The Pandora Papers. Recent Developments in Offshore Tax Enforcement

Craig S. Redler has held positions with Amicorp in its offices in Auckland New Zealand and Miami Florida, and Southpac Trust International, Inc. with offices in the Cook Islands and Tauranga New Zealand. Redler’s responsibilities included serving as Trustee for off-shore trusts settled by high net-worth clients along with structuring bank accounts throughout various countries in Europe and Asia.

Redler was an original shareholder of the Law Offices of Redler & Seigel, P.C., an estate planning, tax planning and trust administration law firm serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. Prior to forming this firm, he was a litigation associate with Goffstein, Raskas, Pomerantz, Kraus & Sherman, L.L.C. in St. Louis.

Redler has also served as a Legislative Assistant to the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt, Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, and was Systems Engineer for EDS/GM in Detroit Michigan, in addition to being a talk-radio host.

Jeffrey Verdon is a Partner of Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP, and Chair of the Asset Protection Planning Group. He has been practicing law in the areas of taxation and comprehensive estate planning since receiving his Masters of Law (LL.M. Taxation) from Boston University in 1979.  Mr. Verdon added integrated asset protection to his estate and trust practice in 1985, expanding his practice area to advise affluent families and successful business owners in advanced estate planning and asset protection planning throughout the United States and overseas.

Gregory Zbylut has been a tax manager with Singer Burke Zimmer, LLP since 2018. He is a Certified Public Accountant (IL) and Attorney at Law (IL & CA) with a Certification in Taxation Law (CA). He is a Martindale-Hubbell® AV-Preeminent®-rated attorney who focuses his practice on tax controversy, business transactions (including formations and dissolutions) and business litigation.

Gary M. Slavett has been a California licensed attorney since 1996 and has over 20 years of experience in the practice of tax law. Gary’s practice focuses on tax controversy matters including issues related to Foreign Bank Accounts & FBAR penalties, criminal tax defense, tax litigation, tax audit representation, and tax administrative appeals. Gary also handles matters related to the Bank Secrecy Act and Administrative and Civil Forfeitures. Gary frequently represents his clients before the United States Tax Court, U.S. District Court, Internal Revenue Service, United States Attorneys Office, California Franchise Tax Board, State Board of Equalization, and the Employment Development Department. Gary was a Senior Trial Attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel. As an IRS attorney, Gary represented the IRS in U.S. Tax Court and provided legal advice to IRS personnel. After leaving the IRS, Gary joined Deloitte & Touche’s Tax Controversy Group in Los Angeles. At Deloitte, Gary represented Deloitte’s clients before the IRS and state taxing authorities. Clients included Fortune 500 companies from the banking, healthcare, and toy industries, a professional sports team, a popular television personality, and regional real estate and construction firms.

Michele Leichtman Weiss is a Principal at Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin. She has over 20 years of experience in tax controversy and litigation matters. Michele helps her clients resolve their civil and criminal tax matters. She represents her clients in all aspects of tax controversy, in examinations, appeals and collection matters, at the administrative level and in litigation with federal, state and local tax authorities including the IRS, FTB, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), EDD, Board of Equalization, Office of Tax Appeals (OTA), the County Assessor and LA City Finance Office. Michele has expertise in many substantive and procedural tax issues including tax penalty abatement, conservation easement deductions, offshore disclosure matters, employment tax matters, sales tax audits, research and development credits, collection due process and non-profit matters. Michele handles property tax matters in all California counties including special assessments, escape assessments, change in ownership issues and property tax appeal representation.