Michael Halloran
President and CEO

Michael directs the operations of NES Financial which includes operating subsidiary NES Exchange, one of the nation’s largest providers of 1031 tax deferred exchange services.  Halloran is a leading voice within the 1031 marketplace advocating strict operating standards and guidelines for 1031 intermediaries.  Under Michael’s leadership NES instilled rigorous controls within exchange operations and the company is the only intermediary in the country to voluntarily subject itself to independent audit for compliance with operating standards including adherence to standards established for national banking institutions through the Office of the Comptroller of Currency and the Bank Secrecy Act.  Michael is a frequent speaker at events throughout the commercial real estate, equipment leasing and banking industries, and in 2007 testified before the Congressional House Committee on Small Business on behalf of the 1031 Intermediary industry.

Kelly is responsible for providing legal oversight, tax guidance and consultative services.

Kelly has over 25 years of experience in federal taxation. Prior to joining NES, she was a Senior Manager in the Washington National Tax office of Deloitte Tax LLP for over five years, where she specialized in all aspects of like-kind exchanges. Prior to Deloitte, she held various management positions in the National Office of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Washington, DC. In this role, she wrote rulings and regulations of national application, as well as taxpayer specific guidance, with a particular emphasis on like-kind exchange issues. Additionally, Kelly was a principal author of Rev. Proc. 2000-37 (safe harbor parking arrangements/reverse like-kind exchanges) and participated in the development of the IRS position on the qualification of tenancy-in-common interests under §1031. She was engaged in private tax practice for nine years in Chicago and New York City before joining the IRS.

Kelly holds a B.A. in mathematics from Boston University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is admitted to the California Bar, Illinois Bar and Tax Court, and is a member of the American Bar Association Tax Section and chair of the Section 1031 subcommittee of the ABA Sales, Exchanges and Basis committee.

Steven I. Cooper
SVP and Chief Information Officer of the
American Red Cross

Currently with the American Red Cross, Cooper is the former CIO for the United States Department of Homeland Security and spent over 20 years in the private sector as CIO for Corning, Inc. and Director of Information Technology of Eli Lilly and Company. Steven’s wealth of technology expertise in highly integrated operational environments is a tremendous asset to NES as the company continues to grow as one of the industry’s leading 1031 providers. 

Michael Hershman

As an industry luminary, Michael is an internationally recognized expert on matters relating to transparency, accountability, governance and security. His combination of public and private sector experience gives him a unique perspective that will serve NES well as the company continues to raise the bar in the 1031 industry.

Currently, he is the President and CEO of The Fairfax Group. Founded in 1983, Fairfax assists governments, corporations and international financial institutions on corruption investigations of senior level officials and serves as the appointed Monitor of Companies which have violated laws, rules or regulations.