M. Blair Hlinka

Ms. Hlinka assists individuals and corporations in all types of tax controversies and litigation with the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. She also advises individuals and businesses on a broad range of tax issues with a particular focus on assisting individuals, trusts, partnerships, and corporate entities with responding to and defending against civil IRS audits and examinations and with representing them in court proceedings.

Prior to joining Caplin & Drysdale, Ms. Hlinka served as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division where she worked on an array of Federal tax matters, including refund, FBAR penalty, and collection suits before numerous U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts. Ms. Hlinka regularly took and defended depositions, issued and responded to formal discovery including managing large document review, and engaged in extensive motions practice. She served as lead attorney on numerous cases, including for a week-long trial with vast pre-trial discovery in U.S. District Court. At the Department of Justice, Ms. Hlinka was awarded the Tax Division’s Outstanding Attorney Award in 2023 and Special Commendations in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Before joining the Department of Justice, Ms. Hlinka served as a clerk at the U.S. Tax Court. Outside of her legal practice, Ms. Hlinka is an active member of the American Bar Association particularly the Section of Taxation. She currently serves as chair of the Court Procedure & Practice Committee’s District Court and Court of Federal Claims Subcommittee, as Court Procedure and Practice’s liaison to the Tax Section on Membership, Diversity and Inclusion, and as a member of the Publications Committee. She was previously named a 2024-2025 Nolan Fellow by ABA Section of Taxation, which honors a select group of outstanding young tax lawyers from across the nation who have shown significant contribution, service, and leadership, and was nationally recognized by the ABA Young Lawyers Division with the On the Rise (Top 40 Young Lawyers) award.

While receiving her LL.M. in taxation at University of Florida Levin College of Law, Ms. Hlinka served on the Florida Tax Review as the Graduate Tax Student Editor. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and during law school she worked as the Senior Staff Editor of the Kentucky Law Journal and was a certified volunteer at the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic.

Bar & Court Admissions

• District of Columbia
• North Carolina 
• U.S. Tax Court 
• U.S. Supreme Court 
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Education

LL.M. in Taxation, University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2016, Florida Tax Review

J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law, 2015, Kentucky Law Journal, UK Pro Bono award

M.P.A., University of Alabama, 2011

B.A., University of Alabama, 2010, magna cum laude

Honors & Recognitions

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, On the Rise National Top 40 Under 40, 2023

U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Outstanding Attorney, 2023

U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Special Commendation, 2021, 2022, and 2023

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Star of the Year, 2023

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Star of the Quarter, May 2022 and August 2024 

Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, 2019 – 2024

Clerk, U.S. Tax Court, 2017 – 2019

Professional Activities

Ms. Hlinka was an active member of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, where she previously served as producer of the Young Lawyer Rising podcast and as editor-in-chief of the Editorial & Content Board, overseeing the Division’s award-winning flagship print and digital publications and a team of 35 associate and managing editors.

In addition, Ms. Hlinka is an active member of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, where she served as producer of the Young Lawyer Rising podcast. She also completed a two-year term as editor-in-chief of the Editorial & Content Board, overseeing the Division’s award-winning flagship print and digital publications.

Other Professional Affiliations

Fellow, American Bar Foundation 

Liaison to Tax Section on Membership, Diversity and Inclusion, Court Procedure & Practice Committee, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation

Member, Publications Committee, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation

Chair of District Court/Court of Federal Claims Subcommittee, Court Procedure & Practice Committee, ABA Tax Section

Nolan Fellow, American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, 2024-2025