About the Speakers

Mary Breslin, founder of Verracy, is a renowned speaker and training facilitator for Internal Audit, Risk and Fraud. With over 30 years of experience, Mary has worked for global companies such as Costco, Barclay’s Capital, ConocoPhillips and Boart Longyear. Mary’s expertise goes beyond the boardroom. She conducts fraud investigations and provides management consulting for internal audit and fraud. She has built global audit programs, conducted investigations, and provided expert witness testimony in numerous countries around the world. In 2023, she was honored as the ACFE James R. Baker Speaker of the Year recipient. She has also been recognized as a Top-Rated Speaker for ISACA and named Best of the Best by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Ernesto Cerimele is an experienced litigation attorney focusing his practice on criminal defense and complex civil matters. Ernesto regularly appears in federal, state, and municipal Courts in New Jersey and New York. In the criminal context, Ernesto has experience ranging from DWI and municipal defense to white-collar federal and state investigations and prosecutions. In the civil context, Ernesto counsels clients on contract disputes, personal injury, litigation, and regulatory matters and has successfully recovered millions for victims in civil rights actions. He has experience litigating in the private and public sectors, having represented large electronics and internet companies, boards of education and police departments. Ernesto has also previously served as the Municipal Prosecutor for the Townships of North Brunswick and East Brunswick, New Jersey.

Chuck Gallagher is an acclaimed AI speaker, consultant, and the visionary author of “Blue Goldfish 2.0,” a seminal book that explores the profound impact of artificial intelligence on business innovation. With his extensive experience in ethical leadership and technology, Chuck has created numerous courses that delve into the practical applications of AI across various industries. Additionally, he is recognized as a business ethics speaker, author, and consultant, uniquely integrating ethics with AI. His work is dedicated to empowering professionals with the tools and knowledge to leverage AI responsibly and effectively in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

David is a former IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent with 20 years of experience analyzing complex accounting, financial, income tax, asset forfeiture, money laundering transactions across multiple business sectors including construction, healthcare, entertainment, and professional services. He held a Top Secret Clearance from 2001 through 2012.

Since 2007, as a Forensic / Kovel Accountant in private practice, David has assisted attorneys defend clients under investigation / indictment for alleged white-collar financial crimes. He assists counsel in conducting internal corporate investigations by documenting / quantifying financial losses from employee embezzlements, vendor fraud schemes, and misappropriation of company assets.

In civil litigations involving shareholder disputes and business divorces, David provides technical expertise by determining economic damages, preparing business valuations, expert and refuting opposing expert’s computations.

David also represents clients before the IRS & State income tax agencies in controversy matters involving audits and collection activities along with preparing reasonable cause statements to abate penalty assessments.

Glenn is a Senior Stakeholder Liaison for the IRS. He has worked for the Internal Revenue Service for over 25 years. Glenn worked in the Examination Problem Resolution Unit as a caseworker, as a Cooperating Agent for Criminal Investigations, and was a Taxpayer Advocate at the model walk-in office in Edison, NJ.

Daniel Makoski is counsel to Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. and a member of the firm’s Wealth Preservation Group. His primary areas of concentration are tax planning, tax controversy, transactional business matters, wills, trusts, and estate planning. Mr. Makoski has extensive experience advising clients on personal income tax matters, including tax-efficient methods of acquiring and distributing assets; negotiating with tax authorities to minimize or eliminate tax deficiencies; appearing in the U.S. Tax Court; and handling IRS appeals. He has also drafted many estate plans, living wills, health care proxies, and powers of attorney. In addition, Mr. Makoski has significant expertise counseling business clients on business formation, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, governance, and dissolution.

Gary A. Prince, Jr., Esq. is an attorney of Mantell, Prince & Reynolds, P.C. His practice focuses on matters relating to tax, business planning and transactions, corporate law, estate and trust planning, and estate administration. He has served as an expert and as an expert witness in tax, trust and estate related litigation. He represents families in connection with family office services, including gifting strategies, marital agreements, income tax preparation and many other personal and business issues.

Christina started with the NJ Division of Taxation in 2007. During her first eight years in the Customer Service Center, she assisted taxpayers directly, as well as practitioners and the business community through the Practitioner Hotline. Christina joined Taxation University in 2015 where she became a key contributor to the employee training program, and continued to assist practitioners and the business community by presenting at seminars and educational events. In April of 2020, Christina moved to the Office of Legislative Analysis to assist in navigating legislation that impacts the Division. Most recently, Christina began serving in the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, assisting taxpayers with complicated issues that they have been unable to resolve through other means.

Brian D. Reynolds, Esq. is an attorney of Mantell, Prince & Reynolds, P.C. His practice focuses on matters relating to tax and estate planning, business and succession planning for entrepreneurs, professionals and closely-held businesses, the administration of estates and trusts, estate and trust litigation, taxpayer representation in connection with federal and state tax controversies, charitable planning, and a broad range of personal legal matters.

Steven is president of The Siegel Group, a Morristown, NJ-based national consulting firm specializing in tax consulting, estate planning, and advising family business owners and entrepreneurs. Steven is the author of many books and is a nationally recognized speaker who has lectured on tax, business and estate planning topics. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at both Seton Hall and Rutgers University Law Schools.

Deirdre Wheatley-Liss is a Principal at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. The core of Ms. Wheatley-Liss’s practice is protecting the wealth her clients have earned and created over a lifetime. With a focus on educating clients, this may include creating wills and trusts, tax planning, advising an executor of an estate, representing a beneficiary in a disputed estate, crafting a long-term care asset protection plan, elder law counseling, special needs planning or guardianships. She is an in-demand speaker on estate planning, elder law and special needs planning and is the author of the book Plan Your Own Estate.