“An Extraordinary Group of Lawyers Who Are Outstanding Individually and Outstanding as a Team”
Kostelanetz & Fink is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has recognized the firm in its 2019 USA Guide. The guide, released April 25, 2019, recognizes K&F and its attorneys in the areas of tax controversy, tax fraud, tax law, and white-collar defense and government investigations. Chambers USA ranks the top lawyers and law firms across all the United States of America through assessment of a firm’s work and opinions from external market sources, with an emphasis on client feedback.
Interviewees told Chambers that Kostelanetz & Fink is “an extraordinary group of lawyers who are outstanding individually and outstanding as a team.” They described the firm’s attorneys as “the foremost experts of criminal tax work, as well as complicated tax controversy/advocacy work.” In its Nationwide category, Chambers notes that K&F is recognized for its experience in criminal and civil tax fraud matters and supports a variety of clients including high net worth individuals and major corporations. Last year, Chambers named Kostelanetz & Fink its 2018 Tax Team of the Year.
Five K&F attorneys have been recognized in the Chambers USA 2019 Guide including partners Caroline D. Ciraolo, Sharon L. McCarthy, Jay R. Nanavati, and Bryan C. Skarlatos, as well as firm co-founder Robert S. Fink.
Ms. McCarthy, a former Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is recognized for her expertise in litigation in white-collar crime and government investigations in its New York regional category. Interviewees told Chambers that Ms. McCarthy is “a terrific trial lawyer and an excellent all-around white-collar criminal lawyer,” and Chambers’ own review noted that Ms. McCarthy is “a highly skilled litigator who acts on matters such as criminal tax disputes, internal investigations and securities fraud proceedings, representing an individual and institutional client base.”
K&F partner Jay R. Nanavati has been elevated to Nationwide Band 2 for tax fraud. Mr. Nanavati, who Chambers notes “regularly leads on white-collar cases centered around tax matters,” was described by interviewees as “a skilled criminal defense lawyer with both DOJ and private practice experience.”
Ms. Ciraolo, who formerly headed the Justice Department’s Tax Division, is ranked this year in both the Nationwide and Washington, D.C. regional categories. One interviewee told Chambers, “She’s probably the hardest working tax lawyer in the country,” while another said she has an “extraordinary ability to recognize and address both the legal and non-legal needs of clients and to evaluate both short and long-term risk and benefits.”
Mr. Skarlatos and Mr. Fink have both been highly ranked in Band 1 of Chambers for more than a decade. Chambers noted that Mr. Skarlatos has been described as “a force of nature” and cited “his commitment to his clients, absolute command of the law and holistic and thorough approach to handling any client problem.” Mr. Fink, who has been practicing law for more than 50 years, was described by Chambers as someone who “has built a fantastic reputation in the criminal tax field” over his more than five decades as an attorney.
Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP has built a national reputation as the law firm of choice for clients facing high-stakes negotiations and controversies with government agencies. Because of our experience handling the most challenging, complex and sensitive cases, our attorneys are considered to be some of the country's foremost experts on tax controversies, white collar defense and regulatory matters. An important part of the firm's practice includes tax and estate planning and representation in government procurement and government contracting.
