MIKE HANDLES SOPHISTICATED TAX MATTERS AND BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS
As a business and tax lawyer for over 25 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 $162.5 million investment in hotel joint venture
- Counsel for $80 million sale of senior housing business and post-sale joint venture, development, and management structure
- Counsel for $74 million sale leveraged acquisition of a healthcare business
- Counsel for $70 million sale of a national franchisor to a private equity fund
- Counsel for $50 million sale of multi-state commercial landscaping business
- Counsel for $40 million sale of HVAC business
- Counsel for $40 million acquisition of multi-campus senior housing business
- Counsel for $34 million sale of software company to a publicly traded company
- Counsel for $32 million sale manufacturing and distribution business
- Counsel for $28.5 million sale of e-commerce business
- Counsel for numerous purchase and sale transactions ($150+ million in the aggregate) in the insurance industry (including claims management businesses)
- Counsel for the purchase and sale of numerous transactions in the $10 million to $40 million range in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, software, healthcare, intellectual technology, insurance, and consumer products
- US Counsel for numerous cross-border acquisitions, including in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Mexico, Costa Rica, China, and India
- 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, $47 million credit facility for a fast-food 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, Chair-Elect Designee
- The Out-of-Door Academy, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
- 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