The Open House will take place on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, 333 S.E. 2nd Ave., Miami.
Patricia A. Brown, Director of Miami Law's LL.M. Program and an internationally recognized expert in international taxation of financial products and institutions and tax treaty policy, will discuss the new degree and the latest developments in the tax program. Gennette Faust, LL.M. '12, an associate at Greenberg Traurig, will explain how the program intends to prepare students for a typical international tax practice in Miami that represents high net-worth individuals; Joseph Kellogg, LL.M. '10, the Wealth Planning Executive for WE Family Offices and President of the Society of Trust and Estate Professionals in Miami, will assess the value of the program to professionals involved in wealth management and discuss how those professionals can pursue the degree on a part-time basis.
The specialized degree will benefit students who have a solid foundation in their own domestic tax system and who are a few years out of law school; lawyers who are practicing, or intend to practice, in or with Latin American nations in order to develop the niche market of structuring investments in and by Latin America; and non-U.S. lawyers who feel ready to delve into a more sophisticated tax practice and are looking to understand enough U.S. tax law to work well with U.S. tax lawyers.
"Miami's unique international practice brings sophistication and depth to UM's Tax program through adjunct professors who are leaders in their field," Brown said.
Several courses in the program are co-taught by U.S. and non-U.S. tax lawyers to show the real-world dynamics of problem-solving when multiple jurisdictions are involved. Specialized courses such as "Representing the Private Client/High-Net-Worth Individuals" cover the intricacies of high-level international tax planning and asset management, including concepts of Residency for U.S. Income Tax Purposes, U.S. Transfer Tax Considerations for the International Private Client Advisor as well as Advising Nonresidents with Active Investments in the U.S.
Adjunct Professor Bob Hudson, a managing partner and senior tax partner at Baker & McKenzie, said that in the last 40 years, Miami has seen a tremendous increase in the number of international clients investing and doing business in South Florida, as well as U.S.-based clients investing and doing business in Latin America and other overseas markets. "International clients represent a very large percentage of the legal work done by Baker & McKenzie LLP in Miami, generating more than enough work to keep 13 tax attorneys busy in the Miami office alone," he said.
The proposed degree complements the already strong international offerings in Miami Law's Tax LL.M. for U.S. lawyers. The Tax LL.M. programs operate on the understanding that the continent south of Miami requires today's lawyer to practice with a cross-border perspective geared toward the high net-worth private client. Graduates of the program will be prepared and savvy tax lawyers who can understand the intricacies of different legal systems and come up with plans that make sense in every country where their clients do business.
Some courses in the LL.M. may be available each semester via distance learning. For more Information, please e-mail taxllm@law.miami.edu
