American College of Tax Counsel elects 12 new Fellows

By AI, Created 5:03 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The American College of Tax Counsel elected 12 new Fellows at its May 8 meeting in Washington, D.C., adding tax lawyers from firms, academia and practice groups across the U.S. The move expands a selective membership that helps shape input on U.S. tax law and policy.

Why it matters: - The College adds 12 experienced tax lawyers to a small, selective network that helps inform U.S. tax law and policy. - The election brings in practitioners from private firms, academic tax centers and other legal roles across the country. - The new Fellows strengthen a group the College describes as central to its work during a period of rapid change in tax administration.

What happened: - The Board of Regents of the American College of Tax Counsel elected 12 new Fellows at a meeting on May 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C. - The new Fellows are Julie Avetta, Meghan R. Biss, Stephen J. Dunn, Craig A. Griffith, Karin Gross, Scott A. Harty, Matthew P. Hedstrom, Brian J. O’Connor, Jorge M. Obén-Cuadros, Kevin F. Sweeney, Jeffery D. Trevillion, Jr. and Isaac J. Wheeler. - The Fellows come from The Tax Law Center at NYU Law, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Dunn Counsel PLC, FBT Gibbons LLP, K. Tyson Law PLLC, Alston & Bird LLP, Venable LLP, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Crowe & Dunlevy and Sullivan & Cromwell.

The details: - Ameek Ashok Ponda, president of the College, welcomed the new Fellows and said their experience, perspective and judgment will help strengthen the College’s work. - Membership requires nomination by a current Fellow and review by a committee of the Board of Regents. - Candidates must have been members of a U.S. state, territorial or D.C. bar for at least 15 years before election. - The College requires a career principally devoted to tax law and tax-related matters. - Prospective Fellows must be engaged in, or retired or semi-retired from, full-time legal work in private practice, a corporate legal or tax department, a government legal role, a trade association, a law or business school, or another graduate-level teaching position. - The College also requires a high standard of excellence and ethical conduct, reflected in substantial bar association involvement and significant writing or speaking activity.

Between the lines: - The Fellow designation appears designed to recognize both technical tax expertise and broader professional influence. - The mix of private practice, academia and public-facing tax work suggests the College is prioritizing practitioners with reach beyond a single employer or market. - The election also reinforces the College’s role as a gatekeeper for expert input into tax policy debates.

What’s next: - The 12 new Fellows are now part of the College’s membership and will be positioned to contribute to its tax law and policy work. - The College will continue operating through its 19-member Board of Regents, including circuit representation and four executive officers. - The organization remains based on a nonprofit model built around tax practice, teaching and public policy involvement.

The bottom line: - The American College of Tax Counsel is expanding a highly credentialed bench of tax experts at a moment when tax administration and policy are in flux.