Our latest featured speaker is Carl Shusterman!

Carl will be speaking at our upcoming Immigration Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 12th and 13th. We’re looking forward to your presentation, Carl!

Immigration Attorney Carl Shusterman has over 40 years of experience practicing immigration law. He served as a Trial Attorney for U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1976 until 1982 when he entered the private practice of law. He is one of the very limited number of attorneys who have been designated as Certified Specialists in Immigration and Naturalization Law by the California State Bar. For more than 10 years, he has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America and as a Super Lawyer by his colleagues in the bar.

Carl Shusterman was featured in the February 2018 issue of SuperLawyers Magazine.

He has been named as one of the top 15 corporate immigration attorneys in the U.S. by Human Resource Executive magazine. His hard work and dedication to immigration law have earned him the highest rating (“AV”) in legal ability and ethics from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. He has also served as a member of the Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar. He is also listed in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and the Chamber’s USA Guide for Leading Business Lawyers.

Carl Shusterman has testified as an expert witness before the Senate Immigration Subcommittee in Washington, D.C.

Immigration law is very personal for Carl. His wife was born in the Philippines and later became an INS officer. Carl’s son was born in Canada and his daughter-in-law’s parents are Indian immigrants. His office staff speaks Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog and a variety of other languages.

Carl is a former Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Southern California Chapter and served as a member of AILA’s national Board of Governors (1988-97). He has chaired numerous AILA Committees, spoken at dozens of AILA Conferences and has contributed a number of scholarly articles to AILA’s publications.

Carl volunteered together with Attorney Cheryl Gertler in assisting women and children incarcerated by our government in Dilley, Texas after fleeing from violence in Central America.

Carl is a frequent writer and lecturer on immigration law. His articles, letters to the editor and quotes have appeared in prestigious publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Canada’s Globe and Mail, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, National Law Journal, California Lawyer, Los Angeles Lawyer, Journal of the American Medical Association, Christian Science Monitor, Atlantic Monthly, Computer World, Information Week, Issues in Science and Technology, Variety, and numerous other publications. He has written for, and been quoted extensively in, leading periodicals specializing in immigration law including Interpreter Releases, Immigration Law and Procedure, Immigration Briefings, Inside Immigration, Immigration Journal and U.S. Immigrant Magazine. In addition, he has appeared on various television programs including NBC’s Today Show, CNN’s Headline News, the Nightly News with Peter Jennings, and on a wide variety of nationally syndicated radio shows.

Our latest featured speaker is Gregory Zbylut from Singer Burke Zimmer!

Greg will be speaking at our upcoming Tax Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on August 22nd and 23rd. He has spoken for us several times, and we’re so glad to have him back!

Gregory Zbylut has been a tax manager with Singer Burke Zimmer, LLP since 2018. He is a Certified Public Accountant (IL) and Attorney at Law (IL & CA) with a Certification in Taxation Law (CA). He is a Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent®-rated attorney who focuses his practice on tax controversy, business transactions (including formations and dissolutions) and business litigation.

Greg’s work has repeatedly been recognized by his peers. He has been listed as a “Rising Star” (a peer-nominated distinction awarded to less than 2% of attorneys nationwide) every year since 2012, and a SuperLawyer in 2018 and 2019. He was also a Pasadena Top Attorney from 2013 to 2016, and then again in 2018. Greg is a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Association Tax Sections, both of which he previously co-chaired.

Greg also participates in Bar delegations to Sacramento and Washington D.C., where he works with government officials to discuss current law from a practitioner’s perspective. Legislators have taken notice: in 2014, assembly bill 2244 (AB2244) was introduced in response to his presentation as part of the State Bar of California’s first Sacramento delegation in February 2013 (later published in the July 10, 2013 issue of State Tax Notes magazine, a Tax Analysts® publication). That presentation also led to his being invited to participate in the State Bar’s annual Eagle’s Lodge retreat, an invite-only event consisting of high-level state tax officials and private practitioners whose purpose is find solutions to tax issues affecting California taxpayers. On the federal tax side, he has traveled to Washington D.C. annually since 2012, presenting proposals on the Marketplace Fairness Act, late ‘S’ elections, and cancellation of debt.

One of Greg’s strengths is his ability to help business owners understand complex legal issues, a skill which comes from his extensive accounting background. In addition to being licensed in Illinois as a Certified Public Accountant, he spent 15 years in a variety of accounting positions for companies large and small, including Fortune 500 members Exelon and General Motors. His experience includes developing accounting structures for small companies, migration of the accounting software for a major corporation, cost reduction initiatives, budgeting and forecasting, and financial analysis. He holds an M.B.A. with an emphasis in International Business and Finance from Loyola University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. Greg enjoys international travel and, in another life, trained at Second City in Chicago.

Our latest featured speaker is Todd Taylor from Michael Sullivan & Associates!

Todd will be speaking at our upcoming Workers’ Compensation Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 19th and 20th. We’re looking forward to your presentation, Todd!

Mr. Taylor represents insurance carriers, self-insured employers and public entities in all aspects of workers’ compensation. Before joining Michael Sullivan & Associates, Mr. Taylor was an Associate Attorney at Chaves & Breault in Torrance, where he represented self-insured employers in all aspects of workers’ compensation defense before all Southern California WCABs.

He was also an Associate Attorney at Grancell, Stander, Reubens, Thomas & Kinsey in El Segundo, where he handled more than 100 workers’ comp cases from inception to trial or settlement. Much of that time, he served as Lead Attorney for American Building Maintenance.

Mr. Taylor also served as Associate Attorney at Hayford & Felchlin in Los Angeles, and Domingo, Elias & Vu in Brea. There, too, he practiced exclusively worker’s compensation defense, representing employers and public entities including school districts. He was a Paralegal at Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown in Irvine, assisting the firm’s attorneys in workers’ compensation defense.

Before embarking on a legal career, Mr. Taylor was a Work Care Technician at Northbay Healthcare in Vacaville, performing pre-employment tests and occupational health screenings, and managing medical records. He served several years as Security Forces Officer for the U.S. Air Force at Beale Air Force Base in California. His military duties included routine and emergency law enforcement, some of which required top-secret clearance. He also supervised and trained troops in investigation and surveillance.

Mr. Taylor received his Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, where he served as the campus chapter’s President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Board. He received his undergraduate degree from Minnesota State University in Moorhead, graduating magna cum laude.

Our latest featured speaker is Jack Russo from Computer Law Group!

Jack will be speaking at our upcoming Appellate Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 12th and 13th. We’re glad to have you with us, Jack!

Mr. Russo is a frequent speaker on computer law issues and has given presentations to the American Bar Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the Computer Law Association, and the San Francisco Bay Area Intellectual Property American Inn of Court.

Mr. Russo serves as an arbitrator, mediator, and early neutral evaluator for the U.S. District Court (N.D. California), the Santa Clara County Superior Court, and the American Arbitration Association, as well as a Judge Pro Tempore of the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Mr. Russo specializes in Internet, computer law, and intellectual property litigation. In addition, Mr. Russo is in charge of his firm’s entrepreneurship practice.

Our latest featured speaker is Alary Piibe from Hill & Piibe!

Alary will be speaking at our upcoming Immigration Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 12th and 13th. We’re so glad to have you with us, Alary!

Los Angeles immigration attorney Alary E. Piibe is a long-time litigator who has developed keen and aggressive courtroom skills. Mr. Piibe prides himself on being a formidable strategist who will make persuasive, effective presentations — and who represents his clients in a straightforward manner before USICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security), USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security) and the Immigration Court. This litigation style translates into a benefit for his clients, and helps cause the government to make a thorough and careful consideration of the cases during the adjudication process. He is a member of both the California State Bar and the federal District Courts, enabling him great latitude to appear in any court to pursue his clients’ needs.

Mr. Piibe is a California State Bar Certified Immigration Specialist and has considerable experience in applying for waivers for unlawful presence (otherwise known as “3/10 waivers” or “illegal presence” waivers). He treats each case as unique and devotes many firm resources in an “all-out” effort to obtain a successful conclusion that reunites a family. He is especially adept at criminal immigration issues, understanding the nuances that can mean the difference between success and deportation. Under his guidance, the firm has vacated numerous criminal convictions to cancel their effect on deportation and removal.

Mr. Piibe’s experience before the Asylum Office and the Immigration Court gives his clients additional protection, and he has won several asylum cases involving complicated and technical issues, which most immigration attorneys would have declared hopeless.

Fluent in the Estonian language, Mr. Piibe himself is an immigrant from Toronto, Canada.

Our latest featured speaker is Michel Stein from Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez!

Michel will be speaking at our upcoming Tax Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on August 22nd and 23rd. This will be his first time speaking with us. Welcome, Michel!

Michel Stein is a principal at Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez, specializing in tax controversies, as well as tax planning for individuals, businesses and corporations. For more than 20 years, he has represented individuals with sensitive issue civil tax examinations where substantial penalty issues may arise, and extensively advised individuals on foreign and domestic voluntary disclosures regarding foreign account and asset compliance matters.

Mr. Stein is well respected for his expertise and judgment in handling matters arising from the U.S. Government’s ongoing enforcement efforts regarding undeclared interests in foreign financial accounts and assets, including various methods of participating in a timely voluntary disclosure to minimize potential exposure to civil tax penalties and avoiding a criminal tax prosecution referral. He has assisted hundreds of individuals who have come into compliance with their foreign reporting requirements through the OVDP, Streamline or otherwise.

Throughout his career, Mr. Stein has represented thousands of individual, business and corporate taxpayers involved in civil examinations and administrative appeals, tax collection matters as well as with possible assertions of fraudulent conduct and in defending criminal tax investigations and prosecutions at every administrative level within the IRS. He has litigated tax cases in the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court, and various U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal. He continues to provide tax advice to taxpayer’s and their advisers around the world.

Mr. Stein is a frequent lecturer at national and regional conferences on topics including tax compliance sensitive issues, IRS examinations, State and Federal worker classification issues, etc. Mr. Stein received his LL.M. in Taxation from the NYU School of Law and graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He gained further expertise as Attorney-Adviser to the Honorable Judge Larry L. Nameroff of the U.S. Tax Court. He is a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Our latest featured speaker is Jason Marcus from Marcus, Regalado & Marcus!

Jason will be speaking at our upcoming Workers’ Compensation Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 19th and 20th. We’re looking forward to your presentation, Jason!

Jason is a certified specialist in workers’ compensation per the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He joined Marcus, Regalado, & Marcus in 2008 after after obtaining his law degree from McGeorge School of Law.  He is a past president of the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association and currently serves as the chair of CAAA’s Legislative Committee. He is also a past president of the Sacramento County Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section. Jason is dedicated to aggressively fighting for the rights of injured workers and is active in the workers’ compensation community, frequently presenting on workers’ compensation issues.

Our latest featured speaker is Veronica Cerruti from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips!

Veronica will be speaking at our upcoming Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on September 19th and 20th. She also spoke at our 2013 and 2015 Specialization Exam Prep courses for Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. Welcome back, Veronica!

Veronica Cerruti is a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. Her practice focuses on trust, estate and transfer tax planning, with an emphasis on family wealth transfers for large estates, business succession planning, sophisticated estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax savings techniques, and complex probate and trust administrations.

Her practice includes: preparation of wills, trusts and ancillary documents; business succession planning; generation-skipping and dynasty trust tax planning; asset protection planning; estate and trust administration; preparation and review of gift and estate tax returns; prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; irrevocable insurance trusts; court proceedings relating to the administration, modification or termination of irrevocable trusts; analysis of trust litigation issues; and trust accountings.

Veronica is a frequent speaker for educational programs on a variety of estate planning topics and techniques, including seminars for individuals who are interested in providing for their pets in the event of the individual’s incapacity or death.

Don’t miss our own Faith Pincus, author, speaker and speaking coach for thirty years, at the ABA’s upcoming webinar, Presentation Skills for Attorneys: The Top Three Things you Need to Know on July 23, 2019! Click here for more information. See below to read more about it!

A recent survey of more than 600 businesses found that among the top skills needed for success, “oral communication” was number one and “presentation skills” number four.

In fact, communicating a clear and persuasive message through presentations is a fundamental, if unspoken, job requirement and a necessary component of success as a lawyer.

Faith Pincus has been training CEOs, attorneys, politicians, candidates and non-profit executives (and staff) for more than thirty years. She is a former political consultant, has a Masters in Communication, practiced law at a large firm in LA and served as a federal district court law clerk — all of which make her uniquely positioned to train attorneys.

Attend this program to learn Faith’s AMI™ Method of public speaking; you’ll receive basic and advanced public speaking techniques as well as insider tips that are guaranteed to improve your public speaking skills. You’ll learn how to craft unique and compelling introductions and conclusions for your presentations – there is a lot more to them than just saying hello and goodbye. Faith will also provide you with the top three ways to use your voice, your words, and your delivery to enhance your presentation style and get your message heard.

Our latest featured speaker is Avram Salkin from Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez!

Avram will be speaking at our upcoming Tax Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Prep course in Los Angeles on August 22nd and 23rd. We’re looking forward to his presentation!

Avram Salkin is recognized for his unparalleled excellence and integrity in the practice of tax law. He has over fifty years of extensive experience in resolving complex federal and state tax controversies and disputes, in structuring and negotiating complex transactional matters (including the acquisition and disposition of real estate and businesses), family wealth planning, estate planning and probate. Avram Salkin is a Certified Specialist in both Taxation and Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, by the The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Recognizing a lifetime of achievements and contributions to the field of taxation, in 2003 the Taxation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association bestowed its highest honor on Avram Salkin, the Dana Latham Award. In 2007 Mr.Salkin was the recipient of the Joanne M. Garvey Award given by the Taxation Section of the State Bar of California for lifetime excellence in the practice of tax law. Mr. Salkin is a Member of the Board of Governors for the Beverly Hills Bar Association and is the Vice-Chair for the Tax Advisory Commission for the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is a Past-Chair of both the Business Law Section and the Taxation Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and has served on the Executive Committee of the Taxation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Previously, he served as the Tax Articles Editor of the Los Angeles Lawyer and the Los Angeles County Bar Journal.

Avram Salkin’s many lectures include presentations at the ABA Section of Taxation, the University of Southern California Institute on Federal Taxation; California CPA Education Foundation Conferences (Member, Planning Committee, Pass-Thru Entities Conference); the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations; programs by the California Continuing Education of the Bar on real estate taxation, professional corporations, partnership taxation, and tax procedure; and the California State University Continuing Education Program in real estate taxation. He has also written extensively on many tax-related subjects, including real estate taxation, S corporations, operating loss carryovers, employment tax issues, attorney-client privilege matters, and partnership tax issues.

Mr. Salkin is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Fifth Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He received his undergraduate degree, with honors in accounting, from the University of California at Los Angeles and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Avram Salkin holds an “A-V” rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Avram Salkin’s community activities include serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Winward School and serving on the Board of Directors of the Guardians of the Jewish Home for The Aging and American Friends of Tel Aviv University.