Friday, October 20

2:30PM – 5:30PM

Court Procedure and Practice

Chair:  Mary McNulty, Thompson & Knight LLP, Dallas, TX

2:30pm             Opening Remarks by the Chair. 

2:35pm             Remarks on Behalf of the Tax Court.  Speaker:  John O. Colvin, United States Tax Court, Washington, DC.

2:50pm             Ethical Issues in Tax Litigation. 

(Part 2 of 2—1^st Part in Administrative Practice Committee Meeting)  This panel will discuss ethical concerns during the litigation stages of a tax controversy, beginning with the filing of the Tax Court petition and ending with the post-trial briefs.  Topics to be discussed will include conflict of interest concerns; discovery; contact with former and current employees of represented parties; and sequestration issues.  The discussion will address ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility, including Model Rules 3.7 and 4.2.  Moderators:  Carol A. Szczepanik, Senior Attorney, Criminal Tax, Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, Cleveland, OH; Jeffry J. Erney, Thompson Hine LLP, Cleveland, OH.  Panelists:  Richard Goldman, Branch Chief, Administrative Provisions and Judicial Practice (Procedure and Administration), Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, Washington, DC; Bryan Skarlatos, Kostelanetz and Fink, New York, NY. 

3:50pm             Remarks on Behalf of the Office of Chief Counsel, IRS.  Speaker:  Deborah A. Butler, Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration), IRS, Washington, DC.

4:05pm             Application of the 6-year Statute of Limitations.  The end may be further away than you think.  This panel will address recent efforts by the IRS to invoke a six-year statute of limitations in civil tax cases.  Moderator:  Tom Cullinan, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Atlanta, GA.  Panelists: Grover Hartt, Assistant Chief, Civil Trial Section, Southwestern Region, Tax Division, Department of Justice, Dallas, TX; Blaise Dusenberry, Special Counsel, Office of Assistant Chief Counsel for Administrative Provisions and Judicial Practice, IRS, Washington, DC; Todd Welty, Meadows Owens Collier Reed Cousins & Blau LLP, Dallas, TX. 

4:35pm             Current Developments.  Speaker:  Juan F. Vasquez Jr., Chamberlain Hdrlicka White Williams & Martin, Houston, TX.

4:45pm             Treatment of Testifying and Non-Testifying Experts.  This panel will focus on issues related to retaining testifying experts and non-testifying experts to support testifying experts or advise counsel. The panel will discuss legal guidance and practical advice for managing and interacting with expert witnesses, particularly in the context of complex tax litigation.  Moderator:  Nicole M. Bielawski, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLP, Washington, DC.  Panelists:  Lawrence M. Hill, Dewey Ballantine LLP, New York, NY; Michael J. Salem, Assistant Chief, Eastern Civil Trial Section, Tax Division, Department of Justice, Washington, DC; David  Mungo, Associate Area Counsel (LMSB), Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, Denver, CO; Michael I. Cragg, Cambridge Finance Partners LLC, Cambridge, MA.

5:15pm             Spotlight on Procedure:  The New Electronic Discovery Rules.  Moderator:  Amber S. Hoffman, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Chicago, IL.