addition to tax matters, he assists clients with transactional issues including formation and structuring, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, contract negotiations, real estate and financial transactions. Prior to joining the firm, he spent three years in the International Tax Group of an international public accounting firm. Mr. Freed received his J.D. from The University of Houston Law Center. JASON B. FREEMAN jfreeman@meadowscollier.com Mr. Freeman is an associate at Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman, LLP. His practice concentrates on resolving federal and state tax controversies, and white collar crimes. He is an adjunct professor of Tax Law at Southern Methodist University School of Law. Mr. Freeman is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to attending law school, he was a practicing CPA with an international accounting firm. He received his J.D., with high honors and Order of the Coif, from The University of Texas School of Law. TIFFANY L. HAMIL dfwtaxadvisor@gmail.com Ms. Hamil has her own law firm. Her practice focuses on taxrelated legal services for personal, corporate, and executive tax matters. Specifically, she focuses on Ad Valorem Taxation, OVDI Representation, IRS Audit and Collection Alternative Representation. Ms. Hamil is an adjunct professor in Texas Wesleyan s business school teaching undergraduate courses in Federal Income Taxation, Business Law I and II and graduate courses in Corporate Tax and Partnership Tax. She received her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and her J.D., cum laude, from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. 3
AMBER N. HAQUE amber.haque@ericsson.com Ms. Haque is an in house attorney and Contracts Manager with Ericsson in their Strategic Sourcing Department. She provides supplier agreement negotiation, drafting and processing assistance to Sourcing and internal Stakeholders. Prior to joining Ericsson, Ms. Haque was an associate with a tax litigation boutique in Dallas. Her practice concentrated on federal tax related controversy matters. She received her LL.M. in Taxation and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. JUSTIN J. HEPWORTH jjhepworth@jonesday.com Mr. Hepworth is an associate at Jones Day. He is a member of the State and Local Tax practice. His practice focuses on tax transaction and controversy matters, assisting clients with multistate income, franchise, sales, and transfer tax issues. He advises on audit defense voluntary disclosure agreements, unclaimed property planning, and other controversy and compliance matters. Mr. Hepworth received his J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Tulane University Law School. FAYE HOFFMAN HILPERT fhilpert@jw.com Ms. Hilpert is an associate in the Wealth Planning practice group at Jackson Walker. Her experience includes assisting clients with matters related to wills, trusts, probate, intra family transactions, and charitable giving. She works closely with attorneys in the Wealth Planning group and other practice areas to address the unique challenges that often arise in the course of estate planning, including tax, oil and gas, family, and probate matters. Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Ms. Hilpert served as a law clerk for the Honorable Maurice B. Foley of the United States Tax Court. Her previous experience also includes working in the oil and gas industry and for a boutique firm focused on estate planning. Ms. Hilpert received her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law. 4
BRYAN L. JEPSON bryan.jepson@sprouselaw.com Mr. Jepson is an associate at Sprouse Shrader Smith, PC. His practice focuses on all areas of federal income tax, as well as corporate and non profit transactions. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Jepson was a loan officer in a not for profit banking group for almost four years. He received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law and his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law. STEPHEN W. LONG stephen.long@bakermckenzie.com Mr. Long is an associate at Baker & McKenzie, LLP. He represents multinational companies during audit through administrative appeals, and in court. He also has experience in domestic and international structuring and tax planning. His practice focuses on federal and multistate tax controversy issues. He is experienced in resolving issues before the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. Mr. Long received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law. MEL E. MYERS mel.myers@chamberlainlaw.com Mr. Myers is an associate at Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry. He provides tax counsel to corporations, partnerships, and pass through entities in their business transactions, tax planning, transfer pricing, tax compliance, audit, and tax controversy matters. Prior to joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Mr. Myers served as an assistant general counsel in Washington, DC representing the United States government before the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. He received his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center and his J.D., cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law. 5
JOSEPH L. PERERA joseph.perera@strasburger.com Mr. Perera is an associate with Strasburger & Price, LLP. He represents clients on a variety of federal and state tax matters. He assists clients at every stage of federal tax disputes including IRS audits, IRS collection cases, cases at IRS Appeals, and cases before the United States Tax Court. Mr. Perera advises clients on employee benefit and executive compensation matters, including compliance under ERISA with the IRS and Department of Labor. He also represents clients in disputes with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Texas Workforce Commission. Before joining Strasburger & Price, LLP, he was an attorney in the National Office of the Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service. He received his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. RACHAEL RUBENSTEIN rrubenstein@stmarytx.com Ms. Rubenstein is a Senior Tax Fellow at the Center for Legal and Social Justice (CLSJ) at St. Mary s University School of Law. She focuses her attention on developing her chosen tax specialty in order to grow and diversify the tax education opportunities and services offered at the CLSJ. She was instrumental in bringing two federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) grants to the University the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant and the Low Income Tax Clinic (LITC) grant. She supervises clinic students assigned to tax cases at the administrative level and in various federal courts. She also teaches clinic classes which focus on tax practice and procedure issues. She continues to participate in the year round VITA program as a training instructor, technical consultant, and Saturday volunteer. Mr. Rubenstein received her J.D., cum laude, from St. Mary s University School of Law. 6
MICHELLE A. SPIEGEL mspiegel@mayerbrown.com Ms. Spiegel is a Tax Controversy associate with Mayer Brown. She represents clients in many types of tax disputes with taxing authorities on federal and state levels. Her tax controversy experience spans a wide range of areas including international withholdings, transfer pricing controversies, and tax shelter disallowances. She also advises foreign and domestic entities seeking corporate and tax advice in connection with various types of foreign and domestic transactions. She is the Vice Chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section, Communications Newsletter Committee. Ms. Spiegel received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law. ALEXANDER (ALEX) D. THOMAS alexander.d.thomas@us.pwc.com Mr. Thomas is a senior associate in PricewaterhouseCooper s State and Local Tax practice. His practice focuses on state and local tax controversy matters as well as federal and state employment tax consulting. Mr. Thomas practice includes favorable representation of clients before various state Departments of Revenue in refund claims and audit defenses, with a focus on state tax controversy matters in Texas and Louisiana. He has successfully appealed state unemployment tax rate determinations and obtained federal and state employment tax refunds as the result of acquisitions and reorganizations. Mr. Thomas received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law with a concentration in Taxation and Business Transactional law. MEREDITH A. VANDERWILT mvanderwilt@polsinelli.com Ms. VanderWilt is an associate in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice at Polsinelli, PC. She has worked in employee benefits since 2007. Her practice focus is a variety of employee benefits matters, including the design and implementation of qualified plans, health and welfare plans, and non qualified compensation arrangements, as well as compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, COBRA, HIPPA and PPACA. She is the Young Lawyer Liaison for the Defined Benefit Plan Subcommittee of the Employee Benefit Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section. Ms. VanderWilt received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. 7
LAUREN A. WAITE lauren.waite@haynesboone.com Ms. Waite is an associate in the Business Planning and Tax Practice Group at Haynes and Boone, LLP. She has experience working with partnerships, limited liability companies, private and publicly held corporations, and individual investors. Her areas of practice include federal, state, and local tax planning and controversy matters for various business entities and individuals. She received her J.D., summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Texas Tech University School of Law. ROBERT L. (LEE) WILSON lwilson@thewilsonfirmpllc.com Mr. Lee has his own law firm. The focus of his tax practice is tax controversy matters at the federal, state, and local levels. He represents individuals and businesses before the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Justice s Tax Division, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and various other state and local governmental taxing authorities. Mr. Wilson received his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law. While attending Texas Tech University School of Law, he was a member of the School s Law Review, President and Founder of the Tax Law Society and served as a member of the School s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. 8