Speakers
Howard J. Levine, Blake D. Rubin, Robert D. Schachat, Glenn M. Johnson
Howard J. Levine
Howard J. Levine, for more than 30 years, has concentrated in real estate taxation, and in particular like kind exchanges; controversy and litigation; international taxation; and representation before the IRS National Office and Treasury Department. Nationally known as an authority on tax-deferred exchanges, he concentrates on real estate, personal property and multi-asset exchanges, and wrote the BNA Tax Management Portfolio: Tax-free Exchanges Under Section 1031. He also wrote the BNA Tax Management Portfolio: Limitation on Benefits in U.S. Income Tax Treaties. A former Assistant Branch Chief in the Litigation Division at the IRS National Office, he has represented a broad spectrum of domestic and foreign clients in tax audits, appellate proceedings and in the U.S. Tax Court. In addition to tax audits and litigation, he represents clients before the Treasury Department and the National Office of the IRS. He has been Adjunct Professor in the LL.M. (Taxation) Programs at Georgetown Law School and George Washington University. He has been on the Advisory Boards of the Journal of Real Estate Taxation, the Tax Management International Journal, and The Journal of Global Transactions (CCH). A former chairman of the Sales, Exchanges & Basis Committee of the ABA Tax Section and its Subcommittee on Like-Kind Exchanges, he has also co-chaired subcommittees on U.S. Activities of Foreigners and Tax Treaties of the ABA Tax Section.
He received a B.A. from Hunter College, his J.D. cum laude from SUNY at Buffalo, and LL.M. (Taxation) from Georgetown.
Blake Rubin
Blake Rubin is a Partner in the [Washington, DC] law firm of McDermott Will & Emery. He practices in the area of Federal taxation, with particular emphasis on matters relating to real estate and partnership taxation. His practice includes planning, policy, and controversy matters. He has extensive experience structuring large partnership and real estate transactions, and regularly represents several of the nation’s 20 largest real estate developers and owners in transactional matters. He serves as principal outside tax counsel or does substantial work for three members of the Forbes 400, five publicly-traded REITS and a variety of smaller organizations. He has also served as tax counsel in connection with the formation and operation of numerous corporate joint ventures. In the policy area, he represents clients before Congress, the Treasury Department, and the Internal Revenue Service. In the controversy area, he has handled major cases before the Internal Revenue Service and in the courts.
From 1984 through 1987, Mr. Rubin served with the Office of Tax Legislative Counsel, U.S. Department of Treasury. In that capacity, he was deeply involved in the development of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 provisions and administrative guidance affecting real estate and partnerships. Before joining the Treasury Department, Mr. Rubin practiced in Philadelphia and was an Adjunct Professor in Villanova University’s Master of Laws in Taxation program, where he taught courses on tax planning for real estate transactions.
Mr. Rubin received a B.A. from Haverford College, an M.B.A., with distinction, from the Wharton School of Business, and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert D. Schachat
Robert D. Schachat heads the Real Estate Group in the National Tax Department of Ernst & Young, LLP in Washington, DC. He consults with clients in all federal income tax aspects of real estate and partnerships, including formations, acquisitions, exchanges, development, leases, financings, work-outs, dispositions and liquidations involving REITs, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies and S corporations.
Mr. Schachat has chaired several American Bar Association Real Estate and Partnership Tax Subcommittees and has served on the Executive Committee of the NY State Bar Association Tax Section. He is Vice Chair of the Tax Policy Advisory Committee of the Real Estate Roundtable and a member of the Advisory Board of Journal of Passthrough Entities, the Board of Contributing Editors and Advisors of Real Estate Taxation and the Tax Management Advisory Board for Corporate Tax and Business Planning. Mr. Schachat is a frequent speaker at industry and tax conferences, a co-author of the CCH treatise entitled “Taxation of REITs and UPREITs,” and has published many articles in prominent tax periodicals.
Mr. Schachat received his S.B. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Phi Beta Kappa), his J.D. from Columbia University Law School and his LL.M. in taxation from New York University.
Glenn M. Johnson
Glenn M. Johnson is a member of Ernst & Young’s U.S. National Tax Department. He has significant experience concerning like-kind exchange transactions where he advises on a wide range of tax and operational issues. Mr. Johnson is Ernst & Young’s National Tax Department subject matter professional concerning like-kind exchanges of intangibles, equipment and multiple asset exchange programs along with real estate transactions. In addition, he has assisted many companies, including captive finance subsidiaries, national rental and leasing companies and regional banks, in designing and implementing mass-asset like-kind exchange programs.
Mr. Johnson joined Ernst & Young in 1998, is based in Washington, DC, earned his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School, his J.D. with honors from Boston University School of Law and his B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University. He also is active in a number of civic and charitable organizations.