The Lawyer’s Guide to Tax Write-Offs: Keep More Revenue, Cut Risk, Stay Audit-Ready (2026 Edition)

Adam Williams, Co-Founder | Pennywise Tax Strategies

Adam Williams, Esq. is a tax lawyer and entrepreneur dedicated to helping business owners, professionals, and high-earning individuals keep more of what they earn through strategic, lawful tax planning. As co-founder of Pennywise Tax Strategies, Adam combines deep legal expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset to create proactive solutions that increase after-tax income and improve financial outcomes for his clients.

• Education & Credentials

Adam holds a J.D. and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and earned his undergraduate degree in Business from Penn State Behrend. His academic background blends legal acumen with business strategy, providing a strong foundation for practical tax planning and advisory work.

• Recognition & Leadership

A recognized leader in his community, Adam was named to the Erie Reader “40 Under 40” and has been selected multiple times as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star. He brings a results-oriented approach to every client engagement and has earned accolades for his work supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners.

• Professional Involvement

Adam has served on the boards of the Erie County Bar Association, Lakeshore Community Services, the Innovation Collaborative, and the Erie Art Museum, demonstrating his commitment to civic engagement and professional leadership. He is also an active speaker and thought leader on tax strategy and business growth.

• Experience

Before co-founding Pennywise Tax Strategies with his CPA partner, Adam built and grew Rust Belt Business Law, a firm focused on supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners. There, he developed a practical, service-oriented approach that combines legal insight with real-world business strategy. At Pennywise, Adam uses that experience to help clients identify opportunities for tax savings, avoid common pitfalls, and implement defensible, year-round tax plans. He is passionate about empowering clients with the knowledge and tools they need to make confident financial decisions.

Jacqueline R. Williams, Co-Founder | Pennywise Tax Strategies

Jacqueline R. Williams, CPA, is a seasoned accounting professional and tax strategist who helps business owners reduce tax liability and keep more of their hard-earned profits. As co-founder of Pennywise Tax Strategies, she blends deep technical expertise with a client-centric approach to deliver proactive, lawful tax planning solutions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

• Education & Credentials

Jacqueline is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Tax Planner with nearly two decades of accounting and tax planning experience. Her professional foundation includes rigorous training and certification in accounting and tax strategy, and she brings sophisticated technical knowledge to complex tax challenges.

• Recognition & Leadership

Throughout her career, Jacqueline has distinguished herself as a trusted advisor within the small business community. She has been instrumental in building systems that help clients navigate tax incentives and relief programs and has earned respect for her practical, results-oriented approach to tax strategy. Her leadership at Pennywise Tax Strategies reflects a commitment to measurable client outcomes and continuous innovation.

• Professional Involvement

In addition to her professional practice, Jacqueline is actively involved in community service, including serving on the Finance Committee of the nonprofit Emma’s Footprints. She also shares her insights publicly as a speaker and thought leader on tax strategy, helping audiences understand actionable ways to improve financial performance.

• Experience

With nearly 20 years of experience, Jacqueline’s background includes Big 4 auditing and accounting policy at a Fortune 500 firm, where she developed a strong foundation in technical accounting and governance. During the pandemic, she built systems to help small businesses secure and retain relief funds such as the Payroll Protection Program and Employee Retention Tax Credit. Today, she leads Pennywise Tax Strategies alongside her husband and co-founder, helping clients proactively document and implement tax positions that align with the tax code.

Emil Abedian, CEO | Counsel CPAs

Emil Abedian, CPA is a seasoned accounting and financial strategist with over two decades of experience helping law firms and small to mid-sized businesses achieve financial clarity and growth. As CEO of Counsel CPAs and Partner at CAPATA, Emil specializes in delivering tailored tax planning, financial consulting, and strategic advisory services that support sustainable profitability and operational excellence for legal professionals and entrepreneurs.

• Education & Credentials

Emil began his accounting career in Sweden and holds advanced academic credentials in business and economics, including a Master of Science in Business and Economics from Uppsala University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with extensive experience in tax, audit, and business consulting.

• Recognition & Leadership

Emil is widely respected for his leadership in the accounting industry and his entrepreneurial success in building specialized services for law firms. He serves as a Board Member and Chief Financial Officer for the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles and the Mentor Foundation USA, where he contributes to community and business growth initiatives.

• Professional Involvement

Emil is actively involved in professional accounting circles and has cultivated a reputation as a thought leader in law-firm financial strategy. He frequently speaks on the importance of proactive tax planning, financial management, and the value of specialized CPAs for legal practices. His work spans trusted partnerships with law firms nationwide through tailored advisory services.

• Experience

With more than 20 years of experience, Emil has worked across public accounting, tax strategy, and business consulting, including early roles in international finance firms and major audit environments. He founded Abedian & Totlian, an accountancy corporation providing comprehensive solutions to law firms and businesses and now leads specialized services through Counsel CPAs and CAPATA. His approach emphasizes strategic insight, operational support, and measurable financial improvement for clients.

I. Foundations of Smart Tax Planning for Lawyers: Deductions, Structure, and Staying Within the Lines | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

In this session, Adam and Jacqueline will walk attorneys through how tax rules apply to lawyers and law firms. They begin by clarifying how the IRS views professional service practices and why common “write everything off” advice can create unnecessary risk. From there, they break down the core deductions that typically apply to law practices—what qualifies, what documentation is required, and where lawyers most often make costly mistakes. The session concludes with a practical discussion of entity selection and compensation strategies, helping attorneys understand how business structure and payroll decisions directly impact their tax liability. Throughout, the focus remains on lawful, defensible strategies that help lawyers reduce taxes without crossing ethical or compliance boundaries.

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

II. Strategic Tax Planning in Practice: Implementing, Optimizing, and Monitoring for Law Firms | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

In this session, Emil moves beyond foundational rules and into how tax strategy works in real life. He demonstrates how law firms can build and monitor a year-round tax plan by understanding their numbers, assembling the right advisory team, and aligning structure with long-term goals. The session explores operational efficiencies, retirement and pass-through strategies, and practical tools for tracking deductions and income throughout the year. Emil also addresses advanced planning concepts—such as bonus depreciation, real estate integration, philanthropy, and wealth-building strategies—while clarifying the line between legitimate tax deferral and abusive schemes. The emphasis is on turning sound tax concepts into disciplined execution that improves financial performance over time.