Greenberg Glusker Expands Tax Practice with Two Partners

May 9, 2019Press Release

LOS ANGELES – Greenberg Glusker announced today that prominent tax attorneys Warren "Skip" Kessler and Michael Wiener have joined the firm as Partners in its Taxation practice. Both attorneys represent institutions, large real estate portfolio owners, private businesses and ultra-high net worth individuals, advising them on maximizing tax efficiency when structuring complex real estate transactions and when restructuring partnerships and limited liability companies that own significant real estate assets. They join Greenberg Glusker from the Century City office of DLA Piper.

“Skip is a leading figure in the tax arena and we are thrilled he has chosen to bring his knowledge and skills to our firm,” says Bob Baradaran, managing partner of Greenberg Glusker. “Michael brings an extra added layer of sophisticated tax knowledge and experience to our team.”

Gary Kaplan, head of the firm’s Taxation practice, adds, “Skip’s and Michael’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable assets to our group, which acts as tax counsel for complex real estate, entertainment and business transactions, and requires an understanding of a broad range of issues in federal and state income, property, gift and estate taxes for businesses and individuals.”

Mr. Kessler has a national reputation for creative and outside-the-box solutions to complex and complicated transactions and his skill and experience in the underlying real estate, partnership, limited liability company  and finance matters assists him in devising tax-efficient structures. Following the passage of the Qualified Opportunity Zone legislation, he has advised numerous clients on structuring QOZ funds and businesses.

With expertise in Section 1031 exchanges, Skip and Michael combined have structured thousands of forward and reverse Section 1031 exchange transactions involving billions of dollars of real estate. They have devised numerous strategies to permit one or more partners to accomplish separate Section 1031 exchanges. Skip and Michael have created a team that is able to structure and execute on a wide variety of complex real estate and partnership transactions.

“With the changes in the tax code, clients need savvy professionals that can translate the complexities of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations into language (that) they can understand and act upon,” says Mr. Kessler. “We are thrilled to be joining a firm that has such a deep bench in Tax, Real Estate, Corporate law, and Estate Planning, which will benefit our clients immensely.”

Mr. Kessler has been selected as a Super Lawyer every year since 2006 and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® every year since 2013. He is involved in numerous charitable and pro bono activities, most notably serving as General Counsel to the Wilshire Boulevard Temple board of trustees.

Mr. Kessler earned his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School and an A.B. from Cornell University.

Mr. Wiener earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law, an LL.M., Taxation from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from Columbia University.