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Steve Mastbaum focuses his practice on partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and restructurings and bankruptcies.

Concentrations

  • Transactional tax practice involving federal, state, and local with a particular emphasis on real estate transactions and restructuring.
  • Tax controversies involving the Internal Revenue Service and New York State.
  • Non-qualified employee compensation and severance matters.
  • Partnership and limited liability companies.
  • Investment funds.

Capabilities

Experience

  • Representation of Barclays Capital, agent under first lien credit agreement in LandSource Communities Development LLC.
  • Representation of Barclays Capital in the acquisition of Crescent Real Estate Equities Limited Partnership and related entities by an affiliate of Barclays Capital.
  • Representation of homebuilder Ashton Woods USA LLC in an exchange offer for its senior subordinated notes, senior credit facility amendment and capital restructuring plan.
  • Representation of William Yung and Tropicana Casinos & Resorts, Inc., the 100 percent equity holders of Tropicana Entertainment, LLC, in Tropicana Entertainment's Chapter 11 case pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware involving the restructuring of more than $2 billion in debt.
  • Assisted in the representation of IVAX Pharmaceuticals in the $7.6 billion sale to Israeli competitor Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
  • Representation of start-up investment funds and related funds for employees.
  • Tax planning for corporate acquisitions, mergers and acquisition (both taxable and non-taxable) for publicly traded and closely held corporations.
  • Representation of clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
  • Preparation and submission of ruling requests to the Internal Revenue Service.
  • Representation of tax exempt and other clients in structuring the acquisition and ownership of real estate.
  • Representing emerging entities including choice of entity, structuring investments and designing compensation packages to attract employees.

Recognition & Leadership

  • Listed, IFLR1000, "Notable Practitioner," M&A, 2019-2024
  • Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2006-2023
  • Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2023
  • Selected, Legal Elite - Real Estate, AVENUE magazine, April 2011
  • Rated, AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5.0

°AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM and Martindale-Hubbell NotableSM are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies.

  • Member, New York State Bar Association

Credentials

Education
  • LL.M., Taxation, New York University School of Law, 1981
  • J.D., magna cum laude, Cornell Law School, 1977
    • Editor, Cornell Law Review
  • B.S., summa cum laude, City University of New York at Brooklyn College, 1973
Admissions
  • New York