Nicolo Pinoli is a partner in the Portland, Ore., office of Novogradac & Company LLP, where he specializes in affordable housing and community development, including the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), new markets tax credit (NMTC), historic rehabilitation tax credit (HTC) and tax-exempt bond financed transactions. Mr. Pinoli has extensive experience in financial statement audits, tax return preparation, transaction underwriting and consulting on transaction structuring and LIHTC and NMTC compliance. He has published many articles on various technical issues confronting the affordable housing and community development industries. Mr. Pinoli received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in professional accounting from Brigham Young University and is licensed in California, Oregon and Washington as a certified public accountant.

Ruth Sparrow is a principal of Future Unlimited Law PC, a law firm based in Yelm, Wash., with a nationwide tax credit, community development and federal income tax practice. Ms. Sparrow represents community development entities, developers, lenders and investors nationwide in new markets tax credit (NMTC), historic rehabilitation tax credit (HTC) and low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) transactions. Ms. Sparrow assists clients in determining eligibility for the tax credit programs; applying for credits; structuring, negotiating and closing of transactions including targeted populations, blind pools, federally guaranteed loans, commercial rental real estate, mixed-use, for-sale housing, charter schools, community facilities, start-up businesses, and business expansion; delivering legal and tax opinions; consulting regarding statutory and regulatory developments; structuring loan modifications; unwinding transactions; consulting regarding IRS audits; and maintaining compliance. Before forming Future Unlimited Law PC, Ms. Sparrow was of counsel and co-chairwoman of the Affordable Housing and Community Development Group at Garvey Schubert Barer in Seattle. Before relocating to Washington, she was partner in the tax department and vice-chairwoman of the government assisted and affordable housing group at Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP in Philadelphia. Ms. Sparrow graduated from New York University School of Law and served as an articles editor of the Review of Law and Social Change. Ms. Sparrow is a member of the advisory board of the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits. Ms. Sparrow speaks frequently at tax credit conferences and publishes articles on current tax credit issues.

Kimberly Smith is a transactional lawyer who focuses her practice on structuring investments that produce federal and state tax benefits, with a strong emphasis on transactions generating tax credits. Ms. Smith has extensive experience in structuring transactions involving the new markets tax credit (NMTC), historic rehabilitation tax credit (HTC) and state tax credits. With regard to her NMTC experience, she works with investors, lenders, community development entities and qualified active low-income community businesses. She has worked on a wide range of transactions that have benefitted dozens of low-income communities throughout the United States with investment dollars building businesses and physical structures including charter schools, grocery stores, hospitals, retail centers, for-sale housing and museums. Ms. Smith speaks frequently on issues related to the NMTC program, as well as various other incentive programs and has contributed to industry publications.