Robert J. Schaffer, CPA is currently a Director at CBIZ in Melville, New York. He works primarily with closely-held businesses, providing them with personalized professional tax and accounting services. He provides services to many types of businesses and individuals. Robert has over 30 years of tax experience. Robert is a member of both the American Institute of CPAs (“AICPA”) and the New York State Society of CPAs (“NYSSCPA”). He was President of the Nassau Chapter of the NYSSCPA during the 2004-2005 year. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the NYSSCPA Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession Program in Nassau and a member of the NYSSCPA Legislative Task Force, both at the statewide level. Robert is currently Co-Chair of the NYSSCPA Nassau Chapter Taxation Committee and Co-Chairs its Annual All-Day Tax Conference. He has also been chairperson of various other Nassau Chapter committees and has spoken at continuing professional education conferences and at student functions. Robert earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pace University in New York City and his master’s degree in taxation at the CW Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, New York. He lives in Baiting Hollow, New York and enjoys boating, swimming and gardening.

Neil D. Katz, JD, LLM, is the Managing Partner of Katz, Smith & Chwat, P.C., in Melville, N.Y., and is an Special Assistant Professor of Taxation at Hofstra University. His practice focuses on federal and state income tax issues, as well as on matters relating to corporate, partnership, estate, and gift taxation. His experience extends to the strategic planning and drafting of various business agreements and complex estate plans, as well as the negotiation and representation in the acquisitions or sales of business interests. He is frequently called upon to speak before various professional organizations, including the NYSSCPA, the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations, the Financial Planning Association, the Suffolk and Nassau County Estate Planning Councils, as well as many local and regional CPA firms.

Debra Herman is a partner in the Hodgson Russ LLP's State & Local Tax Practice. She is widely recognized for her experience in state and local taxation. Debra works with a variety of clients to address the state and local tax impact of their multistate activities from both a planning and an audit and controversy viewpoint and on complex transactions, with a focus on New York State tax matters. Debra counsels clients with respect to corporate income and franchise taxes, bank taxes, utility taxes, unincorporated business taxes, sales and use taxes, gross receipts taxes, excise taxes on real property transfers, rent and occupancy taxes, and withholding taxes. She also has extensive experience working with high-net-worth clients on residence and other personal income tax matters and successfully representing clients in all phases of tax disputes, including audits and litigation at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as criminal tax investigations. Debra’s clients have included domestic and global financial service companies, law firms, real estate investment trusts and cooperatives, manufacturers, retailers, airlines, entertainers, high-net-worth individuals, and tax-exempt organizations. Debra served as the chair of the State and Local Tax Committee of the New York City Bar Association and is the past Immediate Chair of the State and Local Tax Committee of the American Bar Association, Tax Section. She is also a nationally recognized author on state tax topics. She co-authored the BNA Portfolio “New York Sales and Use Taxes” and a bimonthly article on New York State and New York City taxation in the New York Law Journal and writes a monthly column in the Journal of Taxation on state and local tax matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. Debra is a frequent speaker on state and local tax issues and has appeared before such groups as Tax Executives Institute, the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Debra has twenty-five years of experience representing clients in state tax audits and New York State and New York City tax litigation, obtaining federal and state rulings and advisory opinions, providing tax opinion letters, and assisting with voluntary disclosures and collection matters.

Yvonne R. Cort is a Partner at Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP, where she focuses her practice on resolving Federal and New York State tax controversies. For over twenty years, Yvonne has assisted individuals and businesses with IRS and NYS tax matters including New York State and New York City residency audits, IRS and NYS audits and appeals, unfiled returns, income tax, sales tax, withholding tax, responsible person assessments, liens and levies, innocent spouse, voluntary disclosure, installment agreements and offers in compromise. Yvonne has been selected to New York Metro SuperLawyers, a designation given to only 5% of the lawyers in the state. She has served as Chair of the IRS Downstate New York Practitioner Liaison Group and Chair of the Tax Law Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association. She is a Co-Chair of the Attorneys and Accountants Joint Committee of the New York State Society of CPAs, Nassau Chapter. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association Tax Section, where she has contributed to policy papers. Yvonne has been honored as a Long Island Business News Top 50 Women in Business, and is a recipient of the Long Island Power Women in Business award from Long Island Press. Yvonne’s numerous articles on tax topics have been featured in accounting and legal publications such as the Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives, and the Tax Stringer, published by the New York State Society of CPAs. She is a regular speaker for many professional groups in New York and Florida. Yvonne has been interviewed by various media outlets, and she has been quoted in several leading publications including Bloomberg BNA and Newsday. Yvonne received her B. A. magna cum laude from the University of Rochester, and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Yvonne is admitted to the Bar in New York and Pennsylvania, and admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.

Marisa Friedrich, a director at Kaufman Rossin, concentrates on resolving Federal and New York State tax controversies involving personal income tax, tax collections, audits, responsible person assessments, penalty abatements, voluntary disclosure, and FIRPTA matters. Marisa has extensive experience with residency and change of domicile matters, handling active audits as well as providing guidance to plan for these situations. Marisa speaks often on IRS and NYS tax issues for various professional groups and podcasts on topics including IRS and New York State Tax Collections, New York State Residency, and much more. Marisa has also published various articles for qualified publications regarding IRS and New York State tax law. Marisa was also named among “Outstanding Women in Law” by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. Marisa received her J.D. from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. She is admitted to the New York State Bar and admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court. Marisa can be reached at mfriedrich@kaufmanrossin.com or (305) 701-4864.

Moshe Zunpick is a manager in Kaufman Rossin’s tax advisory practice. He specializes in Federal Tax Resolution and assists clients with various issues before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government agencies. Moshe, an attorney by profession, has worked in both accounting firms and law firms focusing on tax controversy. His services focus on Federal, State, and Local tax disputes, including audits, collection matters, and administrative appeals. Before joining the firm, he served as a senior attorney in a boutique tax controversy law firm. Moshe received his Juris Doctor degree with a specialization in tax law from the Cardozo School of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts in accounting and information systems from CUNY Queens College.

Mark L. Stone is the Managing Partner of Sales Tax Defense LLC since 2006. The firm specializes in Sales and Use Taxes. Mark's work as a New York State Tax auditor as well as a Tax Manager/Principle at several prominent accounting firms over the past 30 years has earned himm a reputation as one of the top professionals for multi-state Sales and Use Taxes. He is a frequently invited by various organizations to speak on Sales & Use Tax issues and serves as an Expert witness testifying in tax court on behalf of clients Mark was also an adjunct professor at Long Island University C.W. Post.

Azriel Baer is a trusts and estates attorney counseling high-net-worth individuals and families. Clients turn to Azi for increasingly complex estate planning matters, as well as trust and estate administration. He often works with multiple generations of families, as well as family business owners, to create custom estate plans that make sense for the family while still preserving and protecting family wealth. Azi helps clients achieve their goals through the preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trust instruments and advance directives. He also utilizes more complex estate planning techniques, including transfers to spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), and qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs). He assists clients with modifying, terminating and decanting trusts and helps facilitate the smooth transfer of assets to beneficiaries. In addition, Azi also helps clients navigate estate administration. He is able to simplify the complex so that clients can work through the sometimes challenging process of preparing estate tax returns, distributing assets, and settling estates. Known as a collaborator, Azi serves as a valuable consultant to colleagues in the firm’s estate litigation group, offering expertise in tax and estate planning that helps resolve intricate fiduciary litigation matters.

Robert S. Barnett, CPA, Esq., is a founding partner of Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP, Attorneys at Law. His practice is highly concentrated in the areas of taxation, trusts, estates, corporate and partnership law and charitable planning. His experience includes Surrogate’s Court practice, tax dispute resolution, and Tax Court representation. Mr. Barnett frequently assists clients in structuring financial transactions and charitable gifts. Mr. Barnett applies creative and practical solutions to estate and business planning. He has served on many committees and is a frequent lecturer on numerous aspects of tax and business law. He is an active participant and serves on many professional and charitable boards. Mr. Barnett is a frequent lecturer and writer. His articles and lectures encompass a wide variety of topics, including business succession, estate planning, charitable planning, generation-skipping, stock options, effective strategies for removing tax liens, business taxation, utilization of the marital deduction and partnership elections. Mr. Barnett received his juris doctor in 1986 from Fordham University, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the Fordham Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in accounting. Mr. Barnett holds a Master’s degree in taxation as the recipient of the highest dean’s award. Mr. Barnett is admitted to practice law in New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Member: • Board of Directors of the Long Island Community Foundation. • Board of Directors of Nassau Academy of Law • Professional Advisors Committee of the Long Island Community Foundation • Professional Advisors Committee of the American Heart Association • Past Education Committee Chairman NCCPAP • Past President of the NCCPAP Educational Foundation • Past President of Nassau Chapter NYSSCPA • Member of Nassau Academy of Law Advisory Board • CPA Journal Editorial Review Board, May 2017-2020 Awards: • 2013 Max Block Distinguished Article Award for Technical Analysis • November 2016 – Samuel A. Dyckman, Excellence in Education Award • November 2016 – Leadership in Law Award – Long Island Business News • May 2017 – Distinguished Service Award – NYSSCPAS – Nassau Chapter • Dean’s Award in Taxation – Long Island University CW Post • Fordham Law Review • Fordham University American Jurisprudence Award – Trusts and Estates

Alan is a Managing Director located in our New York City office, who has been serving clients since 1985. He has considerable experience serving high-income and high-net-worth individuals and their closely held businesses. He focuses especially on partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations. During Alan’s career, he has been involved in tax planning for numerous transactions, such as those involving public debt offerings, sales of family businesses and restructurings of distressed entities, Opportunity Zone investments and like-kind exchanges, among others. Alan has represented many clients in tax controversies before the Internal Revenue Service as well as various state and local taxing authorities. He is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.

Jodi Bloom-Piccione, CPA is a Tax Partner with over 30 years of experience providing tax consulting and advisory services to clients in the real estate industry and high net worth individuals. Prior to joining the firm, Jodi was a Tax Partner at Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP (REM), a leading full-service accounting and auditing firm providing a wide variety of accounting, tax, and business advisory services to organizations of all sizes, and high net worth individuals. Jodi is a Co-Chair of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountant’s Real Estate Committee and is on the Board of Directors for the Women Economic Developers of Long Island.

Dean L. Surkin, JD, LLM, is a tax attorney with broad based experience in tax planning and research, has litigated major cases in the fields of taxation, probate and general commercial matters, and has been peer reviewed by Martindale Hubbell. He holds the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, AV. Mr. Surkin received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 (double major in mathematics and political science), his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1976, and his LLM. in taxation from New York University School of Law in 1985. He is admitted to the New York State Bar, the Federal District Courts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Surkin holds the faculty appointment of Professor (Adjunct) at Pace University Graduate School of Business where he currently teaches taxation of entities. He formerly served as Adjunct Associate Professor at the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies where he was program coordinator of the Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning Certificate Program. He has also served as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hunter College, CUNY. He has presented seminars to the Foundation for Accounting Education, the New York State Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, the American Society of Women Accountants, and many private groups. His published articles on tax law have appeared in peer reviewed journals, practitioners’ journals, and the popular press. He publishes a monthly newsletter for his granddaughters detailing the possibly imagined adventures of the Lighted Collar Gang, a group of neighborhood dogs led by master cheese thief Jazz.