Southern Tier Chapter Taxation Conference

Mike founded Mattick CPA, P.C. in 2023 after 27 years in the accounting industry. Originally from Charlotte, NC, Mike moved to Broome County in 2015 after 13 years in Philadelphia. He is an Enrolled Agent admitted to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service, and a Certified Public Accountant licensed in New York. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and The National Association of Enrolled Agents. He is a past president of the Southern Tier Chapter of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and now serves on the executive committee. Mike is a director on the state board for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is the treasurer for the Fenton Free Library Association. The majority of his career has been in public practice. He has also served as CFO for an aviation company. Mike comes from a family of tax professionals. His grandmother started her tax practice in Charlotte in 1949. He worked in that practice until he moved to Philadelphia in 2001. Mike’s unconventional path of starting as a paraprofessional in the industry provided him the opportunity to see many aspects of public accounting. Often accountants on the traditional CPA career track don’t get opportunities to perform bookkeeping or other foundational tasks. This background provides him the understanding and appreciation of the day-to-day work that leads to quality books and reporting. This also allows him to relate to and work effectively with the management and the staff of his clients. This path has also provided a strong understanding of the tax Code, its goals, construction, and how to use it to minimize tax liabilities for businesses and individuals. Going back to school and achieving certifications during his career allows him to bring to bear a wider range of skills and experience. A commitment to quality, creativity and strong relationships has guided his career.

Jim practices in a wide range of domestic and international tax areas. Jim is the leader of the firm’s Tax Dispute Resolution Practice and he regularly assists clients with tax controversies with the Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Tax Department, including in domestic and offshore voluntary disclosure matters. He has helped hundreds of clients avoid or minimize penalties when coming into compliance with foreign account and asset reporting requirements, such as the FBAR and IRS Forms 926, 3520, 3520-A, 5471, 5472, and 8938. Jim also frequently handles matters before the U.S. Tax Court. In addition, he advises international clients on the U.S. tax implications of the loss of U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent resident (“green card”) status and on issues under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and U.S. anti-deferral tax regimes, such as the controlled foreign corporation (CFC) and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) rules. He also regularly counsels clients on tax and corporate issues related to business operations, acquisitions, and sales, as well as advantageous business structures for tax planning purposes.

Brian is an associate in the firm's Federal & International Tax Practice. He counsels clients on federal and international tax law, including assisting U.S. and non-U.S. clients with U.S. tax matters. Prior to joining Hodgson Russ, Brian was a senior associate in the New York City office of a Big Four accounting firm, where he assisted U.S. and non-U.S. based large multinational companies with U.S. tax-related issues. Brian also has experience working on tax controversy matters, including advising clients on IRS audits.

Christopher Meislahn is the Taxpayer Rights Advocate for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. In his position, he oversees the Office of Taxpayer Rights Advocate, continuing a mission that began as a formal departmental function in 2009 to help New York State taxpayers by balancing taxpayer assistance with enforcement of NYS tax laws. The office helps promote taxpayer rights and responsibilities and identifies recurring issues that provide opportunities to enhance Department policies and procedures and improve compliance. Mr. Meislahn has been with the Department for 16 years, starting his career in the Audit Division as a tax auditor gaining experience in excise, sales, and many of the miscellaneous taxes. He was promoted in 2012 to work in Audit Management and in May 2018 he was promoted to the Director of the Office of Taxpayers Rights where he supervised the staff and day to day operations. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Sage College of Albany school.

As a member of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice, Joseph (Joe) works with clients to navigate New York State’s vast system of tax laws. His primary focus is on New York State and New York City taxes, but he also counsels clients on multistate SALT matters, including sales tax and various business taxes. Joe works to simplify the ins-and-outs of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for his clients. During his tenure, he has worked extensively with Department of Taxation personnel, which has given him insight into what auditors look for, allowing him to craft nuanced strategies focused on efficiently resolving each client’s audit. Joe understands that the best way to win a residency audit is to plan ahead. He counsels clients moving out of New York State through the entire audit process from start to finish – including helping to develop a legally-grounded strategy for a move that aims to help clients strengthen their change of domicile position and decrease their audit risk. Joe also assists clients looking to move out of California. When a client is met with an audit notice, Joe focuses on not only easing that burden for his client, but also quickly and proficiently working through the process in order to obtain an economical outcome. When working with clients to help resolve tax disputes, Joe crafts unique and individualized approaches for each scenario. He understands that not all clients are the same and develops distinctive solutions for each case. In addition to his work with clients, Joe also is the host of the first ever Hodgson Russ LLP podcast, “State Tax Talks with Joe Tantillo.” As the host, Joe works to un-complicate some of New York State’s most complicated tax laws and requirements for listeners, bringing in SALT experts to provide additional commentary on current issues faced by taxpayers around the United States. Joe is a regular contributor to the Noonan’s Notes tax blog, and has published several articles on various topics in the world of SALT. Joe also enjoys public speaking on tax topics, and has presented on SALT issues both in person and in Webinars. Joe is licensed to practice in New York State, California, and Washington, D.C.

For over 19 years, Mike has concentrated his practice in employee benefits law, with a particular focus on welfare benefits. He represents numerous public employers, such as school districts and municipalities, while also counseling employers in many different types of private sector industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and more. Mike's private employer clients cover a broad range of industries and he is fully equipped to handle different sectors.

Mike is proficient in matters regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and tax compliance for welfare plans.

He has considerable experience in drafting employee benefit plan documents and summary plan descriptions, as well as negotiating administrative service agreements related to the operation of self-insured health plans. Mike also has substantial experience defending clients who have received proposed assessment penalties under the Affordable Care Act.

Keegan J. Coughlin is a partner with Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP. He joined the firm in 2016. Keegan chairs the firm’s Public Law Practice Group. His practice serves municipal and public sector law clients, estate planning clients, trust and estate administration clients, and Keegan handles real estate matters. He also leads the Cortland office. Keegan is a Binghamton local, he grew up in Johnson City, NY, attended school in Upstate NY and enjoys providing quality service to the community he was raised in.

Keegan provides legal counsel to cities, towns, villages, school districts, counties, and fire districts across New York State. His work spans zoning and land use, planning and development, student discipline, public sector labor and employment issues, environmental compliance, and governance matters. He advises on both day-to-day operations and long-term planning, delivering clear, practical guidance grounded in a strong understanding of state and local government.

His public law work is complemented by his experience in providing advice to clients on estate planning and administration matters, as well as representing clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions. Keegan finds the balance of representing institutional clients and everyday people in our community to be one of the most rewarding parts of being an Attorney with Coughlin & Gerhart.

In recognition of his work, Keegan has been selected as a Rising Star from 2022-2025 by Super Lawyers. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in its Ones to Watch listing. Keegan began his legal career as a law clerk with the Binghamton City Court and the NYS Attorney General’s office while attending law school. He later served as a student judicial law clerk to the Honorable Thomas J. McAvoy, Senior U.S. District Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Broome County Bar Association. In his free time Keegan enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter and is an avid sports fan.