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66th Annual

Taxation Conference

Austin Nov 14-15, 2018 AT&T Conference Center
Conference Concluded
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SPONSORS
Branscomb | PC
Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich
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Overview

UT Law CLE’s 2018 Taxation Conference presents the expertise and in-depth analysis essential to understanding where tax law is, where it came from, and where it is going. With a renowned slate of regional and national speakers, the conference is a must attend event for those looking to keep current amidst a dramatically changing tax landscape.

  • Analyze the full impact of the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including how it effects choice of entity, Section 199A, basis management, and exempt organizations. 
  • Examine new developments in state and local taxes, including franchise tax COGS calculation and the impact of South Dakota v. Wayfair on businesses that sell across state lines.
  • Explore how tax law is evolving alongside other economic trends, including discussion of cryptocurrency and the gig economy.
Following the conference, attendees will receive supplemental on-demand programming to ensure they are able to satisfy their full 15.0/3.0 MCLE requirement. All this makes the conference the definitive Texas tax course of the year.
 
Continue on Friday with Professor Stanley M. Johanson’s popular one-day Estate Planning Workshop offering lively discussion, practical advice, and updates.

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Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.
All times are Central Time Zone.

  • Day 1 November 14, 2018
  • Day 2 November 15, 2018
  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Wednesday Morning, Nov. 14, 2018
    Presiding Officer:
    Robert D. Probasco, Texas A&M University School of Law - Fort Worth, TX
  • 7:30 am
    Registration Opens
    Includes continental breakfast. 

  • 8:20 am
    Welcoming Remarks

  • 8:30 am
    2.00 hrs
    Recent Developments in Federal Income Taxation
    Review significant court decisions, rulings, and statutory and regulatory developments of the past year.

    Bruce A. McGovern, South Texas College of Law Houston - Houston, TX

  • 10:30 am
    Break

  • 10:45 am
    1.00 hr
    Texas State and Local Tax: New Developments
    Learn about important new developments in the Texas franchise tax and sales tax laws that affect your tax compliance and tax planning practices. Examine recent court cases and policies affecting the franchise tax COGS calculation, as well as the South Dakota v. Wayfair decision and how it affects businesses that sell across state lines.

    James F. Martens, Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich - Austin, TX

  • 11:45 am
    Pick Up Lunch
    Included in registration. 

  • Wednesday Afternoon, Nov. 14, 2018
    Presiding Officer:
    Maxine Aaronson, Attorney at Law - Dallas, TX
  • LUNCHEON PRESENTATION
  • 12:05 pm
    1.00 hr
    Perspective on the Tax Legislative Process
    Get a behind the scenes look at the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, focusing on how specific provisions were enacted and the intent behind the provisions.

    Christopher Hanna, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law - Dallas, TX

  • 1:05 pm
    Break

  • 1:20 pm
    1.00 hr
    Taxation of Bitcoin, its Progeny and Derivatives: Coin Ex Machina
    Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, along with Initial Coin Offerings and tokens has continued to grow after becoming the focus of many last year. Review a basic explanation of blockchain and what a cryptocurrency is, and get an overview of federal income tax guidance and important tax questions that remain.

    Stevie D. Conlon, Wolters Kluwer - Chicago, IL

  • 2:20 pm
    1.00 hr
    Understanding the Benefits of the New Section 199A Deduction
    Cut through the byzantine complexity of Section 199A to understand the Section’s benefits and who gets it, and explore the guardrails that limit the category of owners and the types of income that qualify for the benefit and what we know regarding Treasury guidance.

    William Paul Bowers, Norton Rose Fulbright - Dallas, TX

  • 3:20 pm
    Break

  • 3:30 pm
    1.00 hr
    Rock, Paper, Scissors? Choice of Entity After Tax Reform
    The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 changed the tax treatment of business entities, including a reduction in the corporate rate and a new deduction for partners, and brought new considerations into play when choosing the form of doing business for your clients. Hear about the factors that may influence your selection now, when and why pass-through entities may still be the right choice, and how and when multi-entity structures may be useful.

    Barbara Spudis de Marigny, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP - Houston, TX

  • 4:30 pm
    Adjourn

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Thursday Morning, Nov. 15, 2018
    Presiding Officer:
    Catherine C. Scheid, Attorney at Law - Houston, TX
  • 7:30 am
    Conference Room Opens
    Includes continental breakfast. 

  • 8:30 am
    1.00 hr
    0.50 hr ethics
    Partnership Audit Update
    Explore the latest developments and current status of the new partnership audit rules, as well as tips, traps and trends in drafting partnership and LLC agreement provisions addressing these rules, and learn how to successfully navigate issues in drafting such provisions, including how to determine who the client is and how to address potential conflicts of interest among partners.

    Brandon Bloom, Thompson & Knight LLP - Dallas, TX
    Mary A. McNulty, Thompson & Knight LLP - Dallas, TX

  • 9:30 am
    1.00 hr
    Structuring Business Transactions After the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
    Examine the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on mergers and acquisitions, including the effect of new tax rates, expanded bonus depreciation, and new limitations on interest deductions.

    Michael P. Bresson, Baker Botts L.L.P. - Houston, TX

  • 10:30 am
    Break

  • 10:45 am
    1.00 hr
    International Changes 
    The international tax arena was significantly changed in 2017 with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including an expansion of its reach into purely domestic transactions. Discuss these changes, and identify the key issues they raise for practitioners.

    Bret Wells, University of Houston Law Center - Houston, TX

  • 11:45 am
    Break

  • Thursday Afternoon, Nov. 15, 2018
    Presiding Officer:
    Patrick L. O'Daniel, Norton Rose Fulbright - Austin, TX
  • LUNCHEON PRESENTATION
  • Thank You to Our Luncheon Sponsor
    Branscomb | PC

  • 12:05 pm
    1.00 hr ethics
    Ethics Jeopardy
    Enjoy an hour of interactive study of numerous ethics decisions and opinions, illustrated with fact situations, and challenging the audience to make the right ethical choice.

    Claude E. Ducloux, Attorney at Law - Austin, TX

  • 1:05 pm
    Break

  • 1:20 pm
    1.00 hr
    The Gig Economy
    Explore the effects of the sharing economy on the traditional employment model as companies use technology to connect providers and end-users in novel ways and individual providers increasingly view themselves as entrepreneurs with their own business aspirations. Specific topics include the scope of the limitations of the employee/contractor classification system, the use of arbitration agreements as a response to judicial second-guessing, the scope of an employee’s fiduciary duty, the ownership of employee inventions, and some of the potential consequences associated with replacing the traditional employment model with individually-defined, market-driven, peer-to-peer business relationships.

    Jason Boulette, Boulette Golden & Marin L.L.P. - Austin, TX

  • 2:20 pm
    1.00 hr
    Exempt Organizations Update
    Learn how tax reform and other current developments have directly impacted tax-exempt organizations.

    Jonathan S. Blum, Polsinelli PC - Dallas, TX

  • 3:20 pm
    Break

  • 3:30 pm
    1.00 hr
    Putting It On and Taking It Off: Managing Tax Basis Today (For Tomorrow)
    “Tax Reform” has arrived, and the importance of the management and creation of tax basis – and the opportunities surrounding it – have never been greater. Examine the innovative tax basis management techniques that strip, shift, create, concentrate, and maximize basis where it can be of most benefit to taxpayers, including: (1) upstream planning and powers of appointment to create basis; (2) maximizing and multiplying the “step-up” in basis; (3) the upside of leverage; (4) partnership planning to move basis to where you want it; (5) novel uses of grantor trusts and disregarded entities in basis management; (6) how to “base-up” foreign assets for U.S. taxpayers; and (7) planning that benefits charity while capturing new basis for the family.

    Paul S. Lee, Northern Trust - New York, NY

  • 4:30 pm
    Adjourn

  • Day 1 November 14, 2018
  • Day 2 November 15, 2018
Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Brandon Bloom

Thompson & Knight LLP
Dallas, TX

Jonathan S. Blum

Polsinelli PC
Dallas, TX

Jason Boulette

Boulette Golden & Marin L.L.P.
Austin, TX

William Paul Bowers

Norton Rose Fulbright
Dallas, TX

Michael P. Bresson

Baker Botts L.L.P.
Houston, TX

Stevie D. Conlon

Wolters Kluwer
Chicago, IL

Barbara Spudis de Marigny

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Houston, TX

Claude E. Ducloux

Attorney at Law
Austin, TX

Christopher Hanna

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Dallas, TX

Paul S. Lee

Northern Trust
New York, NY

James F. Martens

Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich
Austin, TX

Bruce A. McGovern

South Texas College of Law Houston
Houston, TX

Mary A. McNulty

Thompson & Knight LLP
Dallas, TX

Bret Wells

University of Houston Law Center
Houston, TX

Planning Committee

Robert D. Probasco—Chair

Texas A&M University School of Law
Fort Worth, TX

Catherine C. Scheid—Vice-Chair

Attorney at Law
Houston, TX

Deborah Salzberg—Director

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Maxine Aaronson

Attorney at Law
Dallas, TX

Danielle Ahlrich

Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich
Austin, TX

Stephen R. Akers

Bessemer Trust
Dallas, TX

R. Gordon Appleman

Thompson & Knight LLP
Fort Worth, TX

Stanley L. Blend

Strasburger & Price, LLP
San Antonio, TX

Michael L. Cook

Cook Brooks Johnson PLLC
Austin, TX

Barbara Spudis de Marigny

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Houston, TX

Dennis B. Drapkin

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Dallas, TX

Lawrence B. Gibbs

Miller & Chevalier
Washington, DC

Joe Hull

Bracewell
Austin, TX

Donald O. Jansen

The University of Texas System
Austin, TX

Stanley M. Johanson

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Calvin H. Johnson

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

James F. Martens

Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich
Austin, TX

Kenton E. McDonald

Branscomb | PC
Corpus Christi, TX

Christina A. Mondrik

Mondrik & Associates
Austin, TX

Charles J. "Chad" Muller III

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry
San Antonio, TX

Patrick L. O'Daniel

Norton Rose Fulbright
Austin, TX

T. Charles Parr III

Parr & Associates
San Antonio, TX

Robert J. Peroni

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Amanda Traphagan

Seay & Traphagan, PLLC
Austin, TX

Credit Info

  • Austin
MCLE Credit
Toggle view Texas – 14.00 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
Legal Specialization(s): Estate Planning and Probate Law, Tax Law
You may claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of Texas. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided in Your Briefcase for your records. The system reports Texas CLE credit every Tuesday. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com, using the course number  provided on your certificate of attendance.
Toggle view California – 14.00 hrs  |  1.50 hrs Ethics
You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE is required to provide the State Bar with electronic attendance records for any MCLE participatory activity within 60 days of completion of the activity. The California licensee is responsible for reporting their compliance/credit hours earned to the State Bar at the end of their reporting period directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov.  UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  
Toggle view Oklahoma – 17.00 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, then you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the conference.
Other Credit
Toggle view Certified Financial Planner (CFP) – 14.00 hrs
This course has been approved for Certified Financial Planner (CFP) credit. UT Law CLE will report your credit for you, but we do require that you claim the credit in your Briefcase and ensure your CFP number is add in your account. Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

You can learn more at: http://www.cfp.net/
Toggle view National Accounting CPE – 17.00 hrs
The University of Texas School of Law is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Delivery Method: Group-Live (UT Law CLE is a provider of NASBA Group-Live credit only, which excludes online offerings. If you need Accounting credit in any state other than Texas, please review the self-reporting guidelines on the NASBA website to confirm your ability to self-report credit from the live webcast.)

To comply with NASBA Standards, attendees claiming CPE credit must sign in to verify attendance for each segment. Attendance sign-in sheets will be available at the registration desk. You will need your CPA license number to sign in. A CPE Certificate of Completion will be provided at the conclusion of the conference.

Reporting: CPAs are responsible for reporting CPE credits earned to their state's accountancy board, and must retain appropriate documentation of their participation in learning activities. Visit your state’s reporting website for more information or www.nasba.org.
Toggle view TX Accounting CPE – 17.00 hrs
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live conferences are presumptively approved by The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

At the conference, you are welcome to sign in on the Accounting CPE Record of Attendance form at the registration desk, but we are now reporting all credit online. You will receive a Texas Accounting Certificate of Completion in Your Briefcase. Self-report your CPE credit directly to TSBPA. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  

Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

Key Dates

Austin – Nov 14-15, 2018 – AT&T Conference Center
Conference Concluded
Buy
  • Austin
Individual
Last day for $575.00 Regular pricing: Nov 7, 2018

$625.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $518.00 Regular pricing: Nov 7, 2018

$568.00 for registrations received after this time

Group (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $460.00 Regular pricing: Nov 7, 2018

$510.00 for registrations received after this time

Last day for cancellation (full refund): Nov 9, 2018

$50 processing fee applied after this date

Last day for cancellation: Nov 12, 2018

Venue

speaker

AT&T Conference Center

The University of Texas at Austin
1900 University Avenue
Austin, TX
877.744.8822 (reservations)
Map

Accommodations

Special Room Rate: $189 good through October 16, 2018. Reference the "Taxation and Estate Planning Conference" when you call reservations.

Parking Information

Free daily self-parking at UT garages. Separate fees apply for valet and overnight parking. 

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors! Click each logo below to learn more.

  • Branscomb | PC

    Branscomb | PC
    branscombpc.com
  • Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich logo
    Martens, Todd, Leonard & Ahlrich
    A boutique law firm located downtown Austin, Texas.  We limit our practice to handling Texas and federal tax controversies and litigation.  We represent clients in all stages: including audits, administrative hearings, trials, and appeals.  We have successfully tried numerous Texas sales tax and franchise tax cases and handled the ensuing appeals: Combs v. Roark Amusement & Vending, L.P., Taylor & Hill, Inc. v. Combs, Combs v. Newpark Resources, Inc., Titan Transportation, LP v. Combs, Hegar v. CGG Veritas Services (U.S.), Inc., Garriott v. Combs, Hegar v. Gulf Copper and Manufacturing Corp., and Pointsmith Point-of-Purchase Management Services, LP v. Hegar.
    textaxlaw.com
Download Sponsor Details Become a Sponsor
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