Join presenters Gary Bluestein and Robert Mckenzie along with moderator Brett Weiss as they address the strategies, traps and pitfalls when dealing with the IRS as a creditor in bankruptcy.  This will include the impact of a Federal tax lien on exempt and excluded assets, how a Collection Due Process Appeal can affect the timing provisions for priority tax status and the impact of a Substitute for Return or delinquent return filing on dischargeability.

Meet Your Presenters and Moderator

Brett Weiss

Brett Weiss, a senior partner at Chung & Press, LLC, has been representing people and businesses in all phases of bankruptcy for over 25 years. He has experience in com¬plex individual Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, and in Chapter 11 small business restructuring and reorganization. Mr. Weiss lectures nationally on bankruptcy issues. He has spoken before the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, and is a regular speaker before the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association and Maryland State Bar Association. He has testified before the Federal Bankruptcy Rules Committee and has twice testified before Congress on bankruptcy and credit issues. Brett Weiss is the co-author of “Individual Bankruptcy Under Chapter 11” for LexisNexis, and has written “Not Dead Yet: Bankruptcy After BAPCPA,” for the Maryland Bar Journal, as well as hundreds of blogs for the Bankruptcy Law Network. Mr. Weiss has received international media attention in connection with his work. He was interviewed by Barbara Walters on The View, has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News with Peter Jennings, the Montel Williams Show, NPR, AARP-TV, the BBC World Service, German state television, and numerous local radio and television programs, and been quoted in Money magazine, The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun, among others. Brett Weiss is the Maryland State Chair for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, a founding member of the Bankruptcy Law Network, on the board of the Maryland State Bar Consumer Bankruptcy Council, and a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Bankruptcy Bar Association of Maryland, and the Civil Justice Network. He has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” every year since 2007 for Maryland and the District of Columbia, and in 2011 received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys for his work on behalf of consumers across the country. Mr. Weiss is admitted to practice before Maryland and District of Columbia federal and state courts, the United States Courts of Appeals for the DC and Fourth Circuit, The United States Tax Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States, and has been practicing law since 1983.

Gary Bluestein

Gary Bluestein, focuses his practice exclusively on tax representation.  Prior to entering private practice, Gary served as a Senior Attorney for the Internal Revenue Service and was a Special Assistant United State’s Attorney.  Gary was hired by the Department of Treasury through the Government’s Honors Program.  During his Government Service, Gary represented the IRS in both the United States Tax Court and the United States Bankruptcy Court.  He also served on several National Task Forces addressing IRS enforcement issues and received numerous Government Merit Awards for his work related thereto.

Gary is an Adjunct Professor of Tax Practice & Procedure at the University at Buffalo School of Law and has taught in the Canisius College’s Master in Tax Program.  Gary frequently lectures and writes on a variety of topics relating to tax representation for numerous local and national professional groups.  He is a member of the Erie County Bar Association, the Tax Committee and the Bankruptcy Committee, and serves on the Planning Committee for the Institute on Taxation.  Gary has also made appearances on local television and radio shows and was named in Business First’s “Who’s Who in the Law” and in New York State Super Lawyers for his expertise in Tax Practice.

Gary is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the United States Tax Court, the Bankruptcy Court and the Western District Court for the State of New York. He received his Juris Doctor from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law in May of 1984.  Gary received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, from the State of New York College at Albany in 1981.

Robert Mckenzie

Robert E. McKenzie is a partner of the law firm of Arnstein & Lehr LLP of Chicago, Illinois, concentrating his practice in representation before the Internal Revenue Service and state agencies. He has lectured extensively on the subject of taxation. He has presented courses before thousands of CPA’s, attorneys and enrolled agents nationwide. He has made numerous media appearances including Dateline NBC and The ABC Nightly News. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. McKenzie was employed by the Internal Revenue Service, Collection Division, in Chicago, Illinois. Since entering private practice, he has dedicated a major portion of his time to representation before the IRS.  From 2009 to 2011, Mr. McKenzie was a member of the IRS Advisory Council, which advises IRS management. He was council director of the ABA Tax Section (1998-2001). He was vice chair of the ABA Tax Section (2003-2005). Mr. McKenzie is past chairman of the Employment Tax Committee, past co-chair of the Task Force for Bankruptcy Legislation of the ABA Section on Taxation and past chairman of the Chicago Bar Association Federal Tax Committee. He was dean of the National Tax Practice Institute (1998-2002). Mr. McKenzie serves on Arnstein & Lehr’s Executive Committee. Additional information can be found on Mr. McKenzie’s website, mckenzielaw.com, where he also keeps an active tax blog.