Attorney Steve L. Waserstein

Steve L. Waserstein focuses his practice on tax, corporate, and real estate law. He utilizes his experiences from each area of the law and working with our litigation team to create and implement solutions and to close deals. Mr. Waserstein’s clients are from around the world including the United States, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. His practice includes representing individuals, families, and businesses in the following areas:

  • U.S. and International tax, estate, and wealth planning including pre-immigration and expatriation tax planning
  • Preparation of trusts and creation of family holding companies.
  • U.S. tax compliance and civil and criminal tax investigations and controversies including audits, tax court, and IRS appeals.
  • Business acquisitions including those in healthcare, fashion, industrial and technology industries, and the acquisition of marketplaces, URLs, and brands. 
  • Structuring U.S. investments including by non-residents and foreign entities.
  • Acquisition, financing, management, development and disposition of real estate, including residential and commercial projects
  • Structuring joint ventures, investments and other business combinations
  • Raising equity and debt capital
  • The negotiation and preparation of shareholder agreements, operating or partnership agreements, buy-sell agreements, management agreements, and other contracts
  • Acting as the “in house” counsel for families and/or businesses.
  • Whistleblower actions or procedures.

Professional Accomplishments

  • Negotiated one of the largest arbitration settlements in the world at which exceeded $600,0000,0000.  
  • Represented various billionaires in numerous capacities including tax and estate planning, the formation and maintenance of trust and family holding structures, and investments.
  • Successfully helped non tax compliant U.S. persons enter and complete voluntary disclosure programs and streamline filing in the USA. 
  • Represented families in the acquisition of URLs, marketplaces, and brands.
  • Successfully closed on private loans and other financing arrangements exceeding $50,000,0000.
  • Represented individuals, entities, and estates being audited, examined, or investigated by the Internal Revenue Service civilly and criminally.
  • Represented non-resident aliens in the sale of a business for a purchase price exceeding $300,000,000. 
  • Represented real estate developers and investors in the corporate structure, capital raising, acquisition, financing, and/or development of real estate projects with gross revenues ranging from $10 million to $200 million. Drafted and negotiated all of the agreements relating to such real estate deals.
  • Represented companies merging, acquiring, or being acquired by other companies with prices ranging from $3 million to over $600 million.
  • Settled complicated disputes involving millions of dollars.
  • Represented clients entering into partnerships or joint ventures with others seeking or investing capital.
  • Represented investors in the purchase of distressed debt and foreclosing or taking control of real estate from debtors.
  • Represented investors in hard money lending and mezzanine financing transactions.
  • Negotiated and settled contentious disputes involving family and partners.

Professional Affiliations

  • Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, Member
  • Business Section, Florida Bar, Member
  • Tax Section, Florida Bar, Member
  • Mount Sinai Hospital, Young Founders
  • Board of Trustees Lehrman Day School

Education

  • New York University School of Law, Masters of Law in Taxation 1994
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D. 1993
  • University of Florida, B.S. in Accounting 1990

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. Tax Court, 1994
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1994
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1994
  • Florida Bar, 1993

Presentations, Appearances and Publications

  • Interview with Steve Waserstein on Jimmy Cefalo’s South Florida’s First News Program: “Why Some Americans Are Renouncing Their Citizenship Over Tax Issues.”
  • The window to COMPLY with FATCA is Closing Quickly. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. – article. [Spanish Language Version]
  • Interviewed on Jimmy Cefalo’s South Florida’s First News Program: “Warnings about what sequester will mean for the average Joe. Warnings about what sequester will mean for average Joe.
  • Speaker – 4th Annual American Bar Association Section of International Law and the Israel Bar Association Joint Conference in Eilat, Israel May 26-29, 2013.
  • Speaker – FIBA AML Conference: “US-Latin American Private/Public Sector Dialog (FELABAN) – February 12, 2013
  • Speaker – FIBA AML Conference: “FATCA is Here. Is Your Institution on Track to Meet Compliance?” – February 12, 2013
  • Speaker – FIBA Private Banking, Wealth Management and AML Committee – January 16, 2013
  • WIOD 610 AM South Florida’s First News – Jimmy Cefalo Interviews Steve Waserstien about “Alternative Minimum Tax” – December 20, 2012.
  • Speaker at C5 – FATCA Compliance in Europe Conference – December 5-6, 2012 in Frankfurt, Germany
  • Keynote speaker at the FIBA Risk Management Conference at the Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida. Mr. Waserstein will speak on FATCA – Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, October 4-5, 2012
  • Presenter at webinar to a group of International Bankers from the United States and Latin America for FIBA (Florida International Bankers Association) on FATCA, September 6, 2012.
  • Presenter at FIBA webinar to Latin American Bankers on FATCA, April 25, 2012
  • “Doing an About-Face’book'” Article featured on FIBA – 13th Annual FIBA Anti Money Laundering compliance conference February 13-14, 2013
  • Interview with Steve Waserstein on Jimmy Cefalo’s South Florida’s First News Program: “Did Apple try to avoid paying U.S. Taxes?” May 30, 2012
  • “Are Your Assets Safe?” Social Affairs Magazine, June-July, 2010
  • “Right on the Money,” Social Affairs Magazine Anniversary Issue, April-May, 2010
  • South Florida Legal Guide 2009, Article – Difficult Times Present New Opportunities.
  • Aspatore Inside the Minds – Family and Business Succession Planning Strategies. Leading Lawyers on Navigating Key Tax Issues Dealing with Family Concerns, and Avoiding Potential Pitfalls for Closely Held Businesses, Published 2009, Article, “Tax Issues and Client Strategies in Business and Family Succession Planning.”
  • WIOD 610 AM South Florida’s First News with Jimmy Cefalo – interviews live with Jimmy Cefalo as legal expert, November 5, 2009
  • WIOD 610 AM South Florida’s First News with Jimmy Cefalo – interviews live with Jimmy Cefalo as legal expert, December 11, 2009.
  • Daily Business Review, Dealmakers, Attorney Guides Complicated Sale of Distressed Property
  • South Florida Business Leader, February/March, 2008. “The Mortgage Meltdown; Confronting Fraud and Inflated Real Estate Prices.”
  • South Florida CEO, April 2008. “The Mortgage Meltdown; Confronting Fraud and Inflated Real Estate Prices.”
  • Aspatore Special Report, “The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Global Markets, Published 2008.
  • The Aspen Times, Nov. 15, 2006. “Historic Sardy House Sells,”
  • The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 24, 2006. “From B&B to Family Home,”

Distinctions

  • Selected to 2014 Edition of “Best Law Firms” Rankings.
  • South Florida Legal Guide Top Lawyers – Top Lawyer 2013 for Tax, Corporate and Real Estate
  • South Florida Legal Guide Top Lawyers – 2012
  • Selected by Best Lawyers and US News “Best Law Firm” (2012) in criminal defense (white collar and non-white collar)
  • 25th Anniversary Recipient Awardee for The Art of Found Objects, The Education Fund’s Annual Charity Auction, May 20, 2011
  • South Florida Business Leader Magazine, Mover & Shaker Award, January, 2011
  • Top Lawyers, Taxation and Corporate, South Florida Legal Guide 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
  • Top Up & Comer, 2008, South Florida Legal Guide.
  • Top Up & Comer, 2007, Taxation and Corporate, South Florida Legal Guide.
  • Florida SuperLawyers, 2006.

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish (Fluent)