8:30am             Opening Remarks by the Chair.

8:35am             Recent Corporate Developments.  This panel will discuss recent developments in the corporate tax area. Moderator:  Wayne T. Murray, Deloitte Tax LLP, Washington, DC.  Panelists:  Mark A. Schneider, Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate), IRS, Washington, DC; Marc Countryman, Attorney Advisor, Office of Tax Legislative Counsel, Department of Treasury, Washington, DC; Gerald V. Thomas II, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, GA. 

9:15am             Working with Circular 230 in M&A Transactions.  The panel will address practical problems that arise when giving tax advice in aggressive and nonaggressive M&A transactions, from the initial structuring advice to the closing tax opinion.  Moderator:  Michael L. Schler, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, NY.  Panelists:  Diana L. Wollman, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, NY; Michael J. Desmond, Tax Legislative Counsel, Department of Treasury, Washington, DC.

10:30am           Private Equity Transactions.  This panel will focus on corporate tax issues that arise in the context of private equity transactions, including issues related to structuring acquisitions and dispositions of portfolio companies.  Moderator:  Julie A. Divola, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Francisco, CA.  Panelists:  Eric Solomon, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Regulatory Affairs, Department of Treasury, Washington, DC; William D. Alexander, Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate), IRS, Washington, DC; Andrew W. Needham, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, NY.