About Steve

  Phoenix native Steven Herman has more than 40 years of tax practice experience. At Arizona State University he majored in economics with a minor in math.  Steve practiced accounting prior to attending law school and is a licensed California CPA.  He received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley and maintains active licenses to practice law in Arizona and California.  Steve practiced international tax law in San Francisco before returning to Phoenix in 1980 where he structured partnerships and prepared opinions in tax shelter syndications.  Steve began his solo legal practice in 1989.  

Steve's law firm, creatively named "Steven R. Herman, Ltd", practices in the areas of:

(i) estate planning and administration, including ongoing trust accounting, for estates considered "small" ($100K) to "large" ones ($20M), which include generation skipping and "dynasty" trusts,

(ii) general business matters such as business formations, sales and acquisitions, contract matters such as buy-sell agreements, employment arrangements, non-disclosure agreements, real estate acquisition, sales and leasing,

(iii) representation of “honest taxpayers” who have a history of not filing their returns.  

Steve's firm also will provide integrated legal and economic analysis to clients in connection with special projects such as review of business plans, analysis of competing business valuations in dissolving domestic and business partnerships, and resolution of problems involving the commingling or misapplication of funds.  He welcomes joint projects.  

Steve's list of interesting present and past projects include:

  • Serving as counsel to individual trustees managing irrevocable trusts for non-family members;

  • Advising on filing of multiple-year back FBAR & offshore financial holding reports (Form 8938)

  • Analysis of trust agreements to refine the concept of “fiduciary accounting income” to minimize the total tax burden on trusts and their beneficiaries;

  • Analysis of ambiguities under IRC §199A (20% “Qualified Business Income”) deduction;

  • Obtaining private letter ruling to avoid subchapter S disqualification when an ESBT election is not made;

  • Analysis of tax issues related to deductibility of losses in “Mortgages, Ltd” and “Radical    Bunny” transactions;

  • Resolution of trust interpretation issues among heirs;

  • Sales and purchases of various business entities;

  • General representation of television and radio stations in Northern Arizona, including an extensive shareholder fight, bankruptcy and restructuring;

  • Principal legal counsel for set up, financing and operation of numerous start‑up businesses, from small one person enterprises to one business which was named for two years to Inc. Magazine=s A500 Fastest Growing Companies@ list and grew to have assets in excess of $100M;

  • Counsel in successfully investigating improper accounting and misappropriation of funds by "managing partner/members" of real estate development entities.  

Steven R. Herman, Attorney at Law 4601 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.840.2577              steve@SteveHerman.net