Andrew Gradman

Andrew Gradman is a tax attorney in Los Angeles. He has given dozens of presentations to various audiences, including law firms, client groups and CalCPA local chapters. Andrew has written on tax issues for many publications, including Tax Notes, Bloomberg Tax, and the California Tax Lawyer. He is licensed to practice in California and Nevada. He received his B.A. from Stanford University, his J.D. from Columbia Law School, his LL.M. in Taxation from NYU Law School, and his business certificate from NYU Stern School of Business.

Elizabeth Norman

Elizabeth attended a tiny high school in Kentucky before receiving her B.A. from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. After graduating from Swarthmore, Elizabeth spent a few years living in Brooklyn and working as a paralegal and an assistant at a local bookstore, until she moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan Law School as a Clarence Darrow scholar (Michigan Law’s highest academic scholarship). While attending law school, Elizabeth won several awards for top class performance and was a member of the University of Michigan law review (including as a member of the editorial staff).  Elizabeth also worked as a teaching assistant for legal research and writing and served on the board of directors for the Michigan ACLU. Elizabeth received her J.D. magna cum laude in 2004, and was awarded membership in the Order of the Coif.  Elizabeth has also studied literature and philosophy at the University of Oxford (Wadham College) and has completed post-graduate coursework in physics, mathematics, corporate finance, and FinTech.

After graduation, Elizabeth joined the tax department at Ropes & Gray LLP, where she worked for a number of years. She has also practiced at mid-sized law firms, and most recently as a partner of Baker Tax Law, a boutique law firm specializing in transactional tax and executive compensation.

Elizabeth is based in Boston, MA, and enjoys the learning opportunities offered by the many local colleges and universities, as well as the vitality of the emerging company and biotech industries. She volunteered for many years as a director of the Massachusetts National Organization For Women as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Middlesex County. Her hobbies include bragging about her fantastic daughter, collecting grammar and/or chemistry-related jokes, and navigating Boston’s less-than-ideal weather with her two “fairly good” dogs. While not a cook, Elizabeth has amassed extensive knowledge of all of Boston’s food delivery services and enjoys the many excellent local restaurants.

Darien Shanske

Matthew Rappaport

Matthew Rappaport chairs Falcon Rappaport & Berkman’s Taxation and Private Client Groups. He concentrates his practice in Taxation as it relates to Real Estate, Closely Held Businesses, Private Equity Funds, and Trusts & Estates.  He advises clients regarding tax planning, structuring, and compliance for commercial real estate projects, all stages of the business life cycle, generational wealth transfer, family business succession, and executive compensation.  He also collaborates with other attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, bankers, and insurance professionals when they encounter matters requiring a threshold level of tax law expertise.

Matthew is known for his work on complex deals involving advanced tax considerations, such as Section 1031 Exchanges, the Qualified Opportunity Zone Program, Freeze Partnerships, Private Equity Mergers & Acquisitions, and Qualified Small Business Stock.  He has served as a trusted advisor for prominent real estate funds, executives of multinational corporations, venture capitalists, successful startup businesses, ultra-high net worth families, and clients seeking creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems requiring tax-focused analysis.

Steve Klein

Steven I. Klein, Member, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert

Leila Vaughn

Leila Vaughan advises clients on business and investment tax matters, especially relating to private equity and real estate investment funds and mergers and acquisitions. Leila also advises nonprofit clients on tax-exempt issues.

Leila is an author for Bloomberg’s BNA Tax Management Portfolios and teaches nonprofit law at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice.

Client Experience

• Private equity, real estate and lending funds.

• Mergers and acquisitions.

• Real estate investment trusts.

• Tax-free reorganizations and spin-offs.

• Nonprofits and nonprofit executives.

• Qualified Opportunity Zones.

René Morency