Top 100 U.S. law firm Akerman LLP has expanded its Naples office and its national tax practice with the hiring of David Slenn. He returns to Akerman from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP.
“We are jointly building our Naples office and enhancing our ability to serve clients across the country and beyond,” said George Powell, office managing partner of the Naples office. “David is a well-respected lawyer with a track record of success for high net-worth families, businesses and charities in a variety of areas of law.”
“We’ve seen a surge in demand for our services from clients as changing tax laws and new legislation make protecting intergenerational wealth increasingly complex. David’s work as a trusted advisor generally and specifically in areas such as captive insurance companies and tax controversy further strengthens our diverse and national team,” said Peter Larsen, chair of the Tax Practice Group.
Slenn focuses his practice on tax, estate, and business planning with emphases on risk management and captive insurance companies. He assists businesses, closely held companies and high net-worth families with a variety of planning, structuring, risk mitigation, liability exposure and controversy work.
Slenn also helps both creditors and debtors navigate complex creditors’ rights issues that arise at the intersection of fraudulent transfer law and the transfer of wealth. He has assisted lenders with transactions involving collateral in sophisticated planning structures and has also served as counsel for international and domestic trust companies in various contexts. Slenn obtained a favorable Declaratory Statement from the Office of Financial Regulation pertaining to permissible activities within the State of Florida by a stand-alone, state-chartered trust company, and has advised on application of Florida statutes dealing with International Trust Company Representative Offices and Qualified Limited Service Affiliates.
Slenn has helped business owners in various industries understand the viability and advisability of captive insurance companies and has also provided counsel on a variety of matters involving the administration of captive insurance companies. He has assisted with captive insurance controversy matters in IRS examination, litigation in U.S. Tax Court, as well as complex matters related to exiting captive insurance programs.
Slenn is a former chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Asset Protection Committee, and an ABA Advisor to the Uniform Law Commission’s Uniform Voidable Transactions Act (formerly the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act). He also serves as the editor and a co-author of the Captive Insurance Deskbook for the Business Lawyer, published by the ABA.
About Akerman
Akerman LLP is a top 100 U.S. law firm recognized among the most forward-thinking firms in the industry by Financial Times. Its more than 700 lawyers and business professionals collaborate with the world’s most successful enterprises and entrepreneurs to navigate change, seize opportunities, and help drive innovation and growth.
Akerman’s Tax Practice Group advises domestic and foreign corporations, partnerships, individuals and nonprofit institutions on a wide range of international, federal and state and local tax issues, tax audits and tax litigation. The group represents clients in complex transactions and creates tax efficient structures and innovative solutions. Akerman also provides tax planning services associated with in-bound and out-bound investments in Latin America and the Caribbean, and serves as counsel to foreign companies and individual investors looking to do business in the United States.
