ACPEN Signature: Annual Tax Update

Christina A. Mondrik, JD, CPA, focuses her practice on resolving state and federal tax controversies and litigation. She is board certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Mondrik has handled IRS cases involving substantial corporate, individual and estate taxes. Her state tax experience includes disputes arising under Texas franchise tax, sales and use tax, fuel taxes, severance taxes, motor vehicle sales tax, and other state taxes. Ms. Mondrik is also a CPA.

Ms. Mondrik and her associates represent the firm's state tax clients in administrative and legal proceedings before the Comptroller's office, the State Office of Administrative Hearings and the Texas state courts. She also represents federal tax clients at the administrative appeals level and in proceedings before the United States Tax Court and the United States District Courts. She is licensed to practice in the United States Tax Court, the United States District Court, Western District of Texas, and all of the Texas state courts. Ms. Mondrik served as the 2019-2020 Chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section. She has served on its governing council for two terms and has served as chair and vice-chair of its Tax Controversy, CLE and Solo and Small Firms Committee Committees. She served as the chair of the 2014 State Bar Tax Section Annual Meeting planning committee and was co-chair of its 2016-17 Leadership Academy program.

Ms. Mondrik was the 2009-10 President of the Austin Chapter of CPAs. She has also served as manager of education and leadership and chair and vice-chair of its Oversight. Ms. Mondrik also has served on the TXCPA Executive Board, and currently serves on the State Bar of Texas and TXCPA State Taxation Committees, and the TXCPA Federal Tax Policy Committee, for which she was the 2017-19 chair. She was the 2009-13 chair of the TXCPA state taxation committee and the chair of the 2009-10 and 2019 Texas State Taxation Conference committee. As chair of the state tax committee of the TXCPA, she was a principal drafter of comments submitted by the TXCPA in response to legislation implementing the Texas margin tax and to administrative rules promulgated under the various state taxes.

Ms. Mondrik earned her B.B.A. and her J.D., with honors, both from the University of Texas at Austin.. Ms. Mondrik also has served on the TSCPA Executive Board, and currently serves on the State Bar of Texas and TSCPA State Taxation Committees, and the TSCPA Federal Tax Policy Committee, for which she is the 2016-17 vice chair and commenting subcommittee chair. She was the 2009-13 chair of the TSCPA state taxation committee and the chair of the 2009-10 state tax conference committee. As chair of the state tax committee of the TSCPA, she was a principal drafter of comments submitted by the TSCPA in response to legislation implementing the Texas margin tax and to administrative rules promulgated under the various state taxes. Ms. Mondrik earned her B.B.A. and her J.D., with honors, both from the University of Texas at Austin.

Bruce McGovern is a tenured member of the faculty at South Texas College of Law Houston, where he also serves as Director of the school's Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. Previously, he served for many years as the school's Vice President and Associate Dean for Academic Administration. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from Fordham University School of Law. After law school, he served as a judicial clerk for Judge Thomas Meskill on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. He then practiced law with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He subsequently earned an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he taught as a visiting faculty member before joining the faculty at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Professor McGovern teaches and writes in the areas of business organizations and taxation. His courses include Federal Income Taxation, U.S. Taxation of International Transactions, Partnership and Subchapter S Taxation, and Federal Tax Procedure. He frequently speaks on recent developments in federal income taxation. Professor McGovern is a member of the Council of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section, a former Chair of the Houston Bar Association Section of Taxation, and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.

James A. (Jim) Smith, CPA, CGMA, serves as Managing Director of Smith, Jackson, Boyer & Bovard, PLLC, a Dallas Certified Public Accounting firm. He practices extensively in tax compliance, planning and controversy representation for individuals and entrepreneurial businesses. He also is engaged in the preparation, compilation and review of financial statements; exit strategy planning for entrepreneurs; merger and acquisition planning and transactions; and forensic accounting and litigation services.

Mr. Smith served as Chair of the Texas Society of CPAs (TSCPA) for the 2007-2008 year, and as a member of its Professional Standards and Federal Tax Policy Committees since their inception. He served as a member of the AICPA Council 2007 through 2011 and from 2012 through 2015. He also served as an appointed member of two of the AICPA's key standard setting committees: the Accounting and Review Services Committee from 2008 through 2011 and the Tax Practice Responsibilities Committee, 2014 to 2017.

Abbey Garber, JD, is a partner at the firm of Holland & Knight, LLP, in Dallas, Texas. He focuses his practice on tax litigation and providing advice in connection with applying tax laws to individuals, estates, corporations, and partnerships. Serving more than 30 years in the Office of Chief Counsel at the Internal Revenue Service, he tried cases of all sizes in Tax Court, earning significant favorable opinions in fraud, tax shelter, and many other cases; received a full Tax Court opinion in an attorneys' fees case; and prosecuted criminal tax cases in United States District Court as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. Abbey served as the Southwest Area Team Leader in Chief Counsel, charged with ensuring collaboration and cooperation across operating divisions in a nine-state area. Abbey received a J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 1985 and a B.B.A. in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, Texas Bar Foundation, and Dallas Bar Foundation. He is a member of the Dallas Bar Association Tax Section and Mock Trial Committee; American Bar Association Tax Section and Administrative Practice Committee; and the State Bar of Texas Tax Section Council and co-chairs the CLE Committee. His accolades include being named to The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White Inc., Best Lawyers in Dallas (Tax: Litigation) by D Magazine; and a Recommended Attorney in The Legal 500 US by Legalease.

C. Clinton Davis JR, is with the law firm of Krage & Janvey, LLP in downtown Dallas. He graduated cum laude from the SMU Dedman School of Law in 1980 and first in his graduating class from Northwestern State University of Louisiana in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He was first licensed in Florida as an attorney in 1980 and then in Texas in 1982. He has been a licensed CPA in Texas since 1980. He has been Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1988. He has been named as a Super Lawyer, a Top Attorney in Texas by Texas Monthly, one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine and a Top Rated Lawyer by the Dallas Morning News, all in the tax area.

Clint has in the past been an author and discussion leader for numerous CPE courses for the Texas Society of CPAs. Clint also speaks before various bar associations and accounting conferences. and is a frequent presenter and moderator on the Accountants' Continuing Professional Education Network.

Clint primarily represents high net worth individuals and closely held businesses with much of his time devoted to real estate tax planning, implementation of S corporation ESOPs, mergers and acquisitions and private foundations.