MST Faculty

We are proud to introduce you to our MST faculty.

• Joel Busch
• Caroline Chen
• Kenneth Guilfoyle
• Matt Haag
• Mark Hoose
• David Neighbors
• Annette Nellen-MST Program Director
• Zachary Nolan
• Kimberley Peterson
• Steven Pocoroba
• Lance Porter
• William Skinner
• David Spence
• Julia Ushakova-Stein
• Matt Walton

Joel Busch

MST Courses:
BUS 223G Taxation of Business Entities
BUS 227C Tax Symposium

Joel Busch is an associate professor at San Jose State University. Prior to joining the faculty at SJSU, Joel spent over a decade at Granite Construction Incorporated where he was in charge of federal, state and local tax audits, appeals, research and planning. In addition, Joel was responsible for the creation, implementation and instruction of in-house tax education for the organization as well as representing the company in numerous tax legislation efforts and tax regulation reforms. Joel then spent the following seven years as a tax consultant, representing businesses and individuals on all facets of taxation – including income, sales/use, employment and property tax matters.

Joel has formerly served as Vice-Chair of the Tax Committee of the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association as well as an alternate board member of the California Taxpayers Association. He has been a guest speaker at various trade association tax seminars and has been an invited author in the area of privately-contracted tax consultants by governmental tax agencies based on his spearheading of successful legislative reforms in the area in California in partnership with the California Assessors’ Association.

Joel is a proud alumnus of San Jose State University – having received both a BS in Accounting and a MS in Taxation from SJSU. In addition, he has a JD from the Monterey College of Law. He is licensed in California as both a CPA and an attorney.

Email: joel.busch@sjsu.edu

Back to Top

Caroline Chen

MST Course:
BUS 225W Introduction to International Taxation

Before starting at SJSU, Caroline was the Director of the Low Income Tax Clinic at Santa Clara Law, where she supervised students providing pro bono services and representation before the IRS for low-income taxpayers for the 5 years. She was also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and taught Federal Income Tax, International Tax and Tax Practice & Procedure. 

Before creating the Tax Clinic, Caroline was a senior attorney at the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in San Jose for 13 years, primarily with the Large Business & International Division, specializing in international corporate tax.  She has also been an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University, where she taught Federal Tax Practice and Procedure, and worked at Ernst & Young as a tax consultant before joining the IRS. 

Caroline received her LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, her Juris Doctor from Washington College of Law, American University, and her B.S. from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. After receiving her J.D., she clerked for the Honorable Deborah Robinson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

SJSU website: http://www.sjsu.edu/people/caroline.chen/

Email: caroline.chen@sjsu.edu

Back to Top 

Kenneth Guilfoyle

Expatriate Services Practice Leader, BDO

MST Course:
Bus 225X International Taxation – US & Foreign Individuals

EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
Kenneth Guilfoyle has a master’s degree in International Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and joined BDO national expatriate services group, with over 25 years of professional experience including 10 years of expatriate practice experience in Tokyo Japan, London United Kingdom, and Athens Greece. Ken knows firsthand the challenges faced by international assignees, employers and high net worth individuals who reside outside the U.S. Ken has worked both in industry and big six public accounting firms. Ken’s strengths include relationship management, international business and taxation, strategic human resource management consulting, global mobility benefits and taxation. 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Society for Human Resource Management American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Delaware CPA Society
• Fellow, Life Management Institute (Insurance Industry Designation)

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Arts, Monmouth University
• Int’l Masters of Business Administration, University of South Carolina

CPA Permit: Delaware and South Carolina

Email: ken_guilfoyle@hotmail.com  

Back to Top

Matt Haag

Director, PwC

MST Course:
BUS 225U Fundamentals of Transfer Pricing 

LinkedIn Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-haag-2621213/

Back to Top

Mark Hoose

VP Tax & Trade - Intuitive

MST Course:
Bus 225V Tax Considerations for High Tech Companies

Mark S. Hoose is VP Tax & Trade at Intuitive in Sunnyvale.  His prior positions include Senior Director, International Tax and Managing Tax Counsel at Intel Corporation; Managing Tax Counsel at Phillips 66 in Houston, Texas; Senior Tax Counsel for Occidental Petroleum, and positions with Baker & McKenzie and three of the Big 4 accounting firms. Mark has taught widely at business and law schools, including Rice University, Santa Clara University, the University of San Diego and the University of Houston. Mark holds an LLM in Taxation (with Distinction) from Georgetown, a JD (with High Honors) from George Washington, and a BS in Accountancy (Dean’s List) from the University of Illinois. 

Email: mark.hoose@sjsu.edu

Back to Top

David Neighbors

Managing Director, Tax · Business Management - Ground Control Business Management

MST Courses:
BUS 227A Individual Tax Compliance
BUS 225G Taxation of S Corporations

As Managing Director at Ground Control Business Management, my focus is on ensuring tax compliance and strategic planning. My expertise in tax leadership and staff mentorship, honed over a significant professional career, drives organizational success. The team and I are dedicated to optimizing financial efficiency, as demonstrated by the consolidation of tax departments into a unified division.

Previously, as a Partner at BDO USA, I led initiatives in private client services, specializing in estate planning and succession strategies for high-net-worth individuals. My role extended to active participation in the firm's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, emphasizing the importance of inclusive practices in the financial sector. This experience, combined with a workshop facilitation certification, equips me to foster growth and mentorship within Ground Control Business Management's tax department.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Former Board Chair, The Health Trust
• Chair, San José State University Spartan Athletic Fund Advisory Council
• California Society of Certified Public Accountants, past president of the Silicon Valley San José chapter
• Adjunct Professor, Lucas Graduate School of Business, San José State University

EDUCATION

• M.S., Taxation, San José State University
• B.S., Accounting, San José State University

Email: david.neighbors@gcbm.com

Back to Top

Annette Nellen

Professor and MST Program Director
San José State University

MST Courses:
BUS 223A Tax Research & Decision Making
BUS 223F Tax Accounting Methods/Periods
BUS 223H Tax Policy Capstone
BUS 225H Taxation of Property Transactions
BUS 225K Advanced Individual Taxes
BUS 227B  Ethics for Tax Practitioners (1 unit, online)
BUS 227D  Employment Taxation and the Modern Workforce (1 unit)

Annette has been at SJSU since 1990. Prior to coming to SJSU, she was with the Internal Revenue Service and Ernst & Young. Annette is active in the tax sections of the AICPA and ABA. She is currently a member of the AICPA's Individual Taxation Technical Resource Panel. She is the incoming chair of the Tax Policy & Legislation Committee of the California Bar Association. She has previously served on the Tax Executive Committee of the AICPA and chaired the Sales, Exchanges & Basis Committee of the ABA Tax Section.

Annette is a frequent speaker and author on tax policy and reform, high tech tax matters, accounting methods and taxation of e-commerce. She writes monthly articles for the AICPA TaxInsider and AICPA Corporate Taxation Insider (online newsletters). She is the main author of BNA's Tax Management Portfolio No. 533, Amortization of Intangibles. She created and maintains the 21 ^st Century Taxation website and blog.

Annette has a BS in Accounting from CSU, Northridge, an MBA from Pepperdine, and a JD from Loyola Law School. She is a California CPA and attorney.

Annette's website, with lots of tax information, MST program information, as well as information on the history of SJSU can be found at:  http://www.sjsu.edu/people/annette.nellen/website/.

Email: annette.nellen@sjsu.edu

Back to Top

Zachary Nolan

Transactional Tax Lawyer

MST Course:
BUS 223B Taxation of Partnerships
BUS 225B Taxation of Corporate Reorganizations

Zachary Nolan is Tax Counsel at Greenberg Glusker LLP and advises clients on a wide range of federal and state tax issues pertaining to all stages of a company's life cycle, including entity selection and formation, financing, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, and tax-efficient dissolutions. The focus of Zachary’s practice is to ensure his clients optimize their financial position by maximizing their tax benefit on a federal, state and international level. Zachary previously worked as a Transactional Tax Associate at DLA Piper LLP, and prior to joining DLA Piper LLP, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”) in the Mergers and Acquisitions tax group.

Zachary received his LL.M in Taxation from New York University School of Law, his Juris Doctor and Business Law Certificate (Magna Cum Laude) from the Florida State College of Law, and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing (Cum Laude) from the University of Florida. During his time in law school, Zachary also externed as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Judge Stampelos of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida and for the Honorable Judge Ray of the First District Court of Appeal of Florida.

Email: Zachary.Nolan@sjsu.edu 

Back to Top

Kimberley Peterson

Tax Director – Armanino LLP

MST Course: 
BUS 225I Tax Practices, Penalties and Procedures

Professional Experience

Kim joined Armanino LLP as a Tax Director in 2021 where she consults on the firm’s IRS controversy and practice and procedure matters. Kim previously worked at Deloitte from 2008 through 2021, where she led the Silicon Valley Tax Controversy Services practice, representing small and large corporate and partnership clients at the examination and appeals levels of the IRS.  Prior to joining the organization, she was Deputy Area Counsel, Strategic Litigation for IRS Chief Counsel, where she was responsible for the Significant Case Litigation program for IRS Chief Counsel’s Communications, Technology and Media Division.  During her 13-year tenure with IRS Chief Counsel, Kim advised large case agents, international examiners, and appeals officers in some of the IRS’ largest international and domestic corporate issues, including representing the government in DHL v. Commissioner (transfer pricing) and Microsoft v. Commissioner (FSC export property).  In 2008, Kim supervised the trial in Veritas Software Corporation v. Commissioner (cost sharing buy-in).

Positions Held

• Tax Director – Armanino LLP, San Jose
• Tax Managing Director – Deloitte Tax LLP, Silicon Valley
• Deputy Area Counsel, Strategic Litigation – IRS Chief Counsel, San Jose
• Associate Area Counsel, LMSB – IRS Chief Counsel, San Jose
• International Field Counsel, LMSB – IRS Chief Counsel, San Jose
• Senior Tax Consultant – Deloitte & Touche LLP, San Jose

Professional Activities

• State Bar of California
• United States Tax Court Admission to Practice
• IRS Chief Counsel National Litigation Award – 1997 and 1999
• IRS Chief Counsel Western Region Litigation Award – 1999
• IRS Chief Counsel National Training Instructor, Working with Expert Witnesses and Effective and Efficient Tax Court Discovery

Education

• BS – University of California, Berkeley
• JD – University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law

Email: kjpmcguire@sbcglobal.net

Back to Top

Steven Pocoroba

Director- Tax Reporting & Strategy at PwC

MST Course: 
BUS 225E Data Analytics and Security

Steven is a Director in PwC’s Tax Reporting & Strategy group, specializing in emerging technologies and process improvement for large, multinational technology companies. He has over 10 years of experience in the Silicon Valley working in a variety of sectors including the semiconductor, software, and internet service industries.

Steven loves working with clients to make their lives easier – combining best practices of technology (ex. Visualization Tools, ETL Tools, Robotics Process Automation, Workflow/Document Management, Provision Software) to streamline processes, while considering the complex rules and requirements of financial statement reporting and tax compliance. Steven enjoys addressing new challenges every day in this fast-paced environment, and he prides himself on becoming a trusted resource for his clients.

Steven is an active leader within PwC and helps drive the firm's programs and initiatives through several leadership roles. Some of these functions include PwC’s National Advisory Council, the Accelerate Leadership Program, the Ascend Leadership Program, the PwC Pan-Asian Employee Resource Group, the PwC Running Club, and the Corporate Responsibility Team.

Steven holds a B.A. in Business Administration (with an emphasis in Accounting) and an M.S. in Taxation from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Steven has been a frequent speaker for the Tax Executives Institute and is certified in several technologies across Visualization, ETL, and RPA tools.

Email: steven.m.pocoroba@pwc.com

Back to Top

Lance Porter

Lance Porter, CPA Retired, MPA

MST Course:
BUS 225S Consolidated Returns

Lance practiced federal income taxation (primarily Subchapter C) in Silicon Valley for nearly 40 years, being a member of the National Mergers and Acquisition tax practices of both PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG, retiring in 2022 from BDO where he served in a similar capacity and was a firm expert in Section 382. He also provided federal income tax advice regarding the consolidated return regulations for over three decades.

Lance received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a major concentration in Accounting and a minor concentration in Applied Mathematics from Oregon State University, and a Master in Professional Accounting degree with a major concentration in Federal Taxation from The University of Texas at Austin.

Back to Top

William R. Skinner

Partner, Tax Group of Fenwick & West LLP

MST Courses:
BUS 225C International Tax - US Corporations with Foreign Activities
BUS 225W Introduction to International Taxation

Will Skinner focuses his practice on U.S. corporate tax matters, including representation of multinational corporations in international tax consulting and tax controversy, and representation of companies in Silicon Valley M&A transactions.   

In his international tax practice, he develops and stress-tests customized tax planning to meet client objectives, and has successfully defended several corporations before the IRS.  He has experience representing both outbound and inbound taxpayers, and has particular industry experience with software, hardware and other high technology firms and pharmaceutical and life sciences companies.  He also has specialized expertise in foreign currency and financial products tax issues and federal tax controversies involving the domestic production activities deduction (Section 199).  

In his transactional tax practice, Will has led the tax representation on many successfully completed transactions, including public and private company acquisitions, tax-free reorganizations (including cross-border reorganizations), leveraged buy-outs, formations and spin-outs, and S Corp and LLC transactions.  He has experience with a range of financial products transactions, including issuances of convertible debt, hedge fund formation, and use of derivatives to monetize appreciated stock positions.  

With intense client focus a hallmark of his practice, Will has been recognized by California Super Lawyers as a rising star in tax. He is sought out for the clarity and thoroughness of his writing and speaking, and regularly presents at industry educational programs, such as Bloomberg BNA, Strafford, TEI, and IFA events.  He has taught international tax at San Jose State University for several years.  A prolific writer, Will has published numerous articles, including in the Journal of Taxation, Journal of Corporate Taxation, International Tax Journal and PLI’s Corporate Tax Practice Series.   He is the author of a treatise on cross-border spin-offs for RIA’s Checkpoint Catalyst. 

Will served as a law clerk for the Honorable Carlos T. Bea on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  

Will graduated with a J.D., with distinction from Stanford Law School in 2005, where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review. He received a B.A. in history in 2001 from the University of California, Berkeley.  

Email: wrskinner@fenwick.com

Back to Top

David Spence 

Attorney

MST Course:
BUS 225A Taxation of Estates and Trusts

David Spence is an attorney, practicing with Royse Law Firm in San Jose and Palo Alto. David assists clients of the firm in preserving, protecting and transitioning their wealth.

David's technical focus areas are estate & gift taxation, and related estate, trust, probate and business law. David has provided tax and wealth management advice and counsel to some of the largest estates in the world. In addition, he has represented clients before many different courts and other government entities, including the Internal Revenue Service and United States Tax Court. He was co-counsel of record in successful representation of the taxpayer in the case of Paullus v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 1996-419, 72 TCM 636 (U.S. Tax Court Sept. 17, 1996).

David began his professional career in 1986 with the tax department of KPMG. Since then, David has practiced with prominent law firms and accounting firms in Silicon Valley, including Berliner Cohen and Deloitte & Touche. Immediately prior to joining Royse Law Firm, David was with Wells Fargo Private Bank, where he was Regional Trust Manager and Senior Wealth Management Specialist.

David is an active public speaker, and has lectured on numerous occasions in continuing education programs for attorneys, CPAs, and other financial professionals. He was a recurring guest expert on estate planning and tax law for the legal education radio program, "Legal Incite" on KNEW AM 910 in San Francisco. Mr. Spence has also presented for professional education programs sponsored by the Santa Clara County Bar Association, the Silicon Valley Bar Association, the Santa Cruz County Estate Planning Council, Lorman Education Services, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Wells Fargo Bank, Lincoln Law School, and Sacramento State University.

David received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, a Master of Accountancy in Taxation, and a Juris Doctor degree from Brigham Young University, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board and Beta Alpha Psi. He is licensed to practice before The Supreme Court of California, The United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and The United States Tax Court. He is a member of the State Bar of California Tax Section, the Estate and Trust Section, and the Business Law Section, and is a member of the Palo Alto Area Bar Association.

Email:  DSpence@rroyselaw.com

Back to Top

Julia Ushakova-Stein

Associate | Fenwick & West LLP

MST Courses:
BUS 225P Advanced International Tax - US Corporations
BUS 225W Introduction to International Taxation

Julia Ushakova-Stein focuses her practice on U.S. tax planning and tax controversy matters, with an emphasis on international tax planning (inbound and outbound) and restructurings, M&A, and transfer pricing. She represents clients from a diverse set of industries and geographic areas. She has represented a number of Fortune 500 companies in U.S. federal income tax matters and has successfully represented clients in federal tax controversies at all levels.

Julia was honored as one of the top 40 lawyers under 40 by the American Bar Association in 2018 and was the only person to win Euromoney’s Women in Business Law’s Americas Rising Star in Tax award in 2017.  She appears in Euromoney’s 2018 and 2017 Expert Guides: Rising Stars in the Tax category and International Tax Review’s 2017 “Women in Tax Leaders.”  Julia was also recognized by California Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in 2018 and shortlisted in the Best in Tax and Tax Disputes category for Euromoney’s 2018 Americas Rising Star Awards. 

Julia regularly speaks at major tax conferences for professional tax groups, including for the International Fiscal Association, International Tax Review, and Euromoney, and regularly publishes articles relating to international tax.

Julia received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she served as the Supervising, Development, and Executive Editor for the Berkeley Business Law Journal.  She received her B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, in accounting from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management.

Email: jushakova-stein@fenwick.com

Back to Top

Matt Walton

Partner, Business Tax Services
Technology, Media & Telecommunications
Deloitte Tax LLP

MST Courses:
BUS 225L Accounting for Income Taxes

Matt is a partner in the Business Tax Services group in Deloitte’s San Jose office.  He has over 16 years of experience in public accounting, during which he has specialized in serving large and mid-sized corporate clients in the semi-conductor, software, and life sciences industries. He specializes in accounting for income taxes, international corporate tax planning, and income tax accounting methods. Matt works with multinational companies and teams within Deloitte’s worldwide tax network to identify and implement tax efficient strategies for growth. Matt has extensive experience supporting his clients’ efforts to mitigate their overall effective tax rates and improve operating cash flow and has assisted several companies with the tax aspects of successful Initial Public Offerings.  Matt is an active public speaker, and has lectured on numerous occasions in continuing education programs for certified public accountants (CPAs), and other finance professionals. 

Matt holds B.S. Accounting and Master of Accountancy degrees, both from Brigham Young University. Matt is a licensed CPA in California and is a member of the AICPA.

Email: matwalton@deloitte.com

Back to Top