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Overview

Yelena assists with tax planning and compliance for businesses and individuals in the Private Wealth division.

Yelena originally chose to pursue a career in tax because she liked the order and exactness of the tax code. However, she soon discovered that tax rules had plenty of gray areas that required professional advice and interpretation. She enjoys helping clients navigate the ever-changing tax laws and regulations. 

After a career spent largely at public accounting firms, Yelena joined Husch Blackwell in order to move beyond traditional accounting work. She has extensive experience with tax and accounting for small businesses and individuals, as well as with trust administration and trust accounting. She assists the private wealth paralegal team with tax compliance and with any tax issues that arise in estate planning.

Yelena loves her field because it’s so personal, and she values the opportunity to get to know clients’ life stories and help them make plans that fit their goals for the future. With an excellent eye for detail and a clear understanding of tax rules, she has the technical skills to help clients develop tax-advantaged plans, but she’s also known for the care and attention she gives to clients. Yelena aims to ensure that clients always have their questions answered and that the numbers on their financial statements or tax returns make sense to them.

Industry

Service

Education

  • B.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    • cum laude

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Wisconsin Institute of CPAs

Languages

  • Russian, native
Experience
  • Assist attorneys and paralegals on trust and estate tax issues.
  • Discuss tax planning and accounting issues with clients.
  • Review monthly, quarterly and annual entity and retirement plan accounting.
  • Prepare and review tax returns (business, individual, trust, gift, payroll, sales tax, private foundations, retirement plans).
  • Manage clients' cash flow, including calculating trust distributions and 65-day distributions.
  • Manage accounting for private foundations.
  • Work with investment advisors on analyzing market performance and clients' goals.
  • Work with insurance agents to choose and maintain variable policies.
Outside the Office

Whether it’s a visit to the theatre or a trip to the other side of the world, Yelena loves to get out.

An avid traveler, Yelena takes a couple of major trips every year and especially enjoys sightseeing and tours. Born and raised in Ukraine, Europe is definitely her favorite destination, and she dreams of retiring in Paris. She also tries to go to more adventurous locations like South Africa and Costa Rica, where she got to see wildlife in its original habitat. 

Closer to home, Yelena enjoys attending live events. She loves concerts, live music and theatre, and she tries to attend every stand-up comedy performance that comes to town. She often travels to Chicago and New York to catch a Broadway play or to spend an evening at a legendary Comedy Cellar.