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.

Charles Burdoin, CPA

Charles is a 1971 graduate of California State University, Hayward (now “East Bay”). He has been licensed as a CPA since 1975 in California and in Nevada since 2015. He was a sole practitioner in the Greater Oakland/East Bay Area from 1978 until 2015.

He served six years on the board of directors of the Tri-Valley Estate Planning Council and was a part-time accounting and tax instructor for Las Positas College in Livermore.

He currently resides in Nevada and consults with other CPA’s regarding estate and trust matters along with California issues.

Bob Davies, CPA

Bob Davies has over 30 years of experience in the taxation field. He began his career with Ernst & Young, then moved to industry tax with two high tech public companies. Since 2000, Bob has been with local CPA firms, where his clients include high net worth individuals and their family businesses. Bob has a B.S. in Accountancy from California State University, Fresno, and a M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University. He has a keen interest in estate and retirement planning, and enjoys writing, and advising clients, on Social Security issues.

Evan Davis, J.D.

Evan Davis has more than 20 years in the public sector as a trial lawyer with extensive civil and criminal trial and appellate experience in both federal and state courts. He represents numerous cryptocurrency clients worldwide on civil and criminal tax matters, speaks frequently on cryptocurrency and Bank Secrecy Act issues, deals with civil and criminal cannabis- related tax issues, and handles civil and criminal unreported foreign account and foreign entities investigations and disclosures.

Mike Giangrande, J.D., LL.M.

Mike Giangrande is a California licensed attorney and has been a tax practitioner for 25 years. He is licensed to practice before the United States Tax Court, has a B.S. in Accounting and an LL.M. (Tax) from Chapman University, and has a J.D. from Whittier Law School with a certificate of concentration in business law. Mike has spent time as an adjunct professor of law and he served as a member of the Orange County Assessment Appeals Board.

Cameron Hess, Esq., CPA

Cameron Hess actively represents and advises clients in state and local tax issues, including property taxes, at Wagner Kirkman Blaine Klomparens & Youmans LLP. Cameron is an ongoing contributor to Spidell’s California Taxletter^®. He serves on the board of the Rental Housing Association and on the legislative subcommittee of the California Apartment Association, in addition to chairing the RED Group, a real estate focus group for professionals in Northern California. Cameron frequently speaks and writes on real estate and property tax issues.

Tim Hilger, CPA

Tim is a speaker at Spidell’s Federal and California Tax Update Seminar. He was a part of Spidell’s editorial department for more than 15 years, and he continues to write and edit the federal chapters of Spidell’s Federal and California Tax Update seminar manual. Tim has a BS in business administration (accounting) from California State University Long Beach and a MS in taxation from Golden Gate University.

Claudia Hill, EA, MBA

Claudia Hill is an Enrolled Agent, nationally recognized tax professional and frequent lecturer on taxation of individuals, tax planning, and representation before the IRS. She is editor-in-chief of the CCH, Inc. Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure and a frequent presenter for Enrolled Agents, CPAs, and other tax-related organizations including the IRS. She also presents Spidell webinars and has spoken at Spidell’s Summer Tax Seminar. Claudia coordinates a “dream team of tax controversy advisors” for the IRS Watch blog on Forbes.com. She has served many years as a special advisor to NAEA Government Relations Committee, is a NTPI Fellow, and was named by Tax Analysts as a 2011 Person of the Year. As an industry and taxpayer advocate, Claudia has testified before the Senate Finance Committee, House Ways & Means Committee, Treasury Department, and President’s Tax Reform Panel. She continues to maintain an active tax practice in Cupertino, California.

Robert Horwitz, J.D.

Mr. Horwitz has over 35 years of experience as a tax attorney specializing in the representation of clients in civil and criminal tax cases, including civil audits and appeals, tax collection matters, criminal investigations, administrative hearings and at trial. He has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of California and has been Chair of the Taxation Section as well as Procedure and Litigation Committee of the State Bar Taxation Section.

Sunish Mehta, CPA, CGMA

Sunish is the Founder of Mindful-CPA Mindful-PRO and has over 25 years of experience in Advisory and Assurance services. His professional experience includes working with EY, PwC & IBM Global Business Services.

He has instructed courses in Financial Auditing and Accounting on an adjunct basis for the UCLA Certification of Accounting Program. He graduated with a Business Degree from California State University, Northridge and has an Inner MBA from New York University.

Sunish is a CPA and CGMA from California..

Rick E. Oelerich, LPA, EA

Rick is a Senior Tax Manager at a firm serving over 5000 individual and business clients. As a specialist in IRS disputes, he has testified before the IRS Oversight Board and House Ways and Means Committee.

Rick also served three years each on (IRSAC) IRS Advisory Committee, (ETAAC) Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee and served as a subject matter expert for (ACAT) Accreditation Council for Accounting and Taxation.

2022 will be his 19th year as a presenter for Gear Up seminars and 9th year as a webinar presenter for Thomson Reuters. Rick has been a licensed LPA in Iowa since 1983 and has been an Enrolled Agent since 1975.

Dennis Perez, J.D.

Dennis L. Perez represents and advises U.S. taxpayers in foreign and domestic voluntary disclosures, sensitive issue civil tax examinations where substantial civil penalty issues or possible assertions of fraudulent conduct may arise, and in defending criminal tax fraud investigations and prosecutions. Mr. Perez is highly respected for his calm demeanor, judgment and extensive experience in handling matters arising from the U.S. government’s ongoing enforcement efforts regarding undeclared interests foreign financial accounts and assets, including various methods of participating in a timely voluntary disclosure to minimize potential exposure to civil tax penalties.

Mr. Perez, a former senior trial attorney with IRS District Counsel in Los Angeles, CA. He has extensive experience in the representation of clients in civil, administrative tax and criminal tax disputes and controversies before the Internal Revenue Service, the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Franchise Tax Board, the California State Board of Equalization, and the California Employment Development Department. Dennis Perez is a member of the Planning Committee of the UCLA Extension Annual Tax Controversy Institute and is also a Certified Specialist, Taxation Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Alan Pinck, EA

Alan L. Pinck, EA, is an Enrolled Agent with more than 30 years of tax preparation and audit representation experience. He specializes in individual and small business tax preparation. A large part of his practice is audit representation, where he handles over 100 audits each year. Alan is also the moderator of the popular Tax Talk Today, which brings IRS representation and tax experts together to discuss federal tax issues. Operating in the Silicon Valley has given Alan a unique experience in a variety of industries including high tech, construction, and hospitality. Volunteering as a speaker for Silicon Valley SCORE since 1990, Alan has been working with some of these companies from an early stage in their business. Alan is a seminar and webinar speaker for Spidell Publishing, LLC as well as other tax professional organizations.

Stan Pollock, CPA

Stan has experience working for large international accounting firms and today runs a boutique tax and accounting practice in the San Francisco Bay Area that focuses on high-net-worth individuals and small businesses. He has taught continuing education courses to practitioners throughout the country for close to 20 years.

Throughout the years, Stan has also been a guest on several Northern California radio talk shows discussing taxes and he has previously taught accounting courses in junior colleges in southern California. Stan earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge in 1980.

Arturo Ramudo, CPA, CISA (retired)

Arturo is a former Board of Accountancy investigator, a nationally recognized public speaker, researcher, and seminar leader with 35 years of experience in accounting, auditing, taxation, ethics, standards of practice, and internal quality control.

Art owns and operates his own public accountancy firm offering services to both the public and private sectors. He represents CPAs before the California Board of Accountancy’s disciplinary committee, provides litigation support, performs peer reviews, and offers advisory services concerning all aspects of ethical practice.

As a former investigator for the California Board of Accountancy, Ramudo performed investigations of complaints filed against CPAs for violations of the Accountancy Act and the Board’s Regulations.

Edward M. Robbins, Jr.

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.

Renée Rodda, J.D.

Renée is Senior Vice President of Tax and Accounting for CeriFi, LLC. She is the editor of Spidell’s California Taxletter^® and Spidell’s Analysis & Explanation of California Taxes^®. She has been educating tax professionals for more than 20 years. Renée is also a member of the advisory board for the Franchise Tax Board, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and the Board of Equalization. She is a graduate of Chapman University School of Law with a Tax Law Emphasis.

Phillip Roitman, Esq.

Certified Specialist — Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

Phil Roitman emphasizes his practice in estate and wealth transfer planning, probate and trust administration, planning for clients with disabilities and special needs, business succession planning, and income tax planning. Phil works with families, business owners, executives, and other high net worth individuals to identify their financial and estate planning goals, and focuses on protecting the value of their assets.

Phil received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Brooklyn College and his Masters of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts. He received his law degree from the University of San Diego and earned his LL.M. in taxation from DePaul University. Phil was admitted to practice in California in 1989, and is also member of the State Bars of Georgia and Illinois.

Phil holds the Certified Financial Planner designation and has authored Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Financial Planners for the CCH Continuing Education series. He also lectures and presents seminars to professional groups on estate, gift, and income tax planning issues.

Jacob Stein, Esq.

Jacob Stein, Esq., is the managing partner at Aliant, LLP. He specializes in structuring international business transactions, complex U.S. and international tax planning, and asset protection planning. Jacob received his law degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University. He has been accredited by the State Bar of California as a Certified Tax Law Specialist. Jacob is AV-rated (the highest possible rating) by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been named “A Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine and one of “America’s Most Honored Professionals 2016” by the American Registry.

Jacob is a frequent lecturer to various attorneys, CPAs, and other professional groups, and teaches over 50 seminars per year. For the past 10 years, Jacob has been an adjunct professor with the graduate tax program at California State University, Northridge.

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.

Cory Stigile, J.D., LL.M.

Cory Stigile is a Certified Specialist, Taxation Law, The State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization and CPA licensed in California. He is the Past-President of the Los Angeles Chapter of CalCPA. Mr. Stigile frequently writes and lectures on topics involving taxation. He was also interviewed by Bloomberg Law regarding IRS Wealth Squad audits focusing on the super-rich. Mr. Stigile was awarded the distinction of Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2012 through 2016, as recognized and published in Los Angeles Magazine. He is also on the Planning Committee of the Annual UCLA Extension Tax Controversy Institute and a member of the Western States Bar Association.

Lacey Strachan J.D., LL.M.

Lacey Strachan concentrates her practice in complex civil tax litigation and criminal tax prosecutions (jury and non-jury) before the federal district courts, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Strachan represents individuals, corporations, pass-through entities, trusts, and estates in all stages of state and federal tax disputes, including audits and examinations, administrative appeals, trials, and appellate litigation.

Timothy J. Sundstrom, CPA, CFP

Tim is a CPA and financial planner located in Broomall, PA (suburban Philadelphia) where he helps
entrepreneurs and business executives with tax and financial decisions. His firm services a diverse
clientele with a specialty in the construction and entertainment industries. Prior to starting his own
business, he was a manager with a national accounting firm.

Tim is the former president of the Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants. He has been a lecturer
with Thomson Reuters’ Gear Up Seminars for the last 18 years and has authored several publications
concerning tax and financial planning.

Steve Toscher, J.D.

Mr. Toscher has been representing clients for more than 35 years before the Internal Revenue Service, the Tax Divisions of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the United States Attorney, numerous state taxing authorities and in federal and state court litigation and appeals. Mr. Toscher enjoys a unique combination of solid criminal defense experience and extensive substantive tax experience to assist individuals and entities subject to sensitive government inquiries. He has considerable experience as lead counsel in defending criminal tax fraud investigations (both administrative and grand jury investigations) as well as in defending criminal tax prosecutions (both jury and non-jury). Mr. Toscher’s tax practice includes a wide array of substantive areas including income taxes, estate taxes, employment taxes, sales taxes and property taxes. He is routinely involved in sensitive issue or complex civil tax examinations and administrative appeals on behalf of wealthy individuals and their closely held entities as well as large corporations involving both domestic and foreign tax related issues.

Sandy Weiner, J.D.

Sandy Weiner, J.D., brings over two decades of experience as a California tax analyst with an expertise in business tax issues. She assists practitioners with complex tax issues such as apportionment, combined reporting, and state credits and incentives. She is also an expert on conformity issues. She is a graduate of Colorado College with her J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law.

Kathryn Zdan, EA

Kathryn Zdan, EA, is Spidell Publishing’s Editorial Director. She writes and assists in research and editing articles for Spidell’s California Taxletter^® and Spidell’s Federal Taxletter^®, and she presents the weekly Spidell’s California Minute^® and Spidell’s Federal Tax Minute™ podcasts. She also updates many of Spidell’s tax guides. She has a master’s degree from California State University, Fullerton, and completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan.