Mr. Schlesier, a director and shareholder of Blanchard, Krasner & French, has a broad legal and business background. His areas of practice include taxation, estate planning, mortgage banking, corporate, real estate, general business and employment matters.

Mr. Schlesier’s responsibilities include:

• Advising and representing clients with federal and state income, gift, estate and employment tax matters including domestic and international tax plans, gift programs, estate settlements, taxpayer collection representation, offers in compromise, and installment agreements;

• Counseling clients with complex estate planning matters including revocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, charitable trusts, asset protection trusts, total return trusts, generation-skipping trusts, dynasty trusts, private foundations, family limited partnerships, wills, health care and legal incompetence planning, and integrating retirement benefits into estate plans;

• Advising and representing clients with corporate, limited liability company and partnership matters including formation, maintenance, mergers & acquisitions, dissolution, shareholder agreements, reorganizations, and disputes between owners;

• Advising and representing clients with complex real estate transactions including commercial lease negotiations, property transfers, tax-deferred exchanges, and property tax assessment disputes;

• Advising and representing management and employees on various employment matters including qualified employee benefit plans, wage disputes, harassment, and personnel policies and procedures; and

• Advising and representing clients with general business and other matters.

Representative Transactions:

• Tax analysis, consultation, and planning for sale of real property valued in excess of $120 million;

• Successful offer in compromise with the Internal Revenue Service;

• Property Tax Assessment dispute;

• Internal Revenue Service Partnership tax return audit resulting in no change;

• Internal Revenue Service estate tax return audit resulting in no change;

• Tax planning for inherited Individual Retirement Account;

• Trust dispute concerning assets in excess of $10 million;

• Complex estate plan for corporate executive;

• Complex estate plan for estate valued in excess of $80 million;

• Grantor Retained Annuity Trust for stock in privately held corporation;

• Court approved modification to an irrevocable trust;

• Represented corporate trustee during litigation between beneficiaries of a trust;

• Formation of tax-exempt private foundation;

• Analysis and planning concerning a Land Trust;

• Trust administration after death of settlor with assets in excess of $15 million;

• Probate of complex estate valued in excess of $3 million;

• Stock sale of $4 million construction company;

• Stock purchase of $2 million insurance agency;

• Stock sale of $12 million publishing company;

• Shareholders' Agreement for a San Diego construction company;

• Formation of corporation for youth baseball league;

• Formation of limited liability company for syndicated real estate investment group;

• Advised foreign client concerning purchase of U.S. real property;

• Lease-Option for residential real property located in San Diego;

• Represented tenant in a lease termination dispute;

• Proprietary Rights Agreement for employee of international engineering firm;

• Employment Agreement between medical corporation and physician;

• General counsel to numerous companies in the finance, publishing, insurance, real estate, construction, technology, dry cleaning, and sport-fishing industries;

• Premarital Agreement for professional athlete;

• Franchise Agreement for printing company; and

• Licensing matters for various companies in the finance and real estate industries.

Publications and Speaking Engagements:

• “’Tis the Season for Giving: Making Your Gifts Wisely”; La Jolla Light, November 2007;

• Speaker: “Estate Planning Seminar,” MACTEC San Diego, January 2003; and

• Speaker: “Estate Planning Seminar,” new parent support group, April 2003.

Professional Background:

Prior to joining Blanchard, Krasner & French, Mr. Schlesier spent eight years with MACTEC (formerly Law Crandall), an international engineering and environmental consulting firm. As an Accounting Manager from 1992 to 1996, Mr. Schlesier was responsible for implementing and monitoring operating budgets and strategic business plans, and developing, implementing and auditing company financial policies and procedures for this internally ranked top-20 engineering firm. From 1996-2000. his responsibilities as a Senior Project Manager included negotiating and drafting government and commercial contracts and managing engineering projects. Prior to 1992, Mr. Schlesier worked as a Real Estate Associate for Coldwell Banker Real Estate in San Diego; and as a Contracts Administrator for Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical, where he negotiated, drafted and managed complex federal contracts and subcontracts in the aerospace industry. Mr. Schlesier obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, and his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Finance, with honors, from the University of San Diego. He also holds a Certificate in Government Contract Management from San Diego State University, passed the Certified Public Accountants exam, and is a licensed California Real Estate Broker.



 

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