The Atlanta Lawyer October/November 2015 | Page 27

SECTION UPDATE Tax Law Section By Julian A. Fortuna Taylor English Duma LLP [email protected] T he Tax Law Section kick-off event this fiscal year was our Annual Joint Summer Reception with the Georgia Society of CPAs, held on August 20. The evening mixer hosted attorneys and accountants from the Atlanta area for drinks and hor d’oeuvres at the Park Tavern overlooking Piedmont Park. Despite the rain, 65 attendees enjoyed the evening, meeting new members and catching up with familiar faces. Our next collaboration with the Georgia Society of CPAs will be a joint CLE luncheon scheduled for April 19, 2016 at the Buckhead Club when our Vice Chair Scott Wright, from Sutherland, will cover the topic “State Tax Credits.” For the balance of the fiscal year, we have the following events planned: 1.GA Department of Revenue/Tax Bar Liaison Meeting, December 2, 2015 2.Ethics & Professionalism CLE, February 2, 2016 3.Social with the Elder Law and Estate Planning and Probate Sections and the Financial Planning Association, March 10, 2016 4.State Tax Credits CLE, April 19, 2016 5.Georgia State Residency CLE, May 17, 2016 On October 19, 2015, I moderated a panel discussion on Employee Stock Ownership Plans over lunch at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead. The two other panelists were Leah Singleton from Alston & Bird and Nick Heinz from our loyal sponsor, Mercer Capital. The specialized topic attracted 40 attendees comprising a diverse mix of attorneys, CPA’s, bankers and other professionals. On November 3, 2015, we partnered with the Estate Planning and Probate Section and Diversified Trust to present the 12th Annual Atlanta Estate Planning Forum at the Cobb Energy Center. This year the program was a panel discussion moderated by Steve Gorin from Thompson Coburn with panelists Bill Lankford, Tony Turner, and Brook Lester. The panel focused on “Estate Planning with S Corporations and Partnerships.” Steve’s outline for the seminar was over 880 pages. The three-hour interactive program attracted nearly 100 attendees, many of whom stayed for drinks and hor d’oeuvres afterwards. The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association October/November 2015 THE ATLANTA LAWYER 27