John H. Schapiro
John Schapiro is a partner in the Business and Finance Department, Practice Leader of the Taxation Group, and a member of the Trusts and Estates Group. He practices in the areas of tax and estate planning for businesses and families; tax-advantaged financing; joint ventures; mergers and acquisitions (representing sellers and buyers); business formation, financing, and structuring; family partnerships; insurance trusts; and executive compensation.
John has counseled middle-market businesses, their executives, and their families for over 25 years. He combines extensive experience as a transactional business attorney with expertise in federal and state income taxes, and estate and inheritance taxes. He understands the need of business owners to balance family obligations with stewardship of an enterprise with employees, bankers, outside investors, and long-term customers and suppliers . . . and perhaps even tax auditors.
John had judicial clerkships with Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., of the United States Supreme Court, and with Judge J. Skelly Wright of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Representative Matters
- Represented a group of minority investors that took control of a troubled company and sold the company’s divisions to strategic investors as well as group members and their new investors; included several rounds of debt refinancing and restructuring, and sale-leasebacks of corporate assets.
- Represented a private business acquiring exclusive North American distribution rights to a new product from a Singapore company, and forming a new company to include key strategic partners in distribution of the new product while protecting the company’s historical business.
- Advised multiple family-owned businesses and their owners on appropriate shareholder/partnership agreements for succession planning, estate planning, and income tax matters.
- Provided tax opinions on New Market Tax Credit development transactions.
- Advised a substantial real estate investor on structuring the condominium conversion of one apartment building to obtain capital gain tax treatment.
- Created Irrevocable Insurance Trusts, Crummey Trusts, Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts, and Grantor-Retained Annuity Trusts for estate planning purposes.
- Created deferred-compensation rabbi trust arrangements for the key executives of a public company being acquired.
- Successfully appealed denial of a state tax exemption for a nonprofit enterprise.
- Created incentive compensation plans using phantom stock, restricted stock, stock options, and incentive formulas for key executives of closely-held businesses.
- Advised executives of a public company selling a substantial portion of its business on avoiding golden parachute excise tax exposure.
Community Activities
Board of Directors, Chair of Development, Congregation Mishkan Shalom
Practice Areas