Tax LL.M. Full-time and Adjunct Faculty

Ann F. Thomas
Otto L. Walter Distinguished Professor of Tax Law and
Director

A.B. 1973 magna cum laude, Harvard-Radcliffe
J.D. 1976, Yale Law School

Professor Thomas brings to the classroom 17 years of practice experience—10 as a partner—working in the tax department at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions. She is a past member of the Tax Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1984–87) and the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association (1996–98). Her scholarship focuses on comparative systems of entity taxation, the tax treatment of women and the history of the federal income tax. Professor Thomas teaches Individual Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Comparative Tax Law, Business Law Issues in Structuring the Closely Held Enterprise and the Graduate Tax Program Research and Writing Seminar.

 

Richard C.E. Beck
Founding Director and Professor of Law

B.A. 1963, University of Chicago
Ph.D. 1973, University of Chicago
J.D. 1980, Yale Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1984, New York University

An expert in federal individual income tax, Professor Beck has testified for reform of spousal income tax liability before the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. Professor Beck teaches Individual Tax, Tax Policy, International Tax, and the Taxation of Property Transactions. He has also taught Corporate & Partnership Tax.

Professor Beck coauthored a casebook on taxation of business enterprises, and has published numerous articles on a wide variety of income tax issues. He has also taught at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), the University of Rennes, the University Osnabrück, and the Wirtschaftsuniversität in Vienna, and also lectured in Moscow and Sochi. He is a member of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association, as well as the NY City and State Bar Associations.

 

William P. LaPiana
Director of Estate Planning and
Rita and Joseph Solomon Professor of Wills, Trusts, and
Estates

A.B. 1973 summa cum laude, Harvard University
A.M. 1975, Harvard University
J.D. 1978 cum laude, Harvard University
Ph.D. 1987, Harvard University

A noted historian and expert in tax law, Professor LaPiana is the author of Logic and Experience (Oxford, 1994), an important analysis of the intellectual roots of the case method used in legal education. In addition to his extensive academic experience, Professor LaPiana spent four years as an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell. He is a member of the American Law Institute, the Supervisory Council of the Real Property Probate and Trust Section of the ABA, and was the Reporter for the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act. He is also an Academic Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estate Counsel. He teaches American Legal History, Estate Planning, Federal Wealth Transfer Taxation, Property, Wills, Trusts & Future Interests, and Advanced Wealth Transfer Planning.

 

Diane L. Fahey
Associate Professor of Law

B.A. 1979, Cleveland State University
J.D. 1983 cum laude, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
LL.M. (Taxation) 2000, Georgetown University Law Center

After receiving her LL.M. in Taxation, Professor Fahey served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable James Halpern of the United States Tax Court from 2000 to 2002. At New York Law School she teaches Federal Income Tax: Corporate, and Federal Income Tax: Individual.

 

Adjunct Faculty

Alan I. Appel '76
B.B.A. 1973, Baruch College of the City University of New York
J.D. 1976, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1980, New York University
Counsel, Bryan Cave LLP
Course: International Tax Planning—Advanced

John P. Barrie
A.B., 1969, University of California-Los Angeles
J.D. 1972, University of California-Hastings
LL.M. (Taxation) 1973, New York University
Partner, Bryan Cave LLP
Course:
Corporate Tax Planning Seminar

Marc S. Bekerman
B.A. 1989, State University of New York at Binghamton
J.D. 1992, Fordham University School of Law
LL.M. (Taxation) 1995, New York University
Fleischman & Bekerman, LLP
Course: Estate Planning

Megan L. Brackney
B.A. 1995, University of Kansas
J.D. 1998, University of Kansas, School of Law
LL.M. (Taxation) 2009, New York University
Associate, Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP
Course: Tax Litigation Seminar

Gerard Brew
B.A., 1984, Rutgers University
J.D., 1988, Rutgers University School of Law - Newark
Partner, McCarter & English LLP
Course: New Jersey Estate Administration

Lawrence L. Davidow
B.A. 1968, Queens College of the City University of New York
Ph.D. 1975, Princeton University
J.D. 1984, Columbia University School of Law
LL.M. (Taxation) 1989, New York University School of Law
Senior Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, Office of the Chief Counsel, Large and Midsize Business Division
Course: Advance Reorganization

Alan Dixler
B.A., Tufts University
J.D., University of Virginia Law School
LL.M. (Taxation), New York University School of Law
Senior Tax Counsel, Alpharma, Inc.
Course: Taxation of Intellectual Property Transactions

Lawrence S. Feld
B.A. 1964 Queens College of the City University of New York
J.D. 1967, Columbia University School of Law
The Law Office of Lawrence S. Feld
Course: Tax Litigation Seminar

Robert Firestone '90
B.S. 1977, Brooklyn College
J.D. 1990, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1997, New York University

Commissioner, New York City Tax Appeals Tribunal
Courses: State and Local Tax; Tax Procedure and Tax Practice

Jacob I. Friedman '75
B.A. 1971, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
J.D. 1975 New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1978, New York University
Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP, Chair of Tax Department
Course: Employee Benefits

Kathleen Grimm '80
B.A. 1967, Manhattanville College
J.D. 1980, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1984, New York University
Deputy Chancellor for Administration and Finance, New York City
Department of Education
Course: Municipal Finance

Emily F. Johnson
B.A. 1969, University of Pennsylvania
J.D. 1974, New York University
Courses: Federal Wealth Transfer Tax: Basic Issues; Wealth Transfer Planning

Michael Kliegman
B.S. 1975, University of Pennsylvania
J.D. 1978, Boston University
LL.M. (Taxation) 1983, Georgetown University
Course: Advanced Corporate Reorganizations

Anna Kozoulina '00
B.A. 1978, St. Petersburg State University
Ph.D. 1985, St. Petersburg State University
J.D. 2000, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 2001, New York University School of Law
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS Manhattan
Courses: Tax Procedure and Tax Practice; Taxation of Financial Instruments

Lynn Halpern Lederman
B.A. 1990, University of Pennsylvania
J.D. 1993, Duke University School of Law
Associate Fiduciary Counsel, Legacy Planning Department, Bessemer Trust
Course: Federal Wealth Transfer Tax, Basic Concepts

Marc M. Lewis '95
B.A. 1991, New York University
J.D. 1995, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 1996, Georgetown University Law Center
Senior Vice President - Diageo Corporation
Course: International Transfer Pricing Seminar

Gary B. Mandel
B.S. 1985, Brooklyn College
M.B.A. 1990, Pace University
J.D. 1994, St. John's University
LL.M. (Taxation) 1996, Georgetown University
Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP
Course: Problems of Timing

Phillip Michaels '76
B.A. 1972, University of Notre Dame
J.D. 1976, New York Law School
LL.M.(Taxation) 1981, New York University
Partner, Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP
American College
of Trusts and Estates Council, Fellow
Course: Seminar on Tax Planning for the Family Business

David T. Moldenhauer
A.B. 1981, Princeton University
J.D. 1986, New York University
Partner, Clifford Chance US LLP, Head of US Tax Practice
Course: International Taxation of Businesses and Entities

Lisa A. Padilla
B.A. 1983, Boston University
J.D. 1988, Boston University School of Law
LL.M. (Taxation) 1993, Boston University School of Law
Courses: Wealth Transfer: Basic Tax Issues; Business Law
Issues in Structuring the Closely Held Enterprise

Russell J. Pinilis
B.A. 1991, Franklin and Marshall College
J.D. 1996, New York University
LL.M. (Taxation) 2000, New York University
Partner, O'Melveney & Myers LLP
Course: Private Equity Funds

Elliot Pisem
B.A. 1975, Columbia University
J.D. 1978, Columbia University, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Partner, Roberts and Holland LLP
Course: Tax Planning for Real Estate Transactions Seminar

Steven Plotnick
B.B.A. 1986, University of Miami
J.D. 1989, Fordham University
LL.M.(Taxation) 1994, New York University
IBE Trade Corporation
Course: Federal Income Tax: Partnerships

George Pompetzki
B.A. 1975, Seton Hall University
J.D./M.B.A. 1983, Rutgers University

M.S. (Taxation) 1986, Seton Hall University
LL.M.(Taxation) 2006, New York Law School
Vice President Taxes, sanofi-aventis
Course: Advanced Corporate Reorganizations

John J. Reddy, Jr. '79
B.S. 1976, Fordham College
J.D. 1979, New York Law School
Partner, Bekerman and Reddy, LLP

Course: Estate Administration

Tracy Christen Reimann
B.A. 1984, Long Island University, College of Arts & Science
J.D. 1987, Brooklyn Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 2000, New York University
Partner, Karlen, Stolzar & Reimann, LLP
Course: Federal Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates

Luis Rodriguez Jr. ’99
B.S. 1985, Long Island University
M.B.A. 1995, Baruch College of the City University of New York
J.D. 1999, New York Law School
LL.M. (Taxation) 2010, New York Law School
General Practitioner representing small businesses and non-profits; structured finance: OTC Derivatives
Courses: Taxation of Financial Products; Problems of Timing

Gideon Rothschild '80
B.B.A. 1973, Baruch College of the City University
of New York
J.D. 1980, New York Law School
Partner, Moses and Singer
Fellow, American College of Trusts and Estates Council
Course: Advanced Wealth Transfer Planning Seminar

Michael P. Ryan
B.A. 1975, University of Notre Dame
J.D. 1979, Fordham University School of Law
Chief Clerk and Referee, Nassau County Surrogate's Court
Courses: New York Wills Practice; Federal Wealth Transfer Tax, Basic Concepts

David Samuels
A.B. 1974, Harvard University
J.D. 1978, Harvard University
LL.M. (Taxation) 1985, New York University
Partner, Duval & Stachenfeld, LLP
Course: Charitable Organizations

Rosalie Sanderson
B.S. 1971, University of Central Arkansas
M.A. 1973, University of Arkansas
M.L.S. 1975, University of California, Berkeley
J.D. 1986, University of Florida College of Law
Professor of Legal Research; Instruction
and Automation Librarian, New York Law School
Course: Graduate Tax Program Research and
Writing Seminar (Coteacher)

Paul Schneiderman
B.A., 1985, The American University, School of Government and Public Administration
J.D., 1988, State University of New York at Buffalo
Associate Area Counsel, Internal Revenue Service
Courses: Tax Procedure and Tax Practice; Problems of Timing

Eileen Caufield Schwab
B.A. 1965, Hunter College
J.D. 1971, Columbia University
Partner, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood
American College
of Trusts and Estates Counsel, Fellow
Course: Advanced Wealth Transfer Planning Seminar

Linda J. Sosnowitz '73
B.A. 1969, Smith College
J.D. 1973, New York Law School
Partner, Stapper & Van Doren
Course: Estate Planning

Steven Tillem
B.S.B.A. 1986, Washington University
J.D. 1992, Fordham University
Senior Attorney, Office of the Cief Counsel Internal Revenue Service
Course: Taxation of Financial Instruments

Jacqueline Valouch '95
B.A. 1986, State University of New York at Albany
J.D. 1995, New York Law School
Vice President and Charitable Planning Consultant, Fidelity Charitable Services
Course: Charitable Organizations

Jack Williams
B.A., 1982, University of Oklahoma
J.D. 1985, George Washington University
Professor of Law, Georgia State University College of Law
Director, BDO Seidman, LLP, New York
Courses: Bankruptcy and Workouts: Tax Issues; Federal Income Tax: Individual

 

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