TAXLITIGATOR – Tax Controversy (Civil & Criminal) Report

We are all looking forward to the ABA Tax Section 2025 Criminal Tax Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference next week, December 11-13, 2015, in Las Vegas, where there will be record attendance and an excellent line up of cutting-edge programs.

Conference Co-Chair Steven Toscher will be introducing former IRS Commissioners Charles Rettig and Danny Werfel who will discuss What Else Can We Do: Tax Controversy Practice in Challenging Times along with introducing Saturday’s closing panel, Non-Traditional Tax Advocacy. 

Conference Co-Chair Sandra R. Brown will moderate the much anticipated Criminal Tax Enforcement Priorities panel. You also don’t want to miss Evan Davis moderating the Sentencing Advocacy: Tips and Strategies for Both Post-Trial and Post-Plea Disposition panel and Melissa Briggs moderating the Jury Instructions, Expert Witnesses, and Evidentiary Objections panel.

We hope you will join us in Vegas!

Click Here for Additional Registration Information

Steven Toscher is the Managing Principal of the law firm, who specializes in civil and criminal tax controversy and litigation. Mr. Toscher is a Certified Tax Specialist in Taxation, the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and has received an “AV” rating from Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Toscher serves as Co-Chair of the UCLA Tax Controversy Institute and Co-Chair of the ABA Criminal Tax Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference. Mr. Toscher is a frequent lecturer and author on tax controversy and litigation topics and is a co-author of the BNA Portfolio, Tax Crimes. Mr. Toscher was the 2018 recipient of the Joanne M. Garvey Award, given annually to recognize lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to the field of tax law by a senior member of the California tax bar. Mr. Toscher is also the recipient the USD School of Law Richard Carpenter Excellence in Tax Award. In 2024 Mr. Toscher was the recipient of the prestigious Jules Ritholz Memorial Merit Award presented by the Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee of the Taxation Section of the American Bar Association, recognizing tax lawyers who have demonstrated outstanding dedication, achievement and integrity in the field of civil and criminal tax controversies. 

For more information, please contact Steven Toscher at toscher@taxlitigator.com.

Sandra R. Brown is a Principal of Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez P.C., where her practice focuses on criminal tax investigations, grand jury matters, litigation, and sentencing matters as well as representing and advising taxpayers involved in complex and sophisticated civil tax controversies, including sensitive-issue audits and administrative appeals and litigation. Ms. Brown’s extensive experience and successes have included many notable cases including two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, numerous 9^th Circuit rulings and numerous favorable administrative resolutions for taxpayers involved in IRS investigations and audits.

Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Ms. Brown served as the Acting United States Attorney, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Chief of the Tax Division in the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Central District of California; where, with 27 years as a trial lawyer, she personally litigated over 2,000 tax cases on behalf of the United States.

Ms. Brown obtained her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver, is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, Vice-Chair of the ABA’s Section of Taxation’s Criminal and Civil Tax Penalties Committee, Co-Chair of the UCLA Tax Controversy Institute, Co-Chair of the ABA Criminal Tax Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference, an ABA Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowship Mentor, and is a frequent lecturer and author on tax controversy topics, including international compliance and criminal tax matters. Ms. Brown has been recognized as one of California’s top 100 leading women lawyers, the recipient of USD School of Law’s Richard Carpenter Excellence in Tax Award, Chambers High Net Worth in Tax and Tax Fraud, and an honoree of the inaugural Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers.

For more information, please contact Sandra R. Brown at brown@taxlitigator.com

Evan J. Davis has been a Principal at Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez P.C. since November 2016. Mr. Davis handles federal and state criminal and civil tax investigations/exams, white-collar defense, cryptocurrency clients, and civil and criminal appellate matters including having litigated the In re Grand Jury attorney-client privilege matter before the US Supreme Court in 2023. 

He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Counsel.Before joining the firm in 2016, Evan spent nearly 20 years with the US Department of Justice. He was first a civil trial attorney with DOJ’s Tax Division, then an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the C.D. Cal’s Tax Division handling civil and criminal tax cases and, finally, a criminal AUSA in the USAO’s Major Frauds Section handling white-collar, tax, and other fraud cases through jury trial and appeal. He served as the Bankruptcy Fraud coordinator, Financial Institution Fraud Coordinator, and Securities Fraud coordinator. His awards include the U.S. Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for Evan’s work on the $16 Billion RMBS settlement with Bank of America.

For more information, please contact Evan Davis at davis@taxlitigator.com.

Melissa Briggs is a Principal of the law firm Hochman Salkin Perez P.C. where she represents clients in civil and criminal tax litigation as well as tax investigations. She has over twenty years of litigation experience, including over 16 years combined experience as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California, Tax Division, and an Appellate Attorney in the United States Department of Justice, Tax Division, Appellate Section.  

For more information, please contact Melissa Briggs at briggs@taxlitigator.com.