Kostelanetz partner Michael Sardar was recently elected a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC), which describes itself as “a nonprofit association of tax attorneys in private practice, law, business, graduate school teaching positions, and government, who are recognized for their excellence in tax practice and their substantial contributions and commitment to the legal profession.”
Michael was elected a Fellow at the ACTC’s May 9, 2025, meeting in Washington, D.C., where the ACTC’s Board of Regents elected a total of seven new fellows.
ACTC President Michael J. Desmond said of the new Fellows, “In this dynamic and challenging time for tax administration, the range of backgrounds, talent, and experience these new Fellows bring to the College will allow them to make an immediate and valuable contribution to the important projects and initiatives we are working to advance.”
Kostelanetz now boasts six partners who are Fellows of the ACTC, including past president Caroline D. Ciraolo and Fellows Megan L. Brackney, Jay R. Nanavati, Bryan C. Skarlatos, and Melissa Wiley.
The ACTC notes that to become a Fellow, individuals must be nominated by a current Fellow and then evaluated by a committee of the Board of Regents. Fellows must be members of the bar of one or more U.S. states for at least 15 years, be working full-time as a lawyer or academic, and have a private, academic, or government practice primarily centered on tax-related matters. “For all prospective Fellows, demonstration of a high standard of excellence and ethical conduct in the practice of tax law, e.g., through substantial bar association involvement and significant writing or speaking activity, is required,” the ACTC states.
The other fellows elected on May 9 include:
- Thomas Brennan of Harvard Law School
- Bridget Crawford of Pace University Law School
- John Hackney of Chamberlain Hrdlicka
- Nathaniel Pollock of SouthBank Legal
- Benjamin Tompkins of Nardiello Turanchik Tompkins
- Francesca Ugolini, former Chief of the Appellate Section of the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice
The ACTC states that “One of the chief purposes of the College is to provide a mechanism for input by tax attorneys into the development of U.S. tax laws and policy.” The ACTC can be found online at https://www.actconline.org/.
About Michael
Michael has extensive experience on a wide range of tax controversy and white-collar criminal defense matters. Michael represents clients in all stages of civil and criminal tax controversies before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state tax authorities, the Department of Justice, and local prosecutors. Michael also represents and advises taxpayers facing audits and investigations of noncompliance with IRS foreign bank and asset reporting requirements, utilizing his skill, creative thinking, and deep knowledge of the law in this area. In addition, Michael has a great deal of experience representing corporate and individual taxpayers making voluntary disclosures of unreported income to the IRS and state tax authorities.
