Professionals on the Move – March 31, 2020

Grassi, a leading provider of advisory, tax and accounting services, has added a new partner, Robert L. Tobey, CPA, to the firm’s Tax Services practice. In this role, Tobey will provide tax planning services and compliance advice to clients with complex federal, state and local tax issues.

Tobey has extensive experience advising clients in a variety of tax structures, including pass-through entities, multi-state corporations and international businesses.

Tobey is a graduate of Haworth School of Business, Western Michigan University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Armanino Welcomes New Partner Matt Fricke to Award-Winning Tax Practice

Armanino LLP, one of the 25 largest accounting and business consulting firms in the U.S., recently announced that veteran tax expert Matt Fricke has joined the firm as a partner. Fricke joins the firm’s corporate tax practice with more than two decades of experience navigating the complex tax issues that impact technology companies, from intellectual property and offshore planning structures to domestic credits and incentives.

Fricke specializes in tax accounting of public companies, venture-funded corporations and startup entities and is versed in a plethora of accounting issues including corporate deferred tax accounting and tax reserve analyses, mergers and acquisition accounting, tax attribute analyses, tax internal controls and domestic compliance.

Fricke received his bachelor’s degree in accounting with minors in business and mathematics from Western Colorado University.

Blank Rome Adds Leading State and Local Tax Team in New York

Blank Rome LLP, an AM Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals, is pleased to welcome Craig B. Fields, Holly L. Hyans, Nicole L. Johnson, and Mitchell A. Newmark to the Firm’s New York office as Partners in the Tax, Benefits, and Private Client group. Craig, Nicole, and Mitchell joined on February 15 and Holly joined in early March. The prominent group regularly litigates state and local tax matters and counsels clients on state and local tax planning throughout the country. They join from Morrison & Foerster LLP where Craig served as co-chair of the tax department and chair of the firm’s state and local tax group, and Holly was a founding member of the group.

Craig was selected as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 2019, and serves as an advisory board member for various professional organizations, publications, and centers. He earned his LL.M. from New York University School of Law, his J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and his B.A. from Queens College.

Holly serves on the advisory boards of the Hartman State and Local Tax Forum at Vanderbilt University Law School, the NYU Institute on State and Local Tax, and Bloomberg BNA State Tax. She earned her J.D., Order of the Coif, from New York University School of Law where she served as a staff member of the New York University Law Review, and her B.A. from Brooklyn College of the City of New York.

Nicole was appointed to the New York Tax Appeals Tribunal Advisory Panel in 2018 and serves as a member of the Law360 Tax Authority State & Local Editorial Advisory Board and was named a Rising Star in Tax by Law360 in 2019. Nicole earned her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, and her B.S.B. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Mitchell was named a Law360 Tax MVP in 2019 and serves as co-chair of the State Practice, Procedure, and Liaison Committee of the Tax Section of the New Jersey Bar Association, and is a member of the Tax Section of the New Jersey Bar Association Executive Committee and Executive Council. Mitchell earned his LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, his J.D. from Widener University School of Law, and his M.B.A. and B.A. from Rutgers University.

RubinBrown Welcomes Dawn Landmann as Partner

RubinBrown, one of the nation’s top 50 accounting and business consulting firms, recently welcomed Dawn Landmann as Partner in the Tax Services Group in the St. Louis office.

Dawn has more than 27 years of experience in tax consulting, planning and compliance and has supervised tax compliance for more than 100 domestic and international entities.

Before joining RubinBrown, Dawn served as the Vice President of Tax at Aegion Corporation for 14 years. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Tax at MEMC Electronic Materials.

Dawn holds a B.S. in Accounting from Southeast Missouri State University.

Perkins Coie Expands Trust & Estate Planning Practice with New Seattle Partner Akane R. Suzuki

Perkins Coie, a leading international law firm with more than 1,100 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, recently announced that Akane R. Suzuki has joined the firm’s Trust & Estate Planning practice as a partner in the Seattle office. In addition to serving the Seattle region, Akane has unique experience in the Japanese market and will help expand the practice’s international footprint.

In addition to her estate planning practice, Akane also assists Japanese business clients with a variety of real estate matters including acquisitions, lease reviews, and corporate maintenance.

Akane is co-founder of the Seattle branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is a fellow and chair-elect for the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. She received her B.A., with honors, from Lewis & Clark College; her J.D., with honors, from the University of Washington School of Law; and her LL.M. from New York University School of Law.

Marks Paneth’s Sara Rabi Honored with 2020 Citywealth Powerwomen Award

Sara Rabi, Partner in the Private Client Services Group at Marks Paneth LLP, a premier accounting firm, was the recipient of the silver award at the 2020 Citywealth Powerwomen Awards in the New York Accounting category. The awards honor female leaders in the wealth management sector. Earlier this year she was named to the Citywealth Leaders List, an elite list of New York wealth management professionals.

Ms. Rabi brings a high level of knowledge and experience in fiduciary tax preparation and advisory services to her clients, including corporate executives, family business owners and other high-net-worth individuals. In addition to her client work, she plays an active role in advocating for the interests of the tax practitioner community.

ICBA Announces 2020-21 Executive Committee

The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) recently announced the election of its 2020-21 Executive Committee during the 2020 ICBA LIVE® national convention in Orlando.

Noah W. Wilcox, president, CEO and chairman of Grand Rapids State Bank and its holding company, Wilcox Bancshares Inc., in Grand Rapids, Minn., was elected ICBA chairman and serves as chairman of the ICBA Executive Committee and board of directors.

Joining Wilcox on the ICBA Executive Committee are:

·  Chairman-elect: Robert M. Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga State Bank in Spencer, N.Y.

·  Vice Chairman: Brad M. Bolton, president, CEO and senior lender of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala.

·  ICBA President and CEO: Rebeca Romero Rainey of Washington, D.C.

·  Treasurer: Gregory S. Deckard, president, chairman and CEO of State Bank Northwest in Spokane Valley, Wash.

·  Secretary: Alice P. Frazier, president and CEO of Bank of Charles Town, W.Va.

·  Immediate Past Chairman: Preston L. Kennedy, president and CEO of Zachary Bancshares Inc. in Zachary, La.

·  Past Chairman: Timothy K. Zimmerman, CEO of Standard Bank in Monroeville, Pa.

·  Past Chairman: R. Scott Heitkamp, president and CEO of ValueBank Texas in Corpus Christi, Texas

·  ICBA Consolidated Holdings Chairman: Jack A. Hartings, chairman of The Peoples Bank Co. in Coldwater, Ohio

For more information, including biographies for the ICBA Executive Committee, visit ICBA’s Press Room.

Sikich grows employee benefit plan audit team with two senior hires

Sikich, a global company specializing in technology-enabled professional services. recently announced the addition of Lara Stanton and Amber Williams to the company’s employee benefits plan audit team. Stanton and Williams bring to Sikich considerable experience performing employee benefit plan audits and SOC examinations for clients across a range of industries.

Stanton, director of audit and assurance in the employee benefit plan audit practice, has more than 25 years of experience performing employee benefit plan audits and SOC examinations. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Aurora University.

Williams, a senior audit manager, has more than 10 years of experience conducting employee benefit plan audits. Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Illinois State University.

Blank Rome Continues Expansion of Nationwide State and Local Tax Group in New York

Blank Rome LLP,  an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 600 attorneys is pleased to welcome five new attorneys to the Firm’s Tax, Benefits, and Private Client group in the New York office: Senior Counsel Irwin M. Slomka; Of Counsel Matthew F. Cammarata, Eugene J. Gibilaro, and Kara M. Kraman; and Senior Attorney Michael A. Pearl. The leading group joins from Morrison & Foerster LLP and adds to the Firm’s growing Nationwide State and Local Tax practice.

Irwin serves as the co-chair of the New York City Taxes Committee for the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association, and is a member of the Tax Section’s Executive Committee. He regularly speaks before the New York State Bar Association Tax Section, the Council on State Taxation, and the Tax Executives Institute. Irwin received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and his B.A. from Queens College.

Matthew has litigated many complex tax controversy cases, prior to entering private practice, on behalf of the Massachusetts Commissioner of Revenue during his tenure at the Litigation Bureau of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and serves on the Editorial Committee for the Institute for Professionals in Taxation. Matthew received his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A. from Boston College.

Eugene has been published in TEI Magazine, State Tax Notes, Law360, and the Journal of State Taxation. Prior to serving as an attorney, he worked at one of the big four accounting firms where he advised private equity and corporate clients on tax matters. He received his LL.M. from New York University School of Law; his J.D., summa cum laude, from New York Law School; and his B.A. from The George Washington University.

Kara frequently writes on state and local tax topics and has been published in leading media outlets such as Forbes, State Tax Notes, and Tax Law360. She is also a contributing author of the treatise Tax Planning for Corporations and Shareholders, published by LexisNexis. She received her LL.M. from New York University School of Law, her J.D. from The College of William & Mary, and her B.A. from Georgetown University.

Michael previously provided state and local tax consulting services for two major accounting firms prior to joining private practice, and previously served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. Michael received his LL.M. from New York University School of Law, his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, and his B.A. from City College of New York.