Kevin E. Packman, a native of Miami, Florida, is a member of Holland & Knight's Private Wealth Services Department where he regularly assists domestic and international clients with estate and gift tax planning. His practice also includes a concentration in the areas of tax controversies, probate administration, and creditor protection planning. He has been recognized repeatedly by Florida Trend as an Up & Comer in the Florida Legal Elite.
Mr. Packman has experience:
- Assisting domestic clients with preparation of estate plans to minimize gift and estate tax exposure.
- Creating structures through which international clients may invest in the U.S., and avoid estate tax exposure.
- Providing pre-immigration planning to foreign individuals planning to establish domicile in the U.S.
- Advising U.S. beneficiaries of foreign trusts and/or estates on alternatives to reduce U.S. taxes.
- Advising clients on Foreign Bank Account Reporting compliance.
- Guiding clients through IRS examinations and audits.
Additionally, Mr. Packman has:
- Represented a non-resident alien in a criminal investigation by the United States Department of Justice resulting in no criminal charges being filed against the client.
- Negotiated the release of an IRS levy against a non-resident alien client's investment account.
- Resolved an IRS dispute with exposure in excess of $6 million involving income tax, gift tax and various penalty issues for failure to file Forms 3520 and 3520-A for $1.1 million.
- Represented a client in avoiding criminal sanctions in an investigation by IRS special agents and attorneys from the United States Department of Justice.
Mr. Packman has lectured for the American Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, national financial institutions, national and local accounting offices, and community organizations. He has been published in the Florida Bar Journal, Journal of Taxation, Trusts & Estates as well as in The Jerusalem Post. He has been quoted in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and in Business Week on issues related to IRS enforcement and foreign bank account reports. He also drafted legislation that passed the U.S. Congress declaring May as "National ALS Awareness Month."
Mr. Packman is active in the community; he is President of the ALS Recovery Fund, a member of the Kessenich Family MDA ALS Center Advisory Board and a past Board Member of the Easter Seal Society of Miami-Dade County and Israel Bonds organizations. While he has frequently been recognized for his volunteer efforts, Mr. Packman is proudest of having been the first recipient of the ALS Association's Kevin Packman Award for the Most Outstanding Volunteer.
Mr. Packman earned his B.A. in 1993 from the University of Texas (where he was named the Most Outstanding Individual in 1991), his J.D. in 1998 from Washington University School of Law (where he received the Honor Scholar award) and LL.M in Estate Planning in 2002 from the University of Miami School of Law (where he received the Vice President's Award for Service).