Kristine Bly is a nationally recognized state and local tax advisor. With more than 15 years of experience across private practice and state government, she is regarded as one of the leading voices on multi-state taxation and residency planning for high-net-worth individuals.
Kristine began her career as a Tax Auditor with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance before joining private practice. She was formerly a Senior Audit Manager at the law firm Hodgson Russ LLP and Private Client Services Partner at Cohen & Company. In March 2026, she founded Nika Advisors, a multi-family office and tax consulting firm headquartered in Buffalo, New York.
Over her career she has guided clients through more than 1,500 state and federal tax controversies, saving them well over $1B in state and local taxes. While she and her firm service a wide spectrum of high-net-worth individuals and closely held businesses, she specializes in the asset management space, and the unique needs of hedge fund and private equity principals. She combines the same white-glove, high-touch service from their family office practice, to support residency clients from their initial intentions to execution and eventual review.
Her insights on multi-state tax exposure, wealth migration, and residency audits have been featured by the Empire Center, The Tax Adviser, and Cohen & Company’s Knowledge Center, and she regularly advises accountants, attorneys, and family offices on navigating the region’s uniquely complex tax landscape for their own clients.
Kristine holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University at Buffalo. She remains deeply invested in her hometown of Buffalo, NY, where she resides with her husband, Richard Bly, and their two daughters Veronika and Isabel.
