Business litigation, tax, bankruptcy, business reorganization, tax controversy with the IRS, FTB, BOE, and EDD, worker classification issues, employment, tax planning, real estate, outside general counsel representation.
At Advocate Solutions we focus on balancing our clients’ risk exposure with the cost of representation in order to produce valuable solutions. We are a Beverly Hills-based law firm serving clients nationally and internationally through our core Tax Practice. Our leadership in the field of taxation is recognized by other legal and tax professionals throughout California and nationally. In addition to providing leadership in the field of taxation to our clients, we advocate for favorable tax policy by presenting legislative and regulatory proposals to the decision makers on Capitol Hill, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. and the California Franchise Tax Board. We stay abreast of legislative and regulatory developments in the field of taxation and routinely speak and publish on tax-related topics in national and local peer-reviewed journals.
We represent businesses that range in size from closely-held to middle-market, and high net worth individuals in tax planning for business and real estate transactions. Our litigation practice is focused on tax controversy matters with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), or California Employment Development Department (EDD). We also litigate bankruptcy and business disputes in federal and state courts in the State of California throughout San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
Through our Transactional Practice we integrate our business and tax knowledge to structure business entities for entrepreneurs seeking to launch their business in growth and emerging markets and assist existing business owners with their operational needs such as advice on licensing and regulatory matters, compliance, operations, employment, executive compensation and fringe benefit issues. We also assist businesses with strategic growth or disposition through acquisitions, mergers, conversions, and dissolutions. We have successfully assisted several S Corporations with Internal Revenue Code § 338 Elections in the acquisition of new and complimentary business lines as well as assisting partnerships in the sale of their business and joint ventures.
For business owners who are seeking to exit or transition out of their operating business, Advocate Solutions advises clients on asset and stock sales, taxable and non-taxable transactions and assists high net worth individuals with business succession planning for family-owned businesses. We have successfully assisted small business owners in the service, health care, and retail industries with the sale and disposition of their business assets. We also work with a network of professionals to assist business owners in identifying the best exit strategy for their business lines.
Often times, small business owners who may be overleveraged or particularly susceptible to economic downturns require crisis management services to restructure their business. Advocate Solutions has successfully renegotiated leases, mortgage note terms, vendor contracts, as well as the sale of underperforming assets to assist distressed business owners in managing mounting debt or business cycle fluctuations. We have worked both in and outside of bankruptcy in restructuring business debt for companies ranging in size from small family-owned businesses to large multinational corporations.
Our expertise in the area of bankruptcy law also enables us to represent creditors, fiduciaries and other constituencies in chapter 11 proceedings. We also counsel financial institutions, private equity lenders, suppliers, and trade creditors in best practices when negotiating with distressed businesses or sub-prime borrowers.
Our expertise in Real Estate and Tax Law enables us to provide valuable advice to real estate investors seeking to engage in sophisticated like-kind exchange transactions both domestically and internationally. We counsel clients on structuring construction exchanges, business asset and real estate exchanges, forward and reverse exchanges, and drop and swap transactions. With the capital gains and net investment income tax rates at the federal and state levels at relatively high rates, many investors are seeking to defer their capital gains through like-kind exchanges. In order to effectively structure tax deferred exchanges at the federal and state levels investors must comply with the technical rules and be able to substantiate the transaction in the event of a tax audit. Advocate Solutions provides valuable counsel to real estate investors to ensure their deals and structures are tax compliant.
When Litigation is the best option for our clients, we aggressively represent them and have litigated in the U.S. Tax Court, District Courts in California, Delaware, and New York, Bankruptcy Courts in California and New York, and State Courts in California and New York. Los Angeles tax attorney Haleh C. Naimi has also successfully resolved many business disputes through arbitration or mediation. When our clients have their choice of forum to litigate their dispute, we will counsel them on the best forum to select for litigation. Tax controversies involving income, estate, sales, property, payroll, or international tax issues are handled both at the administrative levels of the IRS, FTB, BOE, or EDD as well as in Tax Court. We have represented clients in tax controversy matters involving income reconstruction, reallocation of income, substantiation, timing, characterization, worker classification, voluntary compliance, penalty abatement, and collections. Among firms that specialize in Tax Controversy and Litigation, we are distinguished in the area of Income Taxation and Tax Collection matters. We provide unique skills given our expertise in the fields of bankruptcy, real estate, and taxation. We are committed to assisting taxpayers to resolve their disputes effectively regardless of their financial resources and also serve as Pro Bono Counsel for low-income taxpayers through the Bookstein Tax Clinic in Southern California.
Our firm was founded to serve the legal needs of small business owners and individuals who seek sophistication and excellence in practice without excessive overhead costs that translate into large monthly legal fees. In order to assist clients in achieving their goals with manageable terms of representation, we offer fixed-fee and hybrid fee arrangements. Our general counsel services are offered on a fixed monthly, quarterly, or annual fee basis to accommodate growing businesses. From our office in Beverly Hills, we assist clients throughout California and serve our tax clients throughout the United States and internationally.
