Christopher Vasallo, Esq.

Christopher Douglass Vasallo was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is a fifth generation "Miamian". He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Auburn University, his Juris Doctor, with Honors, from The University of Florida School of Law and his Masters of Laws in Taxation (LLM) from the University of Miami, where he graduated in the top 5 of his class. Mr. Vasallo is a member of the Florida Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and all courts within the State of Florida. Mr. Vasallo is also admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court, as well as the federal district courts in and for the Southern District of Florida and Northern District of Florida.

Publications and seminars by Mr. Vasallo include: Seven Ways to Protect Your Assets, Pest Control Magazine Sept. 2003; Have an Asset Protection Plan, Ophthalmology Management Magazine Nov. 2003; Estate Planning Basics, MTV Latin America, February 16, 2005; Asset Protection Basics, Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, Feb. 24, 2005; and Drafting Wills and Trusts, National Business Institute Seminars, 2006; and Preparing to Care for Your Aging Parents, Caring Resources, Inc., 2009.

Mr. Vasallo has been named a Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyer for the past consecutive years. He serves on the board of numerous non-for-profit organizations, has been an active member of Old Cutler Presbyterian Church for over 22 years, and is an avid fisherman, hunter and golfer.

Mr. Vasallo is married to Lelenia Vasallo, Esq. and they have two children, Christopher and Isabelle. Mr. Vasallo is fluent in Spanish.

Jeremy Sloane, Esq.

Practice Areas:
Corporate
Mergers & Acquisitions
Tax

Experience:

Jeremy Sloane is the managing member of the firm’s Orlando office. Mr. Sloane possesses a diverse legal and business background, having advised emerging growth, middle market, and public companies across various sectors of the economy including retail, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, defense, telecommunications, and technology. He routinely assists business clients with federal and state tax planning, tax compliance, IRS and state audits and tax controversies, as well as partnership and corporate tax matters. A substantial portion of Mr. Sloane's practice is devoted to structuring, negotiating and documenting complex corporate and commercial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations, private equity and venture capital investments, real estate development joint ventures, and corporate finance matters. Mr. Sloane has structured, negotiated, and documented sophisticated domestic and cross-border transactions having an aggregate value well into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Sloane was Of Counsel to Akerman Senterfitt, Florida's largest law firm. Earlier in his legal career, Mr. Sloane worked in the Tax Group at DLA Piper, the world's largest law firm.

Professional Recognition:

• Florida Super Lawyers' Magazine, 2009 Florida Rising Stars™ – less than 2.5% of attorneys in the State of Florida earned this distinction in 2009; 1 of 4 attorneys in Orlando to earn this distinction in the area of Taxation; 1 of 8 attorneys in Orlando to earn this distinction in the area of Business/Corporate
• Florida Trend Magazine's Florida Legal Elite™, Best Up-and-Coming Florida Attorneys (2009) – 1 of 118 attorneys in the State of Florida and 1 of 9 attorneys in Orlando to earn this distinction in 2009
• Recognition in Marquis Who's Who in America (2009)
• Florida Trend Magazine's Florida Legal Elite™, Best Up-and-Coming Florida Attorneys (2008) – 1 of 159 attorneys in the State of Florida and 1 of 12 attorneys in Orlando to earn this distinction in 2008
• Nominee, Orlando Business Journal's 40 under 40 (2008 & 2009)
• Outstanding Public Service Recognition Award, Internal Revenue Service (2005 & 2008)
• Exceptional Pro Bono Service Recognition Award, Florida Supreme Court, Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar, and Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association (2007 & 2008)
• Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of exceptional Pro Bono Efforts, The Legal Aid Society of The Orange County Bar Association (2008)
• BV® Distinguished™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell (maximum rating for ethics and legal ability that a lawyer who has been admitted to the Bar for less than 10 years can receive)

Bar Admissions:

The Florida Bar
Maryland Bar

Court Admissions:

U.S. Tax Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida

Community Involvement:

• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association (2009) – volunteer federal income tax return preparation for low income taxpayers
• Board of Directors, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) – Orlando Chapter (2008-2009)
• Board of Volunteer Advisors, UCF Technology Incubator Entrepreneurship Program (2007-2008) – provided pro bono business and legal advice to high technology and other companies
• Board of Directors & Executive Committee, Blanchard Park YMCA (2007-2008), Avalon Park YMCA (2007-present)
• Pro Bono Volunteer, Florida Legal Services, Florida Attorneys Saving Homes (2008-present) – pro bono representation of homeowners facing foreclosures
• Chairman, YMCA Youth Scholarship Campaign, Avalon Park & Blanchard Park YMCA's (2007-2008) – chairman of 2008 campaign designed to provide no or little charge YMCA access to at-risk children and families
• Executive Committee, Executive Advisory Board Exchange (2006-2008) – participated in voluntary advisory boards which provided free business advice to local emerging companies
• Pro Bono Volunteer, Legal Aid Society of The Orlando Bar Association (2006-present) – representation of low income individuals in landlord/tenant and related matters
• Pro Bono Volunteer, The Florida Bar YLD Disaster Legal Services Teams for Hurricanes Charley, Frances & Ivan (2004-2007) – representation of individuals affected by natural disasters in connection with insurance claims and related matters
• DLA Piper U.S. LLP Pro Bono Associate of the Year – Baltimore offices (2005)
• Pro Bono Volunteer, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Association
• Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (2004-2006) – preparation of tax returns for low income taxpayers
• Legal representation of various charitable organizations and low income taxpayers in connection with federal and state income tax controversies and applications for recognition of tax exemption (2004-2006)
• Leadership Daytona Beach XXII (2002-2003)
• Executive Committee, Board of Directors & General Counsel, South Daytona/Port Orange Chamber of Commerce (2003-2004)
• United Way of Volusia/Flagler Counties, Finance Subcommittee Chairman for 2002 Annual Campaign (2002-2003)

Education:

• 2004: LL.M. in Taxation, University of Miami Graduate Program in Taxation
• 1st in Class
• Certification in International Taxation
• Academic Scholarship
• 2000: J.D., University of Florida
• Book Award in Banking Law
• Honors & High Honors – multiple semesters
• 1996: B.S.B.A., with Honors (Finance), University of Florida
• National Collegiate Business Merit Award
• The National Dean's List
• Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
• Golden Key National Honor Society
• Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity (Philanthropy Co-Chairman, 1994)
• Florida Academic Scholar (all semesters)
• Interfraternity and Panhellenic Council Scholarship Award (multiple semesters)

Lelenia Vasallo, Esq.

Lelenia Vasallo earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Political Science from Emory University and a Juris Doctor from The University of Miami School of Law. Mrs. Vasallo is a member of the Florida Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and all courts within the State of Florida. Mrs. Vasallo is also admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, as well as the federal district courts in and for the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and Northern District of Florida.

Mrs. Vasallo serves on the board of several not-for-profit organizations, actively volunteers in women and children ministries at Old Cutler Presbyterian Church and provides peer counseling to newly diagnosed cancer patients through various cancer support groups.

Mrs. Vasallo is married to Chris Vasallo, Esq. and they have two children, Christopher and Isabelle. Born and raised in Haiti, Mrs. Vasallo is fluent in French and Haitian Creole.

Mark Vasallo, Esq.

Practice Areas:
Estate Planning
Corporate
Tax

Experience:

Mark Vasallo has a broad base of experience that allows him to provide clients with comprehensive legal counseling. Mark concentrates his practice on representing individuals and businesses in protecting their personal and company assets. Focusing on estate planning for individual clients, and tax and corporate strategy for business clients, Mark is able to provide complete asset protection advice to his clients.

Mark has practiced as both a litigator and as in-house corporate counsel. Representing numerous Fortune 500 companies, Mark’s litigation practice focused on product liability, construction defect, contract disputes, federal torts, and negligence. As a corporate attorney, Mark has counseled on securitization of over $5B in student loans, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, internal and regulatory audits, licensing and marketing agreements, leases, IT contracts, and NDAs. He has also advised on intellectual property, insurance, compliance, advertising, information security, and employment matters.

Graduating in the top 5% of his class with a B.S. in Zoology from Auburn University, Mark started his career in the biological sciences. Mark earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from The University of Miami School of Law. Attending on an academic scholarship, he was Executive Editor of the Inter-American Law Review and worked in the chambers of Judge W. Turnoff in the Federal Court, S.D. of Florida.

Prior to joining the firm, Mark was in-house counsel to the nation’s 5th largest student financial services company with over 300 employees and a loan portfolio over $8B. Earlier in his career, Mark was an Associate at Cozen O’Connor, a top U.S. firm with 23 offices worldwide. A fifth generation Miamian, Mark is happily married and lives with his wife in downtown Miami.

Bar Admissions:

The Florida Bar
The California Bar

Court Admissions:

U.S. Tax Court
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Florida Supreme Court
California Supreme Court
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Community Involvement:

• Rotary International
• American Cancer Society
• Historical Museum of South Florida
• SafeSpace Foundation

Education:

• J.D., magna cum laude, University of Miami
• Academic Scholarship
• Executive Editor, Inter-American Law Review
• Florida Bar Student Writing Competition Winner
• Dean’s List, 5 Semesters
• Order of the Coif
• Book Award in Patent Law
• B.S., cum laude, Zoology, Auburn University
• Top 5% of Graduating Class
• Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
• Golden Key National Honor Society
• University of Granada, Spain

Andrew H Thompson, Senior Associate

A native Floridian, Andrew was raised in Miami. He graduated from Westminster Christian High School and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Michigan. Andrew earned his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law, and went on to earn his Master of Laws in Estate Planning (LL.M.) from the University of Miami. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007, Andrew currently practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Tax Planning, and Estate Administration, representing both individuals and companies. Andrew speaks regularly on the topic of Estate Planning in the community.

Andrew is married to Shannon Thompson who was also raised in Miami. Andrew and Shannon are members of Crossbridge Church Miami where they volunteer in the worship ministry.

Maria Landa-Posada, Of Counsel

Maria Isabel Landa-Posada was born in New Hampshire and raised in Miami, Florida. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and a minor in Science degree from Florida International University, her Juris Doctor, from the University of Miami. Ms. Landa-Posada is a member of the Florida Bar and Cuban American Bar Association. She is also admitted to practice before the Federal District Courts for the Southern District of Florida.

Publication and Seminars by Ms. Landa-Posada include: Review of 1031 Exchange, Broker Agent Magazine. Miami June 2005; Foreclosure Seminar, Coral Gables Realtors, Association of Miami-Dade County. Oct. 2006.

Ms. Landa-Posada is a catechist at St. Hugh Catholic Church and has been a member since 2001. She is married to Gustavo F. Posada and they have two children, Mia Bella and Angelina Maria. Ms. Landa-Posada is fluent in Spanish.