Webinar speakers:

Edward Robbins, J.D., LL.M.

Edward M. Robbins, Jr. has been a principal with the Hochman Salkin Toscher & Perez, P.C., a tax boutique law firm in Beverly Hills, California since 2004. Before entering private practice, Mr. Robbins was an Assistant United States Attorney with the Central District of California, Tax Division. Mr. Robbins left the government after ten years serving as the Chief of the Tax Division, six years as Assistant Division Chief, nine years as Assistant United States Attorney, and 4 years as a District Counsel attorney with the IRS Chief Counsel office in Los Angeles. As Chief of the Tax Division, Mr. Robbins supervised the lawyers in the Tax Division and handled a full caseload specializing in complex, civil and criminal tax litigation.

Mr. Robbins has a well-deserved reputation as a leading member of the civil and criminal tax bar in the United States as the result of extensive experience representing both the United States of America and taxpayers. Mr. Robbins’ credentials include extensive experience in conducting dozens of complex financial investigations as the result of his career as Assistant United States Attorney. His experience includes numerous grand jury investigations and civil administrative investigations for the United States. These investigations concerned individuals, business enterprises, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.

As a nationally recognized tax professional, Mr. Robbins is often called upon to participate in programs dealing with civil and criminal tax practice, procedure, controversy and litigation matters, before government agencies and professional organizations. He is the co-author of PLI’s two volume tax treatise, IRS Practice and Procedure Desktop. Mr. Robbins has also been honored to serve as an adjunct law professor with Loyola Law School and Golden Gate University School of Law. He has written, lectured and taught legal topics on U.S. tax procedure. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Tax Section, California State Bar’s Taxation Section, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Taxation Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Taxation Section and American College of Tax Counsel. Mr. Robbins received numerous awards from the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the IRS Chief Counsel. Mr. Robbins was a regular Trial Instructor at the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute from 1988 to 2004.

Michel R. Stein, J.D., LL.M.

Mr. Stein specializes in tax controversies, as well as tax planning for individuals, businesses and corporations. For more than 20 years, he has represented individuals with sensitive issue civil tax examinations where substantial penalty issues may arise, and extensively advised individuals on foreign and domestic voluntary disclosures regarding foreign account and asset compliance matters. Mr. Stein is well respected for his expertise and judgment in handling matters arising from the U.S. government’s ongoing enforcement efforts regarding undeclared interests in foreign financial accounts and assets, including various methods of participating in a timely voluntary disclosure to minimize potential exposure to civil tax penalties and avoiding a criminal tax prosecution referral. Mr. Stein is a frequent lecturer at national and regional conferences on topics including tax compliance sensitive issues, IRS examinations, State and Federal worker classification issues, etc.

Sandra R. Brown, J.D.

Ms. Brown’s practice focuses on individuals and organizations who are involved in criminal tax investigations, including related grand jury matters, court litigation and appeals, as well as representing and advising taxpayers involved in complex and sophisticated civil tax controversies, including representing and advising taxpayers in sensitive-issue audits and administrative appeals, as well as civil litigation in federal, state and tax court. In addition to other honors, commendations and awards, Ms. Brown has received the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Chief’s Award and the IRS’s Mitchell Rogovin National Outstanding Support of the Office of Chief Counsel Award, respectively, the most prestigious criminal and civil awards available for presentation by the IRS to Department of Justice employees.