People in Tax Podcast

Tony Tuths, a KPMG tax expert, discusses the evolution of cryptocurrency taxation, explaining how blockchain, tokenization, and smart contracts are transforming financial markets while creating complex tax challenges. He highlights key IRS guidance on digital assets, the new broker reporting requirements, and unresolved issues involving tokenized securities, AI-driven trading, and tracking cost ba...

In this episode of the ABA Tax Section's People in Tax podcast, Shail Shah discusses his career path from federal transactional tax at EY to California state and local tax controversy, working in government at the Franchise Tax Board and in private practice at accounting and law firms. He emphasizes the importance of staying flexible, developing technical expertise, building professional relations...

Kathryn Meyer discusses her career in tax, beginning with her discovery of an interest in tax law in law school and her nearly two-decade career with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. She describes gaining extensive courtroom experience, moving into management and executive roles, overseeing litigation and national tax issues such as the research credit, and later serving as counsel to the National...

Adam Abrahams discusses his unconventional transition into tax law, including earning a tax LL.M. at Georgetown, building a solo practice, and eventually joining his current firm. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship, professional relationships, writing, and involvement in the ABA Tax Section, while also sharing his view that attorneys should embrace AI as a tool but carefully verify its out...

Host Alexander Powell interviews Bob Probasco, senior lecturer at Texas A&M and director of its Tax Dispute Resolution Clinic, about his path from accounting and business into tax law. Bob discusses how his earlier career shaped his teaching, the balance he strikes between giving clinic students autonomy and reining in overconfidence, and how working with low-income taxpayers builds empathy by sho...

Host Crist Malekyan and Ken Wang discuss Ken's career path in tax, including his moves between private practice and in-house roles in the energy and technology sectors. He emphasizes the value of mentorship, maintaining work-life balance, and gaining an in-house perspective, while also discussing how AI may make tax work more efficient but could change how junior attorneys develop expertise.

Larry Campagna reflects on his early career path, starting with a summer job in a small law firm's mailroom that taught him the ins and outs of Houston's legal community. He shares his views on the current state of criminal tax enforcement, and touches on emerging trends in tax controversy and sentencing guidelines. He closes with the case he's proudest of, Johnson v. Sawyer , a fifteen-year fight...

Lisa Sperow discusses her path from a reluctant tax lawyer to president of a college of law, tracing her journey through a clerkship, DOJ Civil Division litigation, and fourteen years directing a low-income taxpayer clinic. She reflects on the human stories behind tax cases, mentoring students through their first client interactions, expanding access to legal education for working adults, and her...

Brandon King discusses his path from a reluctant 1L to a nationally recognized renewable energy tax attorney, tracing his journey through a US Tax Court clerkship, cross-border controversy work, and a pivot to transactional practice during the Inflation Reduction Act. He reflects on the mission-driven nature of renewable energy tax work, the industry's resilience amid policy shifts, AI as a comple...

Chuck Levin discusses his journey from aspiring lawyer and CPA to a nationally recognized tax attorney, educator, and co-creator of the Tax Planning Forum. He emphasizes making complex tax concepts practical and engaging, mentoring younger professionals, building strong relationships, and using AI as a helpful starting point rather than a replacement for professional judgment.

Matthew Rappaport discusses his career as a tax attorney focused on real estate, emphasizing the value of being a versatile practitioner who combines deep technical tax knowledge with practical business judgment. He also shares lessons from building his own law firm, stressing that successful tax lawyers should think like entrepreneurs, communicate complex issues in plain language, and help client...

In this episode, host Crist and Andrew discuss staying curious, SALT, and getting involved in the Tax Section. From renewable energy to tribal clinics, to affordable housing, examine Andrew's extensive background and passion for tax.

In this episode, host Dan Keller and Professor Jeremy Bearer-Friend discuss the role of AI in tax and IP, tax rates, becoming a tax professor, wealth inequity, and living on a cattle ranch and alfalfa farm.

In Season 7, Episode 3, hear from the Tax Section's Membership, Diversity, & Inclusion Chair extraordinaire, Melissa Wiley. From her roots in actuarial science to 'growing up' in the Section, experience Melissa's journey through tax and the ABA.

We're back for a new season of People in Tax ! Get to know three of our new interview hosts, Bela Unell, Priscilla Parrett, and Dan Keller. Meet the second half of our hosts, hear about their tax journeys, what they love about tax, and their thoughts on AI.

We're back for a new season of People in Tax ! Get to know three of our new interview hosts, Alexander Powell, Crist Malekyan, and Michael Romero in the first episode. Hear their career journeys, what the ABA Tax Section has meant to them, and some of their hopes for the upcoming season.

In S06E13, Bela Unell and Scott Levine continue their discussion of his time at the IRS, the relationship between the government and the Tax Section, and the role of diversity in tax practice. (Part 2 of 2).

In S06E12, Bela Unell and Scott Levine discuss his varied career, including his teaching career and work at the Treasury Department. (Part 1 of 2).

In S06E11, Bela Unell and Devon Bodoh discuss his road to tax, and his experience in the occasionally chaotic world of international tax practice.

In S06E10, Bela Unell and Professor Roberta Mann discuss getting jobs in tax, her work with the ABA Tax Section Publications, and how she got started with the Tax Section.

In S06E09, Bela Unell and Professor Roberta Mann discuss her early career at IRS Chief Counsel, how her experience on Capitol Hill shaped how she views law today, and her approach to teaching tax.

In S06E08, Bela Unell and Christine A. Brunswick Public Service Fellow Mohit Mookim discuss working with non-traditional organizations, the origin and work of the Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC), and changing what movement organizations look like.

In S06E07, Bela Unell and Loretta Collins Argrett Fellow Fatima Garcia discuss constructive criticism, advocating for each other at the office, and making tax less scary for the average person. (Part 3 of 3).

In S06E06, Bela Unell and Loretta Collins Argrett Fellow Fatima Garcia discuss the role mentorship has played in her career, finding her voice as a practicing attorney, and the responsibility she feels as a Latina in the legal field. (Part 2 of 3).

In S06E05, Bela Unell and Loretta Collins Argrett Fellow Fatima Garcia discuss her unexpected road to tax practice, the importance of representation in the legal field, and the scholarship she founded for her alma mater. (Part 1 of 2).