McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Michael J. Bruno advises multinational companies, funds, single family offices, and entrepreneurs on sophisticated US and international tax planning and transactions. He has extensive experience in advising clients in the technology, healthcare, life sciences, digital health, consumer products, FinTech and cryptocurrency, and sports and entertainment industries.

Michael regularly advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures, and divestitures in various business contexts. He has assisted clients with many international tax issues, including navigating anti-deferral (controlled foreign corporation (CFC) and passive foreign investment company) regimes, foreign tax credit planning, export planning, treaty planning, intellectual property migrations, tax-efficient cash repatriation strategies, and post-acquisition integration and implementation.

Michael also regularly advises entrepreneurial families on strategies for minimizing US income taxation with respect to their closely held businesses and investments, including qualified small business stock planning. Through comments and a presentation, Michael advocated on behalf of The Florida Bar Tax Section for Congress, the Internal Revenue Service, and the US Department of the Treasury to afford the Section 250 deduction to electing Section 962 shareholders that earn Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income, as well as reinstating the repeal of Section 958(b)(4) for CFC downward attribution.

He has written numerous articles on international tax planning and frequently submits comments on statutory and regulatory promulgations. As a strong proponent for pro bono legal services, Michael founded the Transactional Equal Justice Program with Legal Services of Greater Miami, which offers free legal advice to nonprofits and low-to-moderate income small business owners to help them launch a business.

Elena “Eli” Otero has a dual practice advising both real estate developers and investors and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices in a broad range of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, land development, construction, leases, venture capital-backed projects and joint ventures, across all asset classes. She also advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices on their real estate investments and portfolios, including direct and indirect investing and development, with an emphasis on luxury residential and high-end commercial properties.

Elena works closely with her clients to evaluate opportunities and navigate the ever-changing, dynamic real estate market. She helps clients integrate their real estate investments and assets into their overall tax, wealth-management and succession-planning strategies, whether such transactions are connected to family-owned or privately held businesses, are designed to achieve personal, multi-generational objectives or both. Elena understands the unique sensitivities that arise in conjunction with such deals, and when appropriate, draws on her experience in structuring purchases and implementing post-closing asset management strategies that can help protect a client’s identity.

She recognizes the tight timelines facing such projects and works swiftly to address known and unexpected contractual, zoning, approval and related issues. Elena also helps clients with day-to-day matters, both involving the management of family offices, real estate projects and related considerations and real estate assets and contracts, including subleases, licenses and assignment agreements.

Elena also represents local, national and international financial institutions and lenders in the full spectrum of real estate-related commercial lending transactions, including construction and permanent real estate financing, healthcare real estate finance, commercial and industrial loans and asset-based lending. She has also represented institutional and private lending clients with licensing, regulatory and compliance matters.

A prolific writer and speaker on real estate matters, Elena has been a featured presenter at conferences, seminars and other events across the country. Named a top legal provider in the Daily Business Review, South Florida Legal Guide, Florida Super Lawyers and other publications, she also has been profiled and highlighted in a number of legal and business journals and magazines.

Committed to creating opportunities and building stronger communities, Elena serves in a variety of leadership positions for legal advocacy and charitable organizations. She also provides pro bono legal services to underserved individuals and families.

Steven Hadjilogiou focuses his practice on tax optimization of business operations and investments with a specific emphasis in the areas of international tax and real estate. Steven provides advice on international inbound and outbound tax planning for multinational companies, family offices, private equity and ultra-high net worth individuals. He also advises funds, family offices and ultra-high net worth individuals in connection with complex real estate structuring and investment issues, including in the areas of opportunity zone funds, 1031 transactions and qualified small business stock.

Steven has represented various Fortune 500 companies and major privately held businesses in their tax planning and supply chain projects, and also has substantial experience advising on transfer pricing, tax-related intellectual property matters, Subpart F, GILTI, foreign investment in US real property and outbound investment in real property. Steven also advises clients on pre-immigration planning and cross-border wealth succession. Steven has also worked on the taxation of partnerships and corporations, mergers & acquisitions and international corporate reorganizations.

Since 2013, Steven has been an adjunct professor of International Inbound Taxation at the University of Miami Graduate Tax Program. He is the co-chair of the annual Florida Bar/FICPA International Tax Conference. Steven has written numerous articles and presented on topics related to tax. He was a primary drafter of the amicus curiae brief submitted to the US Supreme Court on behalf of the Florida Bar Tax Section in Knight v. Commissioner in 2008.

Alexander C. Clavero focuses his practice on transactional work, with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures involving private equity sponsors and private companies. He has handled many complex transactions, including leveraged buyouts, private equity acquisitions and divestitures, corporate carve-outs, debt and equity investments, and joint ventures.

Alexander is the partner in charge for the Miami Corporate & Transactional Practice Group.