Kostelanetz attorneys Caroline Ciraolo, Melissa Wiley, and Heather Fincher will speak on various panels at the ABA Tax Section’s 25th Annual U.S. and Europe Tax Practice Trends Conference, of which Kostelanetz is a proud sponsor.

The U.S. and Europe Tax Practice Trends Conference focuses on international tax compliance, international tax controversy matters, and tax practice trends in the international business sphere. Practitioners, international advisers, and government officials will gain a greater understanding of how the current international business and taxation environments affect multinational corporations.

Caroline, Melissa, and Heather have been asked to speak on international tax controversies, criminal tax matters, current trends in tax enforcement, and more.

The conference will take place at Hotel Okura in Amsterdam on April 9-11, 2025. You can learn more about the conference and register here.

Please join us for the following panels:

Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Powerhouse Tax Women in the Know: What’s Top of Mind & Navigating 2025

Kostelanetz attorney Heather Fincher, will co-chair a panel with leading women tax practitioners from multinational businesses. The panel will discuss the most pressing international taxation and regulatory issues of 2025.

Other participants include Natalie Reypens of Loyens & Loeff, a fellow co-chair of the panel; Luana Foffo Ciucci, Director, Southern & South East Europe, Procter & Gamble, Rome;  Federica Pitrone, Head of International Tax, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, Milan; Sonja Schiller, Counsel, Alphabet Regulatory Response, Investigations & Strategy, Seattle, WA;  and Jenny Wong, Vice President, North American Tax Insurance, Ryan Transactional Risk, New York, NY.

Thursday, April 10, 2025, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Criminal Tax

Kostelanetz attorney Caroline Ciraolo will co-chair a panel on criminal tax matters and international tax matters.

Other participants include fellow co-chair Sabine Stetter of Stetter Attorneys at Law, Munich; Jeffrey Neiman of Marcus Neiman Rashbaum & Pineiro LLP, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Silvia Martina of Cagnola & Associati Studio Legale, Milan; and Alice Rousseau of Alice Rousseau Avocats, Paris.

Friday, April 11, 2025, 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

What to Do With All the Data? Substantiating Tax Positions in the Face of Tidal Waves of Data

Kostelanetz attorney Melissa Wiley will speak on a panel that delves into how Big Data has changed tax investigations and how to best advocate for your client in light of the large amounts of data available to taxing authorities worldwide.

Other participants include co-chair Thomas Linder of MME Legal, Zurich; co-chair Travis Thompson of Boutin Jones, San Francisco, CA; Ramona Azzopardi of WH Partners, Ta’ Xbiex; Alexandra Courela of Abreu Advogados, Lisbon; Stefan Richter of YPOG, Hamburg; and Wouter Vosse of Hamelink & Van den Tooren N.V., Amsterdam.

About Kostelanetz’s Speakers

Caroline, a former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, focuses her practice on federal and state civil tax controversies, including representation in sensitive audits, administrative appeals, and litigation, providing tax advice, conducting internal investigations, and representing individuals and entities in criminal tax investigations and prosecutions. She also serves as a consulting and testifying expert witness and an independent mediator in tax disputes.

Melissa comes from an actuarial background that provides her a deep understanding of data analysis, statistics, and collaboration with technical, legal, and forensic professionals. Melissa was an assistant general counsel at a Big Four accounting firm and has litigation experience in the U.S. Tax Court, Court of Federal Claims, and various federal district courts. She focuses her practice on federal and state tax controversies international information reporting compliance, and representing clients facing government investigation.

Heather focuses her practice on multinational businesses and high net-worth individuals in need of international tax planning. She counsels both U.S.- and foreign-owned businesses and individuals regarding the U.S. tax consequences of cross-border investments, cryptocurrency issues, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings. Heather also regularly advises clients on special issues arising in international tax controversies. Heather is also the co-founder of the ABA’s Women in Tax Forum.