PRACTICE AREAS
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Corporate and Business Transactions
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Mergers and Acquisitions
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Tax
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
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America's Leading Lawyers in Tax, Chambers USA, 2013–2018
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Tax Law, Best Lawyers® (BL Rankings LLC), 2008 to present
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Massachusetts Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters Corp), 2004 to present
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Attorney Intel, Top 25 Attorney of Massachusetts, 2024
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Legal 500 (Legal Lease LTD), U.S., 2015 & 2017
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
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Rimon PC – Partner
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Saul, Ewing, Arnstein & Lehr LLP – Partner
EDUCATION
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Boston University School of Law – LL.M.
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Columbia Law School – J.D., Editor, Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems
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University of Tennessee – B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Chancellor’s Citation for Academic Achievement and Excellence
ADMISSIONS
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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State of New York
LANGUAGES
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English
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French
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Spanish
QUOTE
“Some of the best advice I give is when I tell a client not to go forward with a particular proposal or transaction. If the opposing party or future business partner is acting unreasonably or irrationally, that's a red flag.”
Steve is a highly versatile business and tax attorney drawing on over 35 years of experience. He serves as general outside counsel, lead transactional counsel, or special tax counsel, depending on each client’s unique requirements. Steve guides both publicly traded and privately held companies in structuring and implementing:
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domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions,
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complex joint venture formations,
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international equity and debt financing, and
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executive compensation and equity incentive plans.
Notable Practice Highlights
Tax Strategy
Steve designs practical options that contextualize taxes within “big picture” business considerations. He is known for his ability to explain otherwise impenetrable tax concepts in simple terms, enabling clients to make confident, well-informed tax-sensitive decisions.
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Operational Expertise
Clients seek Steve’s counsel for a variety of business matters, including drafting, review and negotiation of commercial contracts, employment and consulting agreements, restricted stock agreements and stock option plans, as well as intercompany services and intellectual property licensing agreements to address transfer pricing issues.
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Transatlantic Expansion
Steve works with many clients based in France, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe who are looking to access markets in the United States, as well as U.S. companies working on global expansions
Travaillez en Français
Fluent in French and well-traveled in France, Steve has deep understanding of and appreciation for French culture. His connections with law and accounting firms in France and other European countries make him uniquely adept at balancing U.S. and non-U.S. legal and tax considerations in cross-border company structures and transactions. He has served as Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce for over a decade and is a valued and respected member of the Franco-American business community. Steve is a true Francophile who is happiest when strolling the streets of Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, or wherever in France or elsewhere in Europe his friends and clients are based.
Bringing Holistic Engagement to Every Relationship
Steve enjoys relationships with his partners and clients. He can be counted on to create a working atmosphere where individuals treat one another with respect and kindness. He lightens difficult conversations with humor and wit. Steve brings an affable personality into his legal practice and considers himself a “Renaissance Man.” He often carries his legal instincts into personal activities, and whether it’s pickleball or taekwondo, he puts his competitive, creative spirit to work.
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
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Advised on the sale of a publicly traded U.S.-based multi-national manufacturer of products for the gaming industry to a foreign private company in a going private transaction.
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Advised on the sale of a high-end boutique economic analysis firm to an international management consulting firm.
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Advised a publicly traded French technology consulting company on its acquisition of a privately held U.S. software development company with operations in the United States, India and the Netherlands.
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Advised a large privately held French conglomerate’s acquisition of a U.S. engineering firm serving the nuclear power industry.
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Advised a private equity-backed French musical instrument manufacturer on its acquisition of a U.S. musical instrument manufacturer.
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Advised on the sale of a U.S. boutique management consulting firm with substantial international operations to a U.S. publicly traded consulting firm.
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Advising on the internal restructuring of an international healthcare and biotechnology consulting group with operations in the United States and throughout Europe.
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Structuring and tax planning for a French private equity fund’s entry into the U.S. market.
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Advising a construction products sale firm regarding its buyout of minority equity owners and succession planning.
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Advising on the acquisition and subsequent sale of an emergency medical air transport service.
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Advising on the acquisition of a professional NASCAR racing team and driving school.
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Advising on the acquisition of a dental services management company.
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Advising on the investment in a Bulgarian software and technology services company.
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Advising on the disposition of a private equity-backed hospital administration and management group of companies to a strategic acquirer.
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Advising on the acquisition of a medical waste disposal company.
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Advising on the joint venture between a real estate developer and a casino developer and operator to build and operate a casino hotel resort.
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Advising on the joint venture between a real estate developer and a thoroughbred racing operator to develop and operate a racetrack and off-track gaming operations.
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Advising A U.S. technology company on its negotiation of a joint product development venture with a Swiss research and development company.
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Advising on multiple complex joint ventures among retail, commercial and residential real estate developers to develop large-scale urban mixed-use projects.
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Advising on a joint venture to bid on the acquisition of a major league baseball team.
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Restructuring of France-based business strategy and educational simulations software firm with U.S. operations to separate different lines of business through a series of spin-off transactions.
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Restructuring of high-net-worth family’s business and real estate holdings to facilitate settlement of dispute between two branches of family.
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Advising an affiliated group of securities investment funds aggregating over $200 million in investments for a high-net-worth family office in a conversion from general partnerships to LLCs, and preparation of LLC agreements to govern reorganized fund vehicles.
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Advising an international securities brokerage and financial advisory services firm with offices in Bermuda, Japan and Luxembourg in a global reorganization, and tax planning and structuring for, and organization of, new operations in China and India.
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Advising a Japanese financial services firm in the design and implementation of equity-based compensation plan.
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Advising a supplier of linguists and interpreters to the U.S. Department of Defense in a corporate reorganization and tax planning.
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Advising on numerous start-up company formations and financings.
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