Julia Damasco is a tax attorney and serves on the Executive Committee for the Tax Section of California Lawyers. Her path to partnership at Miller Kaplan, a leading CPA firm, and membership on its Managing Partner Committee is somewhat non-traditional. She ran her own business of more than 25 people for over 20 years. Yes, she has a law degree and an advanced law degree in Taxation but her passion for creative problem solving and multidisciplinary teams began at Scripps College in Claremont, CA where she was Treasurer of her student body and a member of the Student Investment Fund.
Her first job out of law school was working with a public affairs firm to plan the Olympic Torch relay route for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She then worked at a prestigious law firm in San Francisco planning with her mentor one of the first technology supported litigation support systems for the coordinated asbestos insurance litigation. She began her career as a litigator in federal court and served on the team of a six-month criminal tax fraud trial. Her client, an attorney, was acquitted.
She is an expert on settlements and judgments, receiverships, enforcement actions, securities, and tax policy. She counts among her clients attorneys, neutrals, federal and state regulators, financial institutions, studio CEOs, best-selling authors, and content creators. She is a sought-after advisor on issues related to settlements and judgments. An advocate for taxpayers, she has a great record of successful taxpayer defense.
Julia has a passion for problem solving at the intersection of tax, public policy, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
She is an experienced member of management, governance, and audit committees. More than just a tax advisor, she brings a multi-disciplinary skill set to her work.
Over the years she has been called on as a public speaker for many different groups. As a board member of Queen’s Bench, the San Francisco Women’s Bar Association, and chair of the Education committee she co-wrote and presented one of the first video-based education programs for attorneys on gender bias, “All in A Day’s Work” which was produced by Abby Ginsberg. The program received the E. Smythe Gambrel award for excellence in legal education.
Julia is a frequent speaker and author of continuing legal education programs on compliance, innovative team management, taxation, and ethics. She leads her team with excellence, integrity, and service.