48th Annual Western Pennsylvania Tax Conference Webcast

Daria (Dee) Palaschak is a tax partner at Sisterson & Co. LLP and leads the Firm’s Individuals/Trusts team and is a member of the Manufacturing/Distribution team. She has taught Accounting for Contemporary Issues in Taxation, Not-for-Profit Entities and Wealth Management classes at La Roche College’s Master of Science in Accountancy Program.

Dee provides tax planning and compliance services to individuals, partnerships, S corporations and
trusts, with an emphasis on high net worth individuals and their related entities. Her clients
include service, retail, manufacturing and investment companies, as well as family offices. Dee’s
areas of expertise include tax research, planning, multi-state and gift tax matters. She also has
experience representing clients in federal and state tax audits and resolving numerous issues with
various taxing authorities.

Prior to joining Sisterson 1990, she worked with other local public accounting firms serving a
variety of small businesses, not-for-profit entities, and individuals. Dee also instructs internal
continuing education courses in
various areas of taxation.

Joseph P. Nicola, Jr., JD, CPA, CVA
Tax Partner, Sisterson & Co. LLP
Pittsburgh, PA

Joe Nicola is a Tax Partner with more than thirty-five years of experience in public accounting. Joe has experience in many diverse areas of taxation, including the taxation of and planning for individuals, family offices, and various forms of business entities, such as corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies. Joe is particularly experienced in federal and multi-state tax matters that affect numerous industries and niches, including private equity, investments, natural resources, manufacturing, distribution, high technology, securities, and start-up businesses. He has consulted on technically complex matters, such as retirement planning, succession planning in the context of a family office, securities, partnership and corporate reorganizations and liquidations, and international tax matters.

While in public practice, Joe also served for many years as an adjunct member of the faculty with Duquesne University’s MBA and Master of Science in Taxation/Accountancy programs, as well as with Robert Morris University's Master of Science in Taxation program. His course load included Corporate Taxation, Advanced Corporate Taxation, Reorganizations (Mergers and Acquisitions), Taxes as a Basis for Managerial Decisions, Taxation of Property Dispositions, and Taxation of Derivatives. He is also a published author of CPE/CLE texts and industry articles, and a frequent professional speaker.

Joe received his B.S. in Business Administration from Robert Morris University, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  Joe is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Valuation Analyst, and a Licensed Attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

David G. Ries, JD
Of Counsel
Clark Hill PLC

David G. Ries practices in the areas of environmental, technology, and data protection law and litigation. For over 15 years, he has increasingly focused on cybersecurity, privacy, and information governance. Dave has recently addressed in his practice such current issues as information security programs and policies, response to data breaches, digital and environmental forensics, admissibility of expert opinions, e discovery, and defense of enforcement actions. He frequently lectures and writes on them nationally for legal, educational, and professional groups. He is a coauthor of Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Attorneys, Second Edition (American Bar Association 2016) and Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers (American Bar Association 2015) and a contributing author to Information Security & Privacy: A Practical Guide for Global Executives, Lawyers and Technologists (American Bar Association 2011).

Robert S. Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished) is a partner with Keebler & Associates, LLP and is a 2007 recipient of the prestigious Accredited Estate Planners (Distinguished) award from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. He has been named by CPA Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners in the United States and one of the Top 40 Tax Advisors to Know During a Recession. His practice includes family wealth transfer and preservation planning, charitable giving, retirement distribution planning, and estate administration. Mr. Keebler frequently represents clients before the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the private letter ruling process and in estate, gift and income tax examinations and appeals, and he has received more than 250 favorable private letter rulings including several key rulings of “first impression.” He is the author of over 100 articles and columns and is the editor, author or co-author of many books and treatises on wealth transfer and taxation. Mr. Keebler has been a speaker at national estate planning and tax seminars for over 25 years including the AICPA’s: Estate Planning, High Income, Advanced Financial Planning Conferences, ABA Conferences, NAPEC Conferences, The Notre Dame Estate Planning Conference and the Heckerling Estate Planning Institute and is the immediate past the chair of the AICPA’s Advanced Estate Planning Conference.