Faculty

Babken Basmadzhyan is a professor of accounting in Los Angeles Pierce College and California State University Northridge. He is also a practitioner CPA and is the managing director of Proactive Tax and Business Management, where he oversees accounting and taxation matters of over 700 clients. He has earned his Bachelor of Accountancy and Masters of Science in Taxation degrees from CSUN. His favorite pastimes include reading, learning foreign languages, and culinary arts. Professor Basmadzhyan teaches real estate taxation.

Partner, Holland & Knight

Professor Brittain is a private wealth services attorney in Holland & Knight's Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices. She has over 25 years of experience representing domestic and international clients seeking to transition wealth in a tax-efficient and practical manner while incorporating each respective family's personal goals and values. Her estate and tax planning practice has been dedicated to complex issues relevant to international corporate tax, international and domestic wealth transfer strategies, and pre-immigration planning. Professor Brittain has extensive experience with regulatory laws that affect U.S. domestic planning and tax compliance under several voluntary disclosure regimes. In addition, she worked within the international mergers and acquisitions group at a Big Four accounting firm and has continued advising clients on effectively integrating their global business operations into the U.S. tax regime. Professor Brittain obtained her bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina, her J.D. from California Western School of Law and her Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego.

Professor Chapman is Senior Counsel with the Los Angeles law firm of Buchalter LLP. His practice focuses on partnership taxation, particularly real estate transactions and tax incentives. He has over 27 years of tax experience, including 10 years with the Walt Disney Company’s corporate tax department. James earned his B.A. from the University of Oregon, his J.D. from UC California’s Hastings College of the Law, and his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law. He is teaching ACCT 633: Income Taxation of Partnerships.

Managing Partner, the Balian Law Group

Professor Balian is an alumnus of the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was a revenue agent with the Los Angeles District of the IRS, where he conducted tax audits of corporations, trusts, and individuals, generally focusing on understated income or overstated deductions. He has practiced law since 1993 and is currently the managing partner of the Balian Law Group, a tax and estate planning law firm in Encino, California. Professor Balian is a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law, certified by the Board of Legal Specialization of the California State Bar. His law firm represents clients in IRS audits/appeals and before the U.S. Tax Court and advises clients on income, estate & gift tax issues. He received both his B.S. in Accounting and M.S. in Taxation degrees from CSUN and his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law. Professor Balian teaches Federal Tax Procedure and the Culminating Experience.

M&A U.S. Tax Advisor, Leo Berwick LLP 

Professor Razani has worked for the Internal Revenue Service as a Revenue Agent for over 23 years. He currently works as a subject matter expert in the Corporate Distributions and Adjustments Issue Practice Group, where he provides guidance to IRS internal stakeholders on corporate and M&A transactions. His experience with the IRS includes over 14 years as a Senior Team Coordinator in the Large Business and International (LB&I) Division of the IRS, coordinating the tax examination of some of the nation's largest multinational public corporations. Professor Razani has extensive experience conducting trainings within the IRS, as well as teaching CPA review courses. Professor Razani earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University and his Master of Science in Taxation from California State, Northridge. He teaches Tax Research and Writing, Income Tax Concepts and Their Business Applications, and Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders II.  

Managing Director, Crowe Horwath LLP (Retired)

Professor Johnson is a Managing Director with Crowe Horwath State and Local Tax (SALT) practice. He has more than 25 years of experience serving the state and local tax needs of a wide variety of clients, ranging from publicly held Fortune 500 companies to privately held emerging growth firms. He holds a master of science degree in taxation from Golden Gate University and a bachelor of science in accounting from California State University, San Bernardino. He teaches State and Local Taxes.