BU Law Welcomes LLM Alumni for Reunion Weekend
Alumni of the school’s graduate programs traveled from around the world to reconnect and celebrate.
Boston University School of Law was pleased to welcome alumni of its five LLM programs back to campus for the 2018 LLM Reunion Weekend, held September 20–22. Graduates from around the world returned to the school to reconnect with classmates, broaden their professional networks, and discover what is new about BU Law and Boston.
The first LLM Reunion Weekend since 2006, attendees of the 2018 LLM Reunion Weekend spanned from the Class of 1997 to the Class of 2018, with 24 countries represented among the 100 registered attendees to showcase the global presence of BU Law alumni. The weekend’s festivities included a welcome reception with international students and optional self-guided tours for those who were new to the Sumner M. Redstone Building and the renovations to the law tower. On Friday, Assistant Dean of Graduate & International Programs John Riccardi gave a talk about current trends in legal education and how BU Law is responding before inviting alums to a cookout on the BU Beach. Afternoon panels with Professor Jack Beermann, faculty from the Graduate Tax Program, and alumni of the Banking & Financial Law Program covered cryptocurrencies and taxation, and current issues in financial services law, and more.
Finally, graduates of all programs attended the LLM Reunion Gala Dinner at BU’s Metcalf Trustee Ballroom on Saturday evening. Saad Shervani (Banking & Financial Law’04) served as the alumni speaker, and discussed the importance of staying connected with one another and with the Boston University School of Law community. No matter how much time has passed since graduation, BU Law will always feel like home to its alumni. We look forward to keeping in touch until the next LLM Reunion Weekend!
Cryptocurrency and Taxation
Few areas of tax law have greater uncertainty than the taxation of cryptocurrency. As part of BU Law’s 2018 LLM Reunion Weekend, the Graduate Tax Program hosted a panel of faculty and professionals to share their insights on the multiple tax and regulatory issues facing both individual cryptocurrency holders as well as businesses engaged in the exchange of these relatively new assets.
Joseph Darby, GTP adjunct professor and partner at Sullivan & Worcester, discussed tax uncertainties related to the classification of cryptocurrency and the ability to make like-kind exchanges. Ruth Mattson, lecturer and associate with Bove & Langa, highlighted potential Foreign Bank Account Reporting (FBAR) issues with cryptocurrency accounts and the uncertainty regarding where such accounts are considered “located” for reporting purposes. Robert Bench shared tax and financial reporting issues he has encountered as the head regulatory counsel and chief compliance officer of Circle Internet Financial, a crypto finance company based in Boston. Finally, Camillo Martinez, lecturer and tax consultant at Thomson Reuters, shifted the focus away from cryptocurrency to talk about broader applications of the blockchain technology, such as its use in combating tax fraud in countries like Brazil.