2021 Tax Facts Individuals & Small Business

Prof. Robert Bloink worked to put in force in excess of $2 billion of death benefits for the

insurance industry’s producers in the past five years. His insurance practice incorporates

sophisticated wealth-transfer techniques, as well as counseling institutions in the context of their

insurance portfolios and other mortality-based exposures. Prof. Bloink is a professor of tax for

the Graduate Program of International Tax and Financial Services, Thomas Jefferson School of

Law, San Deigo, CA.

Previously, Prof. Bloink served as Senior Attorney in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, Large

and Mid-Sized Business Division, where he litigated many cases in the US Tax Court, served

as Liaison Counsel for the Offshore Compliance Technical Assistance Program, coordinated

examination programs audit teams on the development of issues for large corporate taxpayers,

and taught continuing education seminars to Senior Revenue Agents involved in Large Case

Exams. In his governmental capacity, Prof. Bloink became recognized as an expert in the

taxation of financial structured products and was responsible for the IRS’s first FSA addressing

variable forward contracts. Mr. Bloink’s core competencies led to his involvement in prosecuting

some of the largest corporate tax shelters in the history of the United States.

William Byrnes is the leader of National Underwriter's Financial Advisory Publications, having been appointed in 2010. He is a professor and an associate dean of Texas A&M University School of Law. He is one of the leading authors and best-selling authors in the professional markets​ with 30 books that have sold in excess of 100,000 copies in print and online, with thousands of online database subscribers. His National Underwriter publications include Tax Facts, Advanced Markets, and Sales Essentials.

Mr. Byrnes held senior positions of international tax for Coopers & Lybrand and has been commissioned and consulted by a number of governments on their tax and fiscal policy. He has served as an operational board member for companies in several industries including fashion, durable medical equipment, office furniture and technology. 

He pioneered online legal education in 1994. In 1998 he developed the first online program to achieve American Bar Association acquiescence. His Master, LL.M. and doctoral programs are leveraged by wealth managers, financial planners and life insurance underwriters.