Emily Bivona, Esq., CPA, LL.M.

Senior Counsel | Nonprofit & Tax Practice

Emily Bivona serves as Senior Counsel at FPLG, and is a member of the firm's nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations and tax practice groups. Ms. Bivona graduated from Notre Dame Law School and obtained her LL.M. in Taxation from Villanova University School of Law.

Ms. Bivona began her tax career in the tax controversy practice group at Deloitte in Houston. She has over a decade of experience representing tax exempt organizations in planning, governance, and controversy matters, as well as advising entrepreneurs and business owners on the best tax and entity structures for their enterprises. As a Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Bivona is able to bring a unique perspective and provide proactive financial guidance to the firm's clients.

During law school, Ms. Bivona served as Managing Editor of the Notre Dame Journal of Legislation and received the Dedication Award for completing the most pro bono hours of any Notre Dame law student in her work in the law school's low-income tax clinic.

Ms. Bivona holds a diploma in business French from the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and is also conversational in Italian, Russian, and Ukrainian. She is a PADI-certified Rescue Diver and an amateur history buff, and in her spare time also enjoys studying classical piano, traveling, attending the opera, cross-stitch, and wrangling her dogs.

Areas of Expertise

Nonprofit & Tax Exempt Organizations Social Enterprise & Business Law Estate Planning & Charitable Giving Nonprofit & Business Accounting

Admissions

Texas Bar
Certified Public Accountant, Texas
United States Tax Court

Education

Master of Laws in Taxation, Villanova University School of Law
Juris Doctor, Notre Dame Law School
Managing Editor, Notre Dame Journal of Legislation
Bachelor of Arts, Government, University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business, University of Texas at Austin

Professional Associations

State Bar of Texas - Tax Section
Houston Bar Association - Tax Section
Houston Society of CPAs
Chair, Houston Grand Opera Young Patrons Circle Steering Committee
Ukrainian American Culture Club of Houston
HTX4Ukraine

Speaking Engagements

"Worker Classification,” Texas Society of CPAs Nonprofit Organizations Conference, Austin, Texas, May 23, 2022
“Tax and Legal Update for Nonprofits,” Baker Tilly Faith-Based Finance Collaborative 2022, Houston, Texas, April 22, 2022
“#MeToo in a #ChurchToo World,” (co-presentation), Faith & Philanthropy Institute Ultimate Financial & Legal Conference, Arlington, Texas, October 21, 2021

7.6.2023

Webinar

GAAP for Nonprofits

Aurora Training Advantage

FPLG Senior Counsel Chuck Borek will be presenting on GAAP for Nonprofits, the main method of communicating the fiscal health of an organization is its financial statements. Evaluating the status of a nonprofit organization, however, require metrics different from those applied to for-profit entities. For this reason, GAAP mandates special accounting methods and procedures for nonprofits; understanding those rules is essential to comprehending the performance and outlook of charities and other nonprofit organizations. In this webinar we will discuss the basic areas where nonprofit accounting and financial reporting differs from for-profits and what those differences reveal. The topics discussed will include: - How “equity” is reflected on a nonprofit’s financial statements - Reporting charitable contributions - The difference between accounting and tax rules - Understanding functional expense reporting - Nonprofit disclosures you should pay attention to

Speakers