Kent David Lawson, Esq.

Mr. Lawson founded Vela International Tax advisory in 2012 after founding the international tax practice of an international accounting firm and the Pacific Rim Practice of an international law firm. He advises clients regarding global tax planning, tax controversy, and tax compliance maters.

Mr. Lawson’s clientele includes company founders, multinational families, fiduciaries, technology start-ups, real estate ventures, public companies, and private equity firms. He advises clients regarding complex tax structures involving domestic and foreign entitles, including corporations, partnerships, trusts, and charitable foundations. He counsels venture capitalists, angel investors, and company founders regarding pre-IPO and acquisition tax planning.

His expertise includes the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and the Bank Secrecy Act. He counsels clients regarding voluntary disclosure and the international tax aspects of IRS and DOJ criminal tax investigations. He works with the anti-money laundering rules requiring foreign bank account reporting. His expertise also includes controlled foreign corporations, transfer-pricing, passive foreign investment companies, foreign trusts, tax treaties, foreign tax credits, FIRPTA, and expatriation. He does a substantial amount of income, gift, and estate tax planning for nonresidents investing in the US. His expertise includes tax planning for US beneficiaries of foreign trusts. Mr. Lawson also advises clients in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities, including tax audits, appeals, and tax litigation. He frequently advises technology company founders regarding liquidity events and related residency planning.

Mr. Lawson is a lecturer, author, and expert witness on international taxation. He has taught the International Tax Treaties course as an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University.

Mr. Lawson co-founded the San Francisco Branch of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners and has served as its branch chair. He was also a founding board member of Alta Vista School, which teaches a STEM curriculum to 325 students from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Citywealth Magazine named Mr. Lawson as one of the 100 most highly respected wealth advisers in North and South America. He was also named by Legal Week Magazine to its Private Client Global Elite Directory of the top 250 private client lawyers in the world.

 

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