Course Description:

This advanced training session led by Michael DeBlis, explores the critical juncture where civil tax audits evolve into criminal investigations—an area fraught with risk for financial professionals, tax advisors, and legal counsel. Attendees will gain insight into how to detect early red flags in so-called “eggshell” and “reverse eggshell” audits, understand the role of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), and develop practical strategies to protect clients and organizations.

The course also addresses the tactical use of Kovel arrangements to extend privilege to non-lawyer professionals and outlines how to prepare for parallel civil and criminal proceedings. This training is essential for professionals involved in tax planning, audit defense, or financial crime compliance.

Instructor: Michael DeBlis

Course Description:

Financial institutions, fintechs, and advisory professionals increasingly face legal demands for information as the IRS and Department of Justice expand their enforcement reach. This session prepares professionals to effectively respond to IRS civil summonses and criminal grand jury subpoenas—two powerful tools used in tax and financial crime investigations.

The course explains the differences in scope, authority, and risk between these mechanisms and provides actionable guidance on document production, protecting privileged communications, and avoiding inadvertent waiver. Attendees will also learn when and how to escalate matters to legal counsel, and the potential consequences of cooperating too quickly—or not at all.

Instructor: Michael DeBlis

Course Description:

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) is a US law that fights money laundering and other financial crimes. BSA requires businesses to keep records and file reports that are determined to have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, and regulatory matters. Individuals and financial institutions who fail to comply with BSA requirements may face severe penalties and, for more serious offenses, prison sentences. BSA rules and regulations must be followed by financial institutions.

Although financial institutions have been managing BSA operations in accordance with regulatory requirements, the shift to BSA audits has become increasingly important. During this webinar, we will discuss an overview of BSA, the reporting requirements, when and how to report and best tips for submitting and completing BSA reports.

Instructor: Justin Muscolino

Course Description:

The IRS possesses powerful investigative tools that go beyond traditional tax enforcement and are often used in financial crime cases involving fraud, money laundering, and asset concealment. This course, led by Michael DeBlis, provides an in-depth look at how IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) develops cases and the methods it uses to gather evidence.

Financial professionals, compliance teams, and legal advisors will learn to recognize the scope and limitations of administrative summonses, understand the growing role of international cooperation through MLATs, and anticipate how digital footprints and financial records are used to build cases. The session also explores the concept of willfulness and how it is interpreted in enforcement actions.

Instructor: Michael DeBlis