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Keynote Speaker:
Judge Juan F. Vasquez, US Tax
Court
Judge Vasquez attended Fox Tech High School and San Antonio
Junior College, A.D. (Data Processing); received B.B.A.
(Accounting), University of Texas, Austin, 1972; attended State
University of New York, Buffalo in 1st year law school, 1975; J.D.,
University of Houston Law Center, 1977; LL.M., Taxation, New York
University Law School, 1978. Admitted to Texas Bar, 1977. Certified
in Tax Law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1984; Certified
Public Accountant Certificate from Texas, 1976, and California,
1974. Admitted to United States District Court, Southern District of
Texas, 1982, and Western District of Texas, 1985, U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1982; private practice of tax law, in
San Antonio, TX, 1987-April 1995; partner, Leighton, Hood and
Vasquez, 1982-87, San Antonio, TX; Trial Attorney, Office of Chief
Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, Houston, TX, 1978-82; accountant,
Coopers and Lybrand, Los Angeles, CA., 1972-74. Member of American
Bar Association, Tax Section; Texas State Bar, Tax and Probate
Section; Fellow of Texas and San Antonio Bar Foundations, Mexican
American Bar Association (MABA) of San Antonio (Treasurer); Houston
MABA; Texas MABA (Treasurer); National Association of Hispanic
CPA's; San Antonio Chapter (founding member); College of State Bar
of Texas, National Hispanic Bar Association; member of Greater
Austin Tax Litigation Association; served on Austin Internal Revenue
Service District Director's Practitioner Liaison Committee, 1990-91,
chairman, 1991. Appointed by President Clinton as Judge, United
States Tax Court, on May 1, 1995, for a term ending April 30,
2010.
Featured
Speaker:
Cono R. Namorato, Former
Director of the Office of Professional
Responsibility
Cono R. Namorato is a member in Caplin &
Drysdale's Washington, D.C. office. He rejoined the firm in 2006
after serving for two years as Director of the Office of
Professional Responsibility for the Internal Revenue Service. He had
been a member of firm for 25 years previously, joining the firm in
1978 after ten years in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of
Justice, where he served as Chief of the Criminal Section and Deputy
Assistant Attorney General in charge of criminal tax enforcement
nationwide. During his most recent term ai the IRS, Mr. Namorato
supervised the Service's increasing efforts toward achieving
compliance nationwide among tax practitioners with newly enhanced
standards of conduct, and he also served as a senior advisor to the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue on complex enforcement
matters.
Mr. Namorato's legal experience has been
wide-ranging. He has represented corporations and individuals,
including corporate executives and senior public officials, in
potential or ongoing criminal tax investigations, sensitive civil
IRS examinations, and complex voluntary disclosures. He has
counseled companies, including Fortune 500 corporations and
worldwide professional firms, in resolving sensitive legal and
ethical problems and has directed complex internal investigations
into financial frauds. Mr. Namorato has also assisted tax lawyers
and accountants in tax, ethics and compliance
issues.
Mr. Namorato has held prominent positions in the American Bar
Associations Sections of Taxation and Litigation, and is a frequent
speaker on matters relating to professional ethics, criminal tax and
other white collar criminal enforcement issues. He received his law
degree from the Brooklyn Law School, after beginning his career at
the IRS, where he served as a Special Agent in the Intelligence
Division (now the Criminal Investigation
Division).
We are honored
to present the following speakers:
Deborah A.
Butler, JD
Associate Chief Counsel, Procedures and
Administration
IRS, Washington
D.C.
Deborah A. Butler, JD, is the Associate Chief Counsel
(Procedure and Administration). In this position, Ms. Butler
oversees a staff of approximately 200, including executives,
attorneys, managers, paralegals, and other employees within the
Office, who provide legal services to the IRS, other components of
the Chief Counsel’s office, other government agencies, and the
public in the areas of federal tax procedure and administration. The
responsibilities of this office include matters relating to the
reporting and payment of taxes; assessment and collection of taxes;
the abatement, credit or refund of over-assessments or overpayments
of taxes; the filing of information returns; bankruptcy; disclosure;
FOIA; privacy law; litigation sanctions; judicial doctrines; ethics;
and liaison with the courts. Ms. Butler received a B. A. from
Southern Methodist University and a J.D. from the
University of
Mississippi. Ms. Butler
served as a law clerk to the Mississippi Supreme Court and as
Counsel to the Mississippi State Senate. Ms. Butler began her career
with Chief Counsel in 1977 as a Trial Attorney in the former
Southwest Region practicing mainly tax litigation in the Tax Court.
In 1986, she was selected as a Special Trial Attorney in the former
Southwest Region (later the Midstates Region) and was responsible
for the litigation of the most complex and sensitive cases handled
by Chief Counsel in the Tax Court. In 1995, Ms. Butler also assumed
responsibilities as the acting Assistant Regional Counsel for Tax
Litigation and later as the acting Assistant Regional Counsel for
General Litigation (Midstates Region). In 1996, Ms. Butler was
appointed to the Senior Executive Service as Assistant Chief Counsel
(Field Service). Ms. Butler assumed her current responsibilities in
July 2000 upon the reorganization of the Office of Chief Counsel.
Ms. Butler is a frequent speaker on matters involving tax litigation
and judicial practice, ethics, and IRS Collection issues. She is a
member of the American Bar Association, Tax Section (Court Procedure
& Practice and Administrative Practice Committees) and the Inns
of Court for the Tax Court.
LG Brooks
LG Brooks is an Enrolled Agent and is the CEO and
Senior Consultant of U.S. Tax & Consulting Group. LG has
been in the field of taxation for more than 25 years and has been in
practice full time since 1990. LG is a member of several
tax-related organizations and his tax practice includes Tax
Representation, Tax Consulting, Tax Preparation and Pre-Tax Court
Litigation Support Services. LG has made tax presentations for
numerous tax & accounting societies and has made presentations
at several Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Annual Tax Forums
including Dallas (2), San Antonio, New Orleans, Orlando and Fort
Lauderdale.
LG received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bishop
College at Dallas, Texas in 1977 and is a Fellow of the National Tax
Practice Institute (NTPI) and is currently a faculty member of the
National Tax Practice Institute (NTPI) administered by
NAEA.
Elizabeth Copeland
Elizabeth Copeland, JD, has 15 years experience
handling all types of Federal income tax controversy matters, both
at the IRS Appeals level and in the United States Tax Court, and
other forums. Elizabeth was a certified public accountant with Ernst
& Young prior to attending law school and served as an Attorney
Advisor to United States Tax Court Judge Mary Ann Cohen upon
graduation from law school. Since leaving the Tax Court in 1993,
Elizabeth has worked with the law firm of Oppenheimer + Blend
assisting taxpayers with complex tax litigation issues and with
resolving problems in IRS Collection actions; she is now a
shareholder with that firm. She has successfully defended a number
of proposed Trust Fund Recovery cases and is actively involved in
protecting taxpayer rights when the IRS is threatening lien or levy
actions. Elizabeth has been listed among "The Best Lawyers in
America" , is a "Texas Super Lawyer" and one of "San Antonio's Best
Attorneys." .
John Bovard
John is
a director of Smith, Jackson, Boyer & Bovard, PLLC in
Dallas, Texas. He has been practicing tax accounting
since 1985. His expertise includes tax planning and tax
return preparation for individuals and businesses, IRS audits, small
business consulting, oil and gas
accounting, and estate tax planning. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University,
and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants and the Texas Society of CPA’s.
Cora Estep
Examination Territory Manager
Dallas, Texas
Cora started her
career with the Internal Revenue Service in 1978 as an Internal
Revenue Agent. She has held various management positions and
is currently the Territory Manager of examination groups in North
Texas. Specific locations include all of West Texas, Dallas
and Fort Worth. The Gulf States Area Flow Through Group is
also in her Territory. This Group contains Revenue Agents
throughout the Southwestern part of the United States and they are
responsible for examining flow through entities. Cora is a
Certified Public Accountant.
Cassandra Felton, IRS -
Regeina Hall
Regeina has been with the Internal Revenue Service for
ten years. Regeina
began her career with the IRS as a Revenue Agent. She was promoted to a Senior
Tax Specialist in Taxpayer Education and Communication (TEC) in
2001. In 2006, Regeina
returned to her prior position as a Revenue Agent.
Prior to joining the IRS, Regeina worked in Oil and Gas
Accounting for 16 years.
Regeina has a Bachelor of Business Administration from
the University of
Texas at
Arlington and a Masters
of Business Administration from
Dallas
Baptist
University.
Sara Ingram, IRS, Chief
Appeals
Ms. Ingram began her career with the IRS in
the former Tax Litigation Division in 1982. She became Employee
Plans Litigation Counsel in 1987, providing litigation coordination
nationwide for employee benefit cases. In 1992, Ingram became Deputy
Associate Chief Counsel, Employee Benefits and Exempt Organizations
(EBEO), where she served until her 1994 appointment as Associate
Chief Counsel, EBEO. As part of the IRS Modernization program,
Ingram was appointed in 1999 to the new position of Division
Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel, TE/GE, where she was responsible
for providing legal services to the TE/GE Division and its customers
as well as other parts of the IRS.
She received her Bachelor
of Arts from Yale University in 1979 and her J.D. in 1982 from
Georgetown University Law School. She is a member of the District of
Columbia Bar.
Larry Jones
Larry
Advises
and represents clients in tax planning and IRS tax controversies
which include audits, appeals, collections, criminal tax
investigations, and civil and criminal tax litigation. Advises and assists
corporations and individual businesses by furnishing general legal
services necessary to the proper conduct of their business
operations, and represents clients in the purchase and sale of
businesses.
Larry
Jones
is committed to the excellence in the practice of law, and offers
his clients timely, effective, and efficient personalized
service.
Prior
to entering private practice, Larry was a Trial Attorney with the
Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice. During this time he received
substantial trial experience in tax cases. Larry represents taxpayers
at all levels of the IRS, and in litigation against the IRS. He is a partner in the
law firm of Townsend & Jones, LLP, which has offices in Dallas
and Houston. Larry is a
past chairperson of the IRS North Texas District Director's
Practitioner Liaison Committee. Larry is Director of the
Federal Taxpayers Clinic at the SMU Dedman School of Law and teaches
Federal Tax Procedure at the Law
School. Larry and his partner, Jack
Townsend, are listed in Chambers USA:
America's
Leading Lawyers for Business and have been chosen as Super Lawyers
by Texas Monthly.
Larry
is a teacher, author, and recognized public speaker and authority on
tax controversy matters, and how to effectively deal with the
IRS. He has taught
Criminal Tax Fraud and Taxation of Property Dispositions at the SMU
Dedman School of Law.
Larry has developed, written, and taught courses for various
professional organizations involving all aspects of the IRS
including but not limited to audits, appeals, collections, and
negotiating with the IRS.
In the past Larry has co-sponsored the Forum on Doing
Business with the IRS with the Texas Society of
CPAs.
Larry
is a member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Tax Practice and
Procedure published by CCH, and he writes a column on examination
issues for this publication.
Larry has published various articles on dealing with the IRS,
and publishes an e-mail newsletter on tax matters entitled "Tax
Controversy Update." He
is a co-author of Dealing with the IRS published by
Practitioners Publishing Co.
Larry
frequently speaks to various groups on a variety of topics including
how to Challenge the IRS in all areas of tax
controversies.
Larry
has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from
Texas
Christian
University,
a Law Degree from SMU School of Law, and his Master of Laws in
Taxation from Georgetown
University. He is Board Certified in Tax
Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Patti
Logan
Patti Logan became an
enrolled agent after working for the Internal Revenue Service as an
Insolvency Technician, Revenue Officer and Offer Specialist.
After 8 years with IRS, she left the Service and formed The Tax
Group specializing in representation. She has been an
expert witness on several cases. Patti is a frequent speaker
to various tax related organizations throughout the nation.
Patti’s articles have been featured in several national and local
journals. CCH recently hired her as a columnist for the
Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure. She is a Fellow
of the National Tax Practice Institute, faculty member and a former
dean of the NTPI faculty. Patti is the proud recipient of the
Texas Society of Enrolled Agents’ 2002 Founder’s Award and the
Charles Goodnight Award for Enrolled Agent of the Year for
1999. In August of 2005, she was awarded the prestigious
Excellence in Education Award in recognition of her leadership and
dedication to promoting quality continuing education on behalf of
the National Association of Enrolled Agents – Education Foundation.
Patti is a past
president of the Texas Society of Enrolled Agents and the Plano Area
Enrolled Agents chapter. She serves on the board of directors
of the Tax Alliance Committee for North Texas and on the North Texas
IRS/Practitioner Liaison Committee.
Christi
Mondrik
Christi
Mondrik has worked with clients on matters involving federal income
tax, estate and gift tax, payroll tax and excise taxes. She also
represents clients with and frequently lectures on a variety of
Texas state taxes, including Texas sales and use tax, Texas
franchise (and margin) tax, oil & gas severance taxes, Texas
motor vehicle tax, motor fuels taxes, IFTA (International Fuel Tax
Agreement) tax, tobacco tax, mixed beverage gross receipts tax, and
other taxes.
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Valorie
Paugh
Valorie Paugh
became an enrolled agent in 1983 with a focus in the
construction industry. She started her firm in 1991
where she has specialized in tax preparation, entity
choice, IRS representation as well as QuickBooks network
construction, installation and training. She has served
on the board of the Texas Society of
Enrolled Agents and the
San
Antonio Chapter of
Enrolled Agents.
She currently serves on the IRS South
Texas Liaison
Committee.
Valorie was awarded the Charles Goodnight
Enrolled Agent of the Year in 2006. She most
recently received the Internal Revenue Service SBSE
Excellence in Partnering for
education.
Kathy Petronchak, IRS, Commissioner Small
Business/Self-Emplolyed Division
Ms. Petronchak was apponted
as the Commissioner SB/SE, November 2006. Prior to
that appointment she served as Chief of Staff and
Director, Pre-filing and Technical Guidance for the
IRS's Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) Division.
In that post she planned, developed, directed and
implemented tax shelter, pre-filing and technical field
assistance programs. Other prior executive positions
include Deputy Director, Pre-Filing and Technical
Guidance and Director of Field Operations.
Her prior executive positions include Deputy
Director, Pre-Filing and Technical Guidance, to which
she was appointed in September 2002, and Director of
Field Operations, to which she was appointed in December
1999.
Petronchak’s career began in 1979 as a revenue
agent and included a series of increasingly responsible
positions in the Richmond, Va., and Southern California
districts: examination group manager; chief, quality
review staff; chief, planning and special programs; and
examination branch chief. Before entering the Executive
Development Program, she served as the Assistant Chief
for the Examination Division in the Los Angeles
District.
Petronchak received a B.S. degree in
accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1979
and recently completed her MBA from the University of
Texas.
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Bill
Roberts
Bill Roberts heads The Roberts Law Firm, the second largest
tax boutique in Dallas, Texas, specializing in federal tax
litigation and asset protection. He is one of the foremost tax
specialists in Texas, handling matters in all four federal districts
throughout the state as well as the Fifth Circuit and the Tax
Court. Prior to entering private practice, Bill was a Trial
Attorney with the Tax Division of the United States Department of
Justice. He is the former Editor-in Chief of his law
review. He graduated seventh in his class from Pepperdine
School of Law in 1980. Mr. Roberts has been practicing law for
over 24 years. He has been lead counsel for more than 120 Tax
Court cases and tried over fifty cases in District Court.
After receiving the Meritorious Award from the Justice Department,
Bill joined a Dallas-based tax law firm. While there, he tried
numerous cases against both the IRS and the Comptroller throughout
the state. In January 1994, Bill opened his own firm in North
Dallas. He is licensed in Texas and California, the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He is
a frequent speaker throughout the state for professional
organizations and universities on tax planning, IRS procedure and
litigation matters.
Ira B.
Shepard, Professor of Law, University of
Houston
Professor Shepard has been
at the University of Houston Law Center since 1975. Before his
tenure at the Law Center, he taught at the University of Georgia
School of Law and was a visiting professor at the University of
North Carolina Law School.
He received his baccalaureate
degree from Harvard College in 1958 and his law degree from Harvard
University in 1964, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law
Review. Following graduation, he practiced in New York City with the
firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
He has
been the Special Advisor to the Southern Federal Tax Institute since
1974. He has chaired the Continuing Legal Education and Research
Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section and the
planning committee for the University of Texas Tax
Conference.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Recent Federal Income Tax
Developments in SOUTHWESTERN LEGAL FOUNDATION FORTY-NINTH ANNUAL
INSTITUTE ON OIL AND GAS LAW AND TAXATION 13-1 through 13-26 (C.J.
Holgren, ed.) (Matthew Bender, 1998).
Editor (1974-
present), Southern Federal Tax Institute Program Materials. Author
of Recent Developments papers since 1990.
Judith Swift
Judith Swift has been a resident of Dallas
since 1970. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in
Philosophy at the University of North Texas. She received her
Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University’s School of
Law. She also holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree from
SMU.
Prior to commencing her legal
career, Ms. Swift taught liberal arts at SMU. After receiving her law
degree, she served as adjunct faculty at the
SMU Law School and at the
University of Texas at
Dallas. She has given her time to
the Hospice Program established by the Dallas Bar Association Pro
Bono Panel, and in 1986 joined a team of other
Texas lawyers and judges in an
international educational program where she traveled to the
Soviet
Union to
exchange views with Soviet jurists and
attorneys.
Ms. Swift is
certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the
American Bankruptcy Board of Certification in both Business and
Consumer Bankruptcy. She is a member of the College of the
State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Sections of the
Dallas Bankruptcy Bar, the State Bar of Texas, and the National
Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. She chaired the
Courthouse Liaison Committee for the Dallas Bankruptcy Bar for a
decade and served as a member of the Panel of Bankruptcy Trustees
for the Northern District of Texas for ten years. She is a
former President of the Dallas Bankruptcy Bar, she was voted a Texas
Super Lawyer in Consumer Bankruptcy for 2003 and 2004, and
frequently lectures to lawyers and accountants on bankruptcy
issues.
Before entering private practice in 1985, Ms. Swift
was a senior associate with a major Dallas bankruptcy firm, where
she practiced regularly in bankruptcy courts throughout Texas, and
has appeared before bankruptcy courts from Orlando, Florida to Santa
Ana, California.
Ms. Swift is
also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court,
the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Tax
Court.
Patricia Sykes This is Pat’s 25rd year with H&R
Block and her 13th year as Co-director of the H&R Block Premium
office at Preston & Forest. She is a frequent instructor for
Block and speaks at various conferences and conventions. Pat is a
graduate of Dallas Baptist University. She is also a Board Member of
the Tax Alliance Conference.
Pat became an Enrolled
Agent in 1993 and is a member of the National Association of
Enrolled Agents, Texas Society of Enrolled Agents, and Plano Area
Enrolled Agents. In 2005, she was the honored recipient of the
Charles R. Goodnight Memorial Award given by the Texas Society of
Enrolled Agents.
Beanna J.
Whitlock
Beanna is a tax
professional in San Antonio, Texas. She is the Executive
Director of the National Society of Tax Professionals, a 7,000+
member tax professional organization providing “Service to the Tax
Profession.” An outspoken advocate for Tax Professionals,
Beanna has testified before the United State Congress, the U. S.
Department of the Treasury and the IRS Oversight Board. She
served as the Director of National Public Liaison for the Internal
Revenue Service in 2003 and 2004.
She is an author published in Time,
Newsweek, The CSA Journal, Ladies’ Home Journal and various tax
professional organization journals. She has been honored by
Accounting Today as One of the One Hundred Most Influential in
Accounting an unprecedented seven times.
She is a faculty member of the Society
of Certified Senior Advisors instructing professionals who provide
various services to Seniors.
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