I started my professional life as a Tax lawyer in the Court of Appeals Branch of the Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS in the Washington DC national office, where we reviewed all cases appealed from the Federal District Courts, Court of Claims, and Tax Court, through to the Supreme Court, and set the IRS positions for all cases on appeal. After a very brief stint as a tax supervisor in a then Big Four CPA firm’s national Tax practice, I joined Saul Ewing in Philly (my hometown) and was active in the PA Bar Tax Section & the ABA Tax Section. In the late 80’s I met Andy Weinstein and Bill Henry of Holland & Knight who invited me to help start a tax department in the then new Orlando office. I joined H&K as a partner in 1989 and have been with H&K since then. In the 90’s I was primarily active in the Fla Bar Tax Section, where we lobbied to “FREE THE LLC” by getting the Florida legislature to stop taxing LLCs like corporations. I became Chair of the Tax Section in 2000. Along the way, starting in 1993 I began to work with the Business Law Section, and lawyers like Greg Yadley, Stu Cohn, Paul Singerman, Danny Aronson, Stu Ames, Phil Schwartz and Gary Teblum, and many others, on joint drafting Tax/BLS Drafting Committees to revise Florida’s business entity statutes, starting with our Partnership Acts in 1992-93, then our LLC and Corporation Acts which we have steadily revised since then. After serving through the various “chairs” in the Business Law Section, I served as Chair of the Business Law Section in 2010-2011, from which I have met and kept friendships which will remain with me for life. Along the way, I’ve served as a Uniform Law Commissioner (“ULC”) representing Florida on the ULC from 2011- 2016, and as an ABA Business Law Section Advisor to drafting Committees of the ULC (including all changes to the Uniform Partnership and LLC Acts), and continue to serve as a member of the ULC/ABA Joint Editorial Board on Unincorporated Business Organizations. Thanks to distinguished Professor Stu Cohn, I enjoyed many years as an adjunct professor at UF Law School co-teaching a course with former BLS leaders Greg Yadley, Danny Aronson, and Gardner Davis. I’m currently active in the ABA BLS, and on September 1, 2025, will begin serving a three-year term as Chair of the ABA Committee on LLCs, Partnerships & Unincorporated Entities (“LLC Committee”). All Fla Bar BLS Section members are cordially invited and encouraged to join the ABA BLS LLC Committee if you have an interest in unincorporated business entities!
What have you gained from your involvement with the Section?
Being active in TFB BLS has been extraordinarily rewarding on both personal and professional levels. Some of my closest friends are BLS members. The opportunities to meet, get to know, and work with, so many gifted business lawyers and judges from around the state has made me a better lawyer and a better person.
Which Committees/Task Forces have you serve on within the Section?
Serving as a past chair on the Executive Council, the Legislation Committee, and the drafting committees/Task Forces for Florida’s Partnership Acts, our LLC Act, the Series LLC provisions, the Business Corporation Act, and Not-For Profit Corporation Act, and serving on study groups for other legislative positions, and working on CLE Programs, has been exceptional in raising the level of my practice.
What is your favorite memory from your term as Chair?
Favorite Memory of my term as Section Chair was taking the section to Toronto for the Spring Retreat in 2011 and introducing so many Florida lawyers to the Canadian law firms who hosted various activities, meetings, and meals, and the side trips to Niagara Falls and the Ice Wine tastings. It was a wonderful trip.
What is something that will surprise our members to learn about you?
Something surprising about me is that I was a certified ski instructor through College, my MBA program, and law school, and ski raced for a Ski Club in Colorado, and almost passed up law school to become a ski instructor in Vail.
