Insight Tax Advisors
We provide specialized tax services for private equity firms, family offices, and independent sponsors. Our focus is on transaction-related tax matters and portfolio company support—delivering Big Four–level experience with a practical, relationship-driven approach.
What We Do
Transaction Tax Advisory
Deal-focused tax diligence and structuring.
Portfolio Company Tax Services
Income and indirect tax compliance and audit support.
Senior-Led Tax Expertise
Specialized, audit-free tax advisory.
ABOUT OUR FIRM
Our firm is purpose-built to serve private equity firms, family offices, and independent sponsors. We focus exclusively on tax services—supporting owners through complex transactions and advising portfolio companies throughout their lifecycle. We do not provide financial audit services, which allows us to remain fully dedicated to delivering deep, specialized tax expertise where it matters most.
Our clients benefit from Big Four–level experience paired with a more practical, responsive approach and a reasonable fee structure. We pride ourselves on delivering senior-level insight, thoughtful guidance, and solutions that are grounded in real-world execution.
At the same time, we believe our firm is only as strong as the people behind it. Our team members spend a significant portion of their lives working alongside one another, and we take that responsibility seriously. We believe culture is not a buzzword—it is foundational to long-term success.
We are intentional about building a culture rooted in respect, integrity, and collaboration. We know that toxic behavior undermines growth, drives talented people away, and erodes trust. We also believe people do their best work when they genuinely enjoy and respect the people they work with. For that reason, we hire carefully and hold ourselves to high standards of professionalism and character.
We care deeply about our team. We focus on recognizing and rewarding hard work, offering high-quality healthcare benefits, and providing flexibility to support life and family responsibilities. Our professionals have the freedom to work remotely when being in the office is not necessary, access to leading technology, and a voice in shaping how we operate. We listen to our people—and we continually invest in what they need to do their best work.
We believe great work comes from great people, and we are intentional about building a culture rooted in respect, integrity, and collaboration.
Insight Tax Advisor expert Team
Ben Sparks, JD & LLM
Managing Director & Founder
Fort Worth, TX
James Kelleher, JD & LLM
Managing Director & Founder
Fort Worth, TX
Nathan Cahill
Managing Director
Oklahoma City, OK
Annette Gioia
Managing Director
Houston, TX
David Rohlmeier, CMI
Managing Director
Oklahoma City, OK
Steven Scarborough
Managing Director
Fort Worth, TX
Scott Brantner, CFE, CPA, ESQ.
Senior Manager
Overland Park, KS
Erica Fernandez
Manager
Houston, TX
Patrice Kelleher
Controller
Bella Vista, AR
BEN SPARKS, JD, LLM
Title: Managing Director & Founder
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Practice: M&A Tax Services – Federal Tax
Background:
Ben Sparks has over twenty years of experience as a tax attorney and trusted tax advisor, specializing in transaction-related tax matters. His experience includes complex domestic and cross-border transactions, strategic tax planning, and tax structuring across a wide range of industries.
Ben spent more than 10 years at Big Four firms and an additional 7 years at large law firms, advising clients on inbound and outbound transactions, global tax planning, structuring, tax optimization, and overall tax advisory matters. His transaction experience ranges from deals exceeding $10 billion to lower middle-market transactions. His clients have included Fortune 50 financial institutions as well as startup investment partnerships.
Ben has led tax due diligence and structuring efforts across industries including healthcare (healthcare technology, physician-owned practices, home health, urgent care, dental, biotech, and MSO implementation), financial services, manufacturing and distribution, construction, energy, and telecommunications. He has also guided founder-owned businesses through sale processes by minimizing tax risk and potential tax costs.
Education:
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B.B.A., University of Texas at Arlington
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J.D., Fordham University School of Law
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L.L.M., New York University
Memberships & Licenses: Attorney, licensed in New York and Texas
Email: bsparks@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (214) 679-0869
JAMES “JIM” KELLEHER, JD, LLM
Title: Managing Director & Founder
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Practice: M&A Tax Services – State and Local Tax
Background:
Jim Kelleher has more than 28 years of experience as a state and local tax specialist with a strong focus on mergers and acquisitions. He has worked on over 3,000 transactions ranging from lower middle-market deals to transactions in the tens of billions of dollars, across all entity types.
Jim brings extensive experience in all areas of state and local tax related to transactional matters, including state income and franchise tax, sales and use tax, employment tax, property tax, and unclaimed property. His sales and use tax expertise spans numerous industries, including software and SaaS, information services, manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, healthcare, construction, and professional services.
Having led both income tax and sales and use tax teams, Jim’s depth of experience allows him to quickly identify issues and uncover remediation opportunities. He has managed countless voluntary disclosure agreements and tax audits, giving him a deep understanding of audit processes, settlement strategies, and optimal resolution paths for clients.
Education:
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B.B.A., University of Georgia
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J.D., Western New England University
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L.L.M., Georgetown University
Memberships & Licenses:
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Georgia Bar Association
Email: jkelleher@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (678) 477-4555
NATHAN CAHILL
Title: Managing Director
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Practice: Sales and Use Tax Services
Background:
Nathan Cahill is a seasoned state and local tax professional with over twenty years of experience in sales and use tax consulting, audit defense, compliance, and tax recovery strategies. He has led sales and use tax consulting efforts and delivered strategic solutions for businesses across industries including SaaS and technology, oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction.
Nathan’s career spans Big Four firms, corporate tax departments, and specialized consulting practices. He is known for navigating complex tax environments while delivering measurable financial benefits through clear communication, responsiveness, and practical guidance.
Education:
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B.B.A. with a focus in Finance and Accounting, Southern Nazarene University
Memberships & Certifications:
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Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (CMI – Sales & Use Tax)
Email: ncahill@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (214) 762-5895
DAVID ROHLMEIER, CMI
Title: Managing Director
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Practice: Sales and Use Tax Services
Background:
David Rohlmeier has more than thirty years of experience in sales and use tax consulting, providing high-quality client service across complex state tax matters. His experience includes managing state tax audits, percentage-based reporting audits, sales tax refunds, nexus issues, voluntary disclosure agreements, and related compliance matters.
David has worked across a broad range of industries including oil and gas (upstream, midstream, and downstream), manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality, services, and technology. His background includes roles at large CPA firms, consulting firms, state agencies, and corporate tax departments.
David thrives in complex tax environments and is known for delivering measurable financial benefits through strong technical expertise, business insight, and timely communication.
Education:
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B.B.A., College of Santa Fe
Memberships & Certifications:
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Institute for Professionals in Taxation (CMI – Sales & Use Tax Committee)
Email: drohlmeier@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (214) 519-1424
SCOTT BRANTNER, CFE, CPA, ESQ.
Title: Senior Manager – M&A Tax Group
Location: Overland Park, Kansas
Practice: M&A Tax Services
Background:
Scott Brantner is a Senior Manager in Insight’s M&A Tax Group. His practice focuses on tax planning for acquisitions and divestitures of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, as well as shareholder-level tax implications. He performs buy-side and sell-side tax diligence for private equity and strategic clients and advises on ownership changes and complex technical tax matters.
Prior to joining Insight, Scott spent approximately 6.5 years in the Transaction Tax group at a large international accounting firm, working on hundreds of transactions across SaaS, technology, manufacturing, life sciences, and professional services.
Earlier in his career, Scott spent six years with a Big Four firm’s Subchapter C Advisory team, advising corporate clients on tax structuring, entity rationalization, post-merger integration, worthless stock deductions, financial instruments, and ownership changes affecting tax attributes.
Before entering tax and law, Scott worked as an internal auditor at Jack in the Box Inc. and as an auditor at another Big Four firm.
Education:
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B.B.A., University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
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M.S. in Accounting, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
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J.D., Western New England University
Memberships & Certifications:
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American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
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Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
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California State Bar Association
Email: sbrantner@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (262) 880-9089
PATRICE KELLEHER
Title: Controller
Location: Bella Vista, Arkansas
Background:
Patrice Kelleher has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, working with both domestic and global banks in commercial and corporate lending. She brings strong project management expertise, particularly in implementing technology solutions for financial institutions.
Patrice is known for her ability to understand organizational challenges, develop effective solutions, and execute implementations across multiple departments while meeting executive-level expectations and project deadlines.
Education:
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B.B.A., University of Georgia
Email: pkelleher@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (817) 760-2287
ERICA FERNANDEZ
Title: Manager
Location: Houston, Texas
Practice: Sales Tax Consulting Services
Background:
Erica Fernandez is a sales and use tax manager with eight years of multi-state experience across industries including technology, retail, construction, and manufacturing. She has managed sales and use tax audits and reverse audits, identifying audit reductions and refund opportunities for clients.
Erica regularly advises companies on nexus law changes, compliance requirements, exemption certificate management, and preparing documentation to support tax positions. She is recognized for strong leadership, organization, and project management skills.
Education:
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B.B.A. in Accounting, University of Houston
Memberships & Certifications:
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Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (CMI)
Email: efernandez@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (713) 494-8823
ANNETTE GIOIA
Title: Managing Director
Location: Houston, Texas
Practice: Sales Tax Compliance
Background:
Annette Gioia brings 18 years of specialized experience in sales tax compliance, helping businesses confidently navigate and simplify complex multistate tax obligations. Her primary expertise includes SaaS, e-commerce, retail, and wholesale, with additional experience in oil and gas, manufacturing, telecommunications, and construction.
As a proven leader, Annette has built and managed high-performing compliance departments, developing streamlined processes and procedures that ensure accuracy, consistency, and audit readiness.
Her hands-on experience includes designing and optimizing complete sales and use tax operations, managing business registrations and multistate filings, mastering complex sales data across multiple platforms and systems, and delivering customized, proactive compliance strategies tailored to each client’s unique needs.
With a sharp eye for detail and a strong commitment to proactive problem-solving, Annette helps businesses of all sizes achieve lasting compliance success and peace of mind.
STEVEN SCARBOROUGH, CMA
Title: Managing Director
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Practice: Sales Tax Compliance
Background:
Steven Scarborough brings more than 15 years of strategic leadership in sales and use tax compliance, helping businesses navigate complex multistate regulations and achieve lasting, enterprise-level results. His experience spans organizations of all sizes, from early-stage companies to established market leaders, with a focus on improving processes, reducing tax exposure, and embedding tax considerations into daily operations.
With broad industry experience and deeper specialization in energy, technology, manufacturing, and retail, Steven delivers solutions aligned with each client’s operational reality. As a former State and Local Tax Partner at a national firm, he led dozens of compliance improvement initiatives and earned a reputation for making sales tax compliance straightforward and effective.
Known for his clarity and calm leadership style, Steven builds trust through honest insight and practical strategies that help businesses remain compliant and prepared for what’s next.
Education:
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B.B.A., Texas Christian University
Memberships & Certifications:
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Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Email: sscarborough@insighttaxadvisors.com
Phone: (817) 851-7839