First Admitted: 1980, California

Professional Webpage: https://www.brownandstreza.com/team/david-keligian/

Bar/Professional Activity:

Frequent author and lecturer for California Continuing Education of the Bar, California CPA Foundation, and various continuing education providers.
Brown & Streza LLP, Irvine, California: Partner, 2011 - Present
The Busch Firm, Irvine, California: Tax Attorney/Shareholder, 1993 - 2011
Grayson, Givner, Booke, Silver & Wolfe, Encino, California: Tax and Managing Partner, 1986 - 1992
Freshman, Marantz, Orlanski, Comsky & Deutsch, Beverly Hills, California: Tax Associate, 1984-1986

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Certified Public Accountant, California, 1982

Pro bono/Community Service:

Pacific Club-Membership Finance and Legal Committees, 2010 – Present; Board of Directors, 2018 – Present
Director and CFO, Armenian EyeCare Project 2002 – Present, 501(c)(3) organization with over $2 million in annual revenues. AECP operates a mobile eye hospital and clinics, offers physician training and fellowships, and provides patient screening, free surgical procedures, and public education in the Republic of Armenia
Board of Trustees, Western Diocese Endowment Fund 2000 – Present, Endowment Fund which supports the operations of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America
Chairman of Audit Committee, Armenian Assembly of America 2003 – 2008
Ararat Home of Los Angeles 1992 – 2000, $25,000,000 old age and nursing facility, Board Member and Chairman of Legal Committee, 1990 – 2000

Honors/Awards:

a fellowship is reserved for tax attorneys who have made an exceptional contribution conidered preeminent by their peers, Fellow (Member), American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC)
2011-2013 OC Top Attorney as published in OC Metro, August 2011-2013
Received California Society of CPAs award for top course materials for Federal Tax Procedure course.

Educational Background:

Juris Doctor, University of Southern California Law School - 1980
Master of Business Administration, University of Southern California Law School - 1980, Dean's List
Bachelors of Science, Accounting, Magna Cum Laude, University of Southern California Law School - 1977

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

Internal Revenue Code Section 1202, which allows exclusions of certain gains on dispositions of qualifying stock, can offer huge tax benefits. Exclusions of gain can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, and the exclusion can be “multiplied” by the creation of trusts and other entities that hold qualifying stock. This article provides an explanation of the rules for qualification, and then discusses how to maximize the tax benefits., Co-Author, Qualified Small Business Stock: A Rare Planning Opportunity, Orange County Lawyer Magazine, 2024
Given the high stakes in claiming an individual or business is no longer subject to California tax, a review of the basic rules governing California taxation will help your clients avoid some common mistakes in planning a California exit. Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions about avoiding California taxation and how to properly do so., Author, Exiting California: Avoiding Common Misconceptions, Orange County Lawyer Magazine, 2023
Code Section 1031 exchanges of real estate are relatively common, and in most cases there is very clear guidance about how they should be structured. There are also several knowledgeable advisors in the area, including companies which specialize in providing “accommodator” services for 1031 exchanges. Nonetheless, there are a number of common situations that, if not handled properly, can inadvertently trigger gain. This article reviews some of such common traps and how to avoid them., Co-Author, 1031 Delayed Exchanges: Avoiding Common Traps David Keligian and Steven Hilton, Orange County Lawyer Magazine, 2023
This article provides guidance on how settlements can be structured for the best tax result. With some attention to tax rules early enough in the process, litigators can help their clients achieve much better after-tax results. , Author, Taxation of Damages: A Primer for Litigators, Orange County Lawyer Magazine, 2022
Business succession - the process of transferring the value of a business from where it is now to where it ultimately ends up - is the biggest challenge our clients face. The odds of successfully passing a business from one generation to the next are daunting, and the odds of doing it again - to the next generation - are less than 5%! Ultimately, the successful business succession plan is one that gets you closest to meaningful yet realistic personal goals. This book has been written as an introduction to help you through the process to think about and hopefully decide what is best for your situation. Once that decision is made, it is much easier to successfully implement your decision. , Author, Business Succession - The Essentials E-book, 2021
Articles have been pulished in Journal of Taxation, Business Law News, Taxes, Practical Tax Lawyer, Taxation for Lawyers, and other professional publications. See CV for complete list.

David L. Keligian