2024 Louisiana Tax Conference - Both Days - Webcast

Robert Angelico, Managing Partner, Liskow & Lewis

Bob Angelico is a nationally-known tax lawyer at Liskow & Lewis with years of experience helping top-tier companies with sophisticated state and local tax issues throughout Louisiana. As the head of the firm’s tax practice group, Bob works to minimize the taxes of his clients, which include manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, non-profits, construction businesses and other entities of all types and sizes. 

Clients frequently rely on Bob to represent them in state and local tax audits and administrative appeals as alternatives to the court system. Bob works extensively with the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Louisiana Tax Commission, Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals and local taxing authorities around the state. In addition, he represents clients involved in state tax litigation, and parish and local tax litigation, at both the trial and appellate court levels. 

Bob’s training and credentials set him apart. He is a Board Certified Tax Specialist – as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization – and a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Bob is immediate past president and managing partner of Liskow & Lewis.

Jeffrey Birdsong, Associate, Jones Walker LLP

Jeff Birdsong is an associate in the firm’s New Orleans office, practicing in the areas of nonprofit law and federal, state, and local taxation.

Jeff helps individuals and companies analyze tax consequences for an array of transactions and works to resolve individual and corporate income tax, franchise tax, property tax, and sales tax disputes.  

He also counsels nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations in obtaining tax exemptions, structuring internal governance, and planning related to intermediate sanctions and unrelated business income.

Jeff earned his Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University where he graduated cum laude. He attended NYU School of Law where he completed their Graduate Tax Program.

Brandon Lagarde, EAG Gulf Coast, LLC

Brandon Lagarde is a Partner in the firm's Tax Services Group. Brandon concentrates his practice on tax planning and consulting for federal and state income taxes. Brandon works with clients of all sizes in a variety of industries and assists those businesses with navigating the tax complexities of today's highly regulated environment.
Brandon has extensive experience assisting clients with tax issues associated with the CARES Act, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (aka "Federal Tax Reform") Louisiana income and sales taxation, tax planning for closely-held business, trusts and estates, multi-state planning and compliance, and mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining the firm, Brandon was a Director at Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N), a leading full-service accounting and business advisory firm. Before this, Brandon practiced tax law at a national law firm. 
Brandon is a member of the AICPA (Tax Section), where he serves as the Chair of the Tax Practice Management Committee and Vice-Chair of the National Tax Conference Planning Committee, the LCPA, where he serves on the State and Local Tax Committee, as a member of the Legislative Committee , and as a member of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the LCPA, American Bar Association (Tax Section) and Louisiana Bar Association (Tax Section). Brandon graduated from Leadership Greater Baton Rouge, a year-long leadership program of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), and was named to the Baton Rouge Business Report's Top 40 under 40.
Furthermore, Brandon is a frequent speaker on a variety of tax topics, including CARES Act, Federal Tax Reform, Louisiana taxes, and income and estate tax planning for closely held businesses and high-net worth individuals. 

Richard Nelson, Louisiana Department of Revenue

Secretary Richard Nelson grew up in Mandeville, where he was an Eagle Scout and valedictorian of Mandeville High. He graduated in the top of his class in both Biological Engineering and Law at LSU. Richard served for seven years in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State, living in Washington, D.C., Germany, and the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia. 

As a State Department Officer, engineer, and diplomat, he managed projects and programs protecting American embassies around the world from terrorism and espionage. His time in the Foreign Service was not without adventure. Richard was shot at with rocket propelled grenades in Afghanistan, served in Libya with Ambassador Christopher Stevens shortly before he was killed in Benghazi, and was struck by lightning in Switzerland. 

In 2017, he left the Foreign Service to take an executive position in the private sector and moved his family back home to Mandeville. Nelson was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2019. During his four-year term, he championed issues from improving elementary school literacy to a comprehensive restructuring of Louisiana’s tax code. After suspending his own campaign for Governor, Nelson was appointed by newly-elected Governor Jeff Landry as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, where he is spearheading efforts to reform Louisiana’s broken tax code. 

Secretary Nelson and his wife Ashley live in Mandeville with their three boys, Michael, 10, Arthur, 8, and Jack, 5.

Les Nettleton, IT Director, Bourgeois Bennett, LLC

Les Nettleton served as Bourgeois Bennett’s Director of Information Technology Services for 35 years. In that capacity, he managed the team of specialists that both supports the technological infrastructure of Bourgeois Bennett and provided individualized technology services to the firm’s diverse client base.

Les has specialized experience in the areas of systems analysis, technology management consulting, database management and information systems training. He regularly addresses academic, community and professional groups and organizations, both locally and nationally, on a variety of technology topics and provides technology training to the firm’s staff.  Les was awarded the 2020 Outstanding CPE Discussion Leader by the Louisiana State Society of CPAs after receiving the highest overall speaker rating for 2020.

Active in the community, Les is on the Board of Directors of Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans. He is a member of the St. Catherine of Siena Pastoral Council.  He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs Technology Sector. Les is also a member of Technology Section for AGN North America, an international association of 200 accounting and consulting firms.

Gina Rachel, Partner, EAG Gulf Coast, LLC

Gina Rachel, CPA, is a Partner in the EisnerAmper Tax Services Group. She has over 25 years of public accounting experience.

Gina offers extensive knowledge in the field of taxation, including preparation and review of individual, corporate, partnership, trust, non-profit, estate, and gift tax returns.

Furthermore, her experience extends to such industries as tourism (including restaurants, hotels and related services), real estate, and professional services (including physicians, attorneys, and consultants). She works with businesses and related individuals, assisting them with tax planning and consulting. She also has experience representing clients before the IRS, Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) and parish agencies.

In addition to her focus on client service, Gina is active in the accounting profession. She is a past Chair of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA), Past President of the New Orleans Chapter of the LCPA, and is involved in various LCPA Committees.

Hale Sheppard, Chamberlain Hrdlicka

Hale E. Sheppard is a Shareholder in the Tax Controversy Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka in 
Atlanta, Georgia.  Hale
defends individuals and businesses during tax audits, tax appeals, and Tax Court litigation.

Tax Cases.  Hale has handled over 150 cases with the Tax Court.  His reported cases include Landow 
v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2011-177, Virginia Historic Tax Credit Fund v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 
2009-295, rev'd 639 F.3d 129 (4" Cir. 2011), Heartland Automotive Enterprises, Inc. v. United 
States, 10 AFTR 2d 2009-2406, Topping v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2007-92, and Vines v. 
Commissioner, 126 T.C. 279.

IRS Rulings.  In addition to resolving issues through Tax Court litigation, Hale has obtained 
dozens of favorable determinations from the IRS National Office on procedural, tax, and 
international issues.  Among these are Private Letter Rulings 101685-19, 107887-17, 107272-17, 
107273-17, 101616-17, 137767-16, 131079-14, 201408003,
201338014, 201309001, 201308003, 201242004, 201210009, 201131017, 201002030 and 200751012.

Education.  Hale holds five college degrees.  At the University of Kansas, he earned a B.S., with 
distinction, M.A., with honors, and J.D.  He later received an LL.M. degree in international law, 
with highest distinction, from the Universidad de Chile in South America.  Finally, he obtained an 
LL.M. degree in tax from the University of Florida, where he was a graduate tax scholar.

Awards and Recognitions.  During his studies, Hale received several awards for academic excellence, 
including the prestigious Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship, Janice Dawson Quinn Tax 
Scholarship, Tinker Foundation Scholarship, and Senator James B. Pearson International Fellowship.  
Hale also served as a graduate editor of the Florida Tax Review and member of the Kansas Journal of 
Law & Public Policy.  Hale has been recognized as a leader in tax litigation for many years by 
Chambers USA and other respected organizations.  He has also been inducted into the American 
College of Tax Counsel.

Publications.  Hale ranks among the most active tax writers in the country.  He has published over 
180 articles in some of the nation's top tax journals, including Journal of Taxation, International 
Tax Journal, The Tax Adviser, Journal of International Taxation, Journal of Tax Practice and 
Procedure, Taxes Magazine, Journal of Corporate Taxation Practical Tax Lawyer, Journal of 
Passthrough Entities, Tax Management International Journal, Journal of Multistate Tax & Incentives, 
Tax Notes International, Taxation of Exempts, Practical Tax Strategies, Corporate Business 
Taxation, and Real Estate Taxation.  He has also published major articles in more than 20 
university law reviews, both in the United States and Latin America.

Activities and Affiliations.  Hale has held leadership positions in many professional and civic 
organizations, including: (i) Journal of Taxation, Editorial Board Member, (ii) IRS-Practitioner 
Liaison Committee, state bar representative, (iii) Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure, Editorial 
Board Member, (iv) Georgia Bar Tax Section, President, (v) Georgia Bar Journal, Editorial Board 
Member, (vi) GSU Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Advisory
Committee Member, and (vii) Atlanta Bar Tax Section Board Member.

Michael Villa Jr., Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman, LLP

Mike was named a Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyer Magazines in 2013-2020 . In 2010-2013, he was named a Texas Rising Star. Mike focuses on resolving federal tax controversies and white collar crime, including securities, tax and bank fraud. He represents individuals, closely-held businesses, and large corporations in IRS audits, appeals, and litigation, as well as in business disputes and lawsuits involving fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive trade practices act violations, non-compete violations, business torts, and other commercial disputes.
Prior to joining the firm in 2007, Mike worked in Washington, D.C. as a Congressional intern to U.S. Senator John Breaux (Retired) and worked as an Associate with a regional law firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2004-2005, he served as a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable James J. Brady, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana.
Mike was admitted to practice in Texas in 2005 and in Louisiana in 2004.

J. Benjamin Warren Jr, Warren & Baker, LLC

J. Benjamin Warren Jr. is a Member of the Shreveport law firm of Warren & Baker, LLC. Ben’s practice focuses primarily on corporate, partnership and planning areas with an emphasis on federal and state taxation. He has represented a variety of public and private business clients in numerous transactions involving acquisitions, mergers and reorganizations. He has successfully represented companies and estates before the various appeals offices of the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Tax Court, U.S. District Court, Court of Federal Claims and other tribunals concerning tax deficiency matters, claims for refund, complex audits and litigation matters. Ben is a frequent lecturer on taxation and planning issues. He has given presentations for the Louisiana State University Law School, Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana Society of CPAs, the Tax Estate Planning Counsel of Shreveport and other professional and civic organizations. He has been listed in the Woodward/White Publication, The Best Lawyers in America, for tax law since 2006. He has been listed in Super Lawyers® for Louisiana in corporate law and tax law since the listing began in 2007. Ben received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Louisiana State University in 1984. He received his law degree from Louisiana State University in 1987. He obtained an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 1988. He is a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist under the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is licensed to practice in Louisiana and Texas. He is a past Chairman of the Tax Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He is a past Chairman of the Tax Law Advisory Commission of the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization of the Louisiana State Bar Association. Ben is a past Chairman of the Examination Committee for the Tax Law Advisory Commission for the Board Certification Exam for Tax Law Specialization. He is also a former President and Board Member of the Tax and Estate Planning Counsel of Shreveport. Ben is a member of the State Bar of Texas (State Bar College status); State Bar of Louisiana and Shreveport Bar Association. He is a member of the Committee of One Hundred for Shreveport-Bossier. Mr. Warren can be contacted at 318-588-8000 or ben@warrenbaker-law.com

Melissa Wiley, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Melissa Wiley has over 20 years of experience in tax controversy and litigation on a wide range of civil tax matters at the federal and state level.

She represents clients at all levels of administrative controversy with the IRS, including audits and cases before the IRS Office of Appeals, and has significant experience handling penalty and international information reporting matters.

Her experience includes litigation in the U.S. Tax Court, Court of Federal Claims, and various federal district courts, representing clients facing government and third-party subpoenas and investigations. She also counsels on voluntary disclosures of prior tax noncompliance. 

An actuary by training, Melissa has practiced at a Big Four accounting firm, first as an Assistant General Counsel and later as a Senior Manager in the firm's National Tax department; as well as in the Tax practice of an AmLaw 20 global law firm. 

A respected authority on tax controversy topics, Melissa frequently presents on IRS filing requirements, penalties, and enforcement, as well as on ethics and the Corporate Transparency Act. She is active in numerous professional organizations such as the AICPA and the ABA Tax Section, where she previously served as Vice Chair for Committee Operations and is currently a member of the Nominating and Appointments to the Tax Court Committees. She is also the chair of the DC Bar Tax Audits & Litigation Committee and the Regent for the Federal Circuit for the American College of Tax Counsel.

Melissa's pro bono work includes assisting local children and caretakers through the Children's Law Center, where she served on the board for a decade and has provided pro bono services in custody and abuse/neglect matters for more than 15 years.