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MIKE HANDLES SOPHISTICATED TAX MATTERS AND BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

As a business and tax lawyer for more than 20 years, Mike advises clients on business and tax planning and structuring. He handles and helps clients negotiate a wide range of business and corporate transactions, including business sales and acquisitions, mergers, restructurings, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, corporate finance and credit facilities, tax-exempt bond financings, business succession, corporate governance, and other significant business and commercial transactions. He also serves as outside general counsel to businesses of varying sizes in many different industries.

Mike is certified as a tax specialist by the Florida Bar and handles federal, state, and international tax planning matters. He also represents clients during the tax audit process, before the Internal Revenue Service Appeals Office, before the Internal Revenue Service National Office in connection with requests for rulings and technical advice, and before the Florida Department of Revenue in connection with audits, appeals, and ruling requests. 

Mike has been a member of the firm’s Management Committee since 2009 and is the firm’s President. Prior to being elected President in 2021, Mike was the firm’s Treasurer.

MATTERS

  • Counsel for sale of $80 million senior housing business and post-sale joint venture, development, and management structure
  • Counsel for leveraged acquisition of a $74 million healthcare business
  • Counsel for sale of $70 million national franchisor to a private equity fund
  • Counsel for sale of $40 million HVAC business
  • Counsel for acquisition of $40 million multi-campus senior housing business
  • Counsel for sale of software company for $34 million in cash and stock to a publicly traded company
  • Counsel for sale of $32 million manufacturing and distribution business
  • Counsel for numerous purchase and sale transactions ($100+ million in the aggregate) in the insurance industry (including claims management businesses)
  • US Counsel for numerous cross-border acquisitions, including in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands
  • Counsel for the purchase and sale of numerous transactions in the $10 million to $35 million range in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, software, healthcare, intellectual technology, insurance, and consumer products
  • Counsel for a private equity fund in the roll-up of 17 healthcare clinics in multiple states
  • Representation of borrowers in debt finance transactions, including a $1 billion credit facility for an aircraft leasing and management business, $150 million credit facility for an aircraft leasing and management business, $91.35 million credit facility for a healthcare business, $80.25 million credit facility for a healthcare business, $77.56 million credit facility for a healthcare business, $57.4 million credit facility for a healthcare business, $43.75 million credit facility for a marketing business, and $27.50 million credit facility for a manufacturing business
  • Representation of conduit borrowers in tax-exempt bond transactions, including a $350 million offering for a hospital, a $38.5 million offering for a senior housing facility, a $35 million offering for a senior housing facility, a $31.6 million offering for a botanical garden, a $23.75 million offering for a private school, and a $20 million offering for a private school
  • Outside general counsel to $300 million consumer services company with operations in the United States and multiple countries in Europe and Asia
  • Tax and corporate counsel to family offices
  • Created tax planning strategy for real estate developers to generate significant ordinary income tax losses, and successfully defended the strategy before the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation
  • Representation of several affiliated taxpayers in settling four-year, $16 million IRS audit for $1.9 million

COMMUNITY

  • Florida Bar Tax Section, Director of Long-Range Planning, Member of Directors’ Committee and Executive Council 
  • The Out-of-Door Academy, Trustee and Board Secretary
  • Van Wezel Foundation, General Counsel, Executive Committee, Board Member
  • Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Past Chair of the Board of Trustees 
  • Florida Bar Grievance Committee, Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Past Chair
  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Georgia Bar Association, Tax Section
  • American Bar Association, Tax Section
  • Sarasota Economic Development Corporation, Past Board Member
  • United Way Suncoast, Past Audit Committee Member
  • Center for Architecture Sarasota, Past Board Member

ACCOLADES

  • Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent
  • Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law and Tax Law
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Various years
  • Florida Trend, Legal Elite, Various years

$1B+

in Transactions

15

Honors

4

Current Civic Leadership Roles

1

Board Certification