Andrew Immerman co-chaired this program hosted by the Southeast Business Tax Forum,
American Bar Association's Sections of Business Law and Section of Taxation and the State Bar of Georgia's Business Law Section and Tax Law Section. Other Alston & Bird speakers included Philip Cook, Matthew Stevens, Jack Cummings, Mary Benton, Vivek Patel and Clay Littlefield. During this two-day seminar, faculty discussed tax planning ideas and updates for both public and private businesses, with an emphasis on the complex tax issues that many companies will face as a result of the troubled economy. The faculty consisted of some of the most knowledgeable and experienced speakers from corporations, law firms, public accounting firms, financial institutions and government agencies. The complete agenda included the following:
Monday, May 18
8:00 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
L. Andrew Immerman - Alston & Bird LLP
John F. Simon - KPMG LLP
8:45 a.m. Ensuring Tax Deductions for Economic Losses
Saba Ashraf - Troutman Sanders LLP
John F. Simon - KPMG LLP
10:15 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Noteworthy Recent Transactions
Joe Ferst - Deloitte Tax LLP
11:30 a.m. Legislative Update
Scott Harty and Joseph K. Dowley
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
12:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Address
Government speaker to be announced
1:45 p.m. Tax Planning for Troubled Companies
Lynn Fowler - Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Donald P. Hensel - King & Spalding LLP
3:15 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Financial Products/Hedge Funds
Matthew Stevens - Alston & Bird LLP
Clay Littlefield - Alston & Bird LLP
4:30 p.m. Corporate Tax Update
Jack Cummings - Alston & Bird LLP
Carrie Parker - PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
5:30 p.m. Reception
Tuesday, May 19
8:00 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Current Audit and Litigation Issues
Mark Mesler - Ernst & Young LLP
Philip Cook - Alston & Bird LLP
Ken Jones - KPMG LLP
9:30 a.m. State and Local Tax Update
Mary Benton - Alston & Bird LLP
Richard Litwin - The Litwin Law Firm, P.C.
Loren Chumley - KPMG LLP
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Employee Compensation and Employment Taxes
Charles Beaudrot - Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
11:45 a.m. Lunch and Update on Privilege and Tax Litigation
Joe Depew - Sutherland
Robert LoRay - United Parcel Service
1:00 p.m. Ethics & Professionalism in Business Transactions
Tina Stark - Emory Law School
2:00 p.m. Partnership Hot Topics:
Series LLCs, Low-Profit LLCs ("L3Cs"), Carried Interests, & Debt-for-Equity Swaps
Gerald V. Thomas II - Alston & Bird LLP
Ashely Wicks - Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis P.A.
L. Andrew Immerman - Alston & Bird LLP
Lee Lyman - Thompson Hine LLP
Vivek Patel - Alston & Bird LLP
3:00 p.m. Close
May 18-19, 2009
Four Seasons Atlanta Hotel / 75 Fourteenth Street / Atlanta, GA 30309