Page 19 - Miami Vol 7 No 2

EKAS
my own practice, she was winding AALM: How do you balance your
down hers. Like most people in the tax community, I did not know why. e evening when I was leading that meeting of tax attorneys and one of them whistled at me was one evening I especially missed Fran’s presence. I wondered how she would have re- sponded. I knew for certain that she would not have just sighed and dis- missed it like I had. Little did I know that she was su ering from cancer. One day, she called to ask if I would like her old tax law books. She only said that she was winding down her practice and she mailed the books to me. I wished I had asked her why and I wished I had thanked her more. She passed away last year.
Soon therea er, a potential client came in for an initial consultation. He asked me no questions before signing the retainer agreement. He said that Fran recommended me and that was all he needed to know. When he le my o ce, I cried. Really cried. I don’t know what Fran saw in me, but I knew we understood each other. I may have learned to work in a man’s world but there was nothing more touching than having the sup- port of a fellow woman.
AALM: What compelled you to start your own practice.
Lapekas: A er almost four years at the IRS, I saw a void in the community that needed to be lled. ere were too few attorneys who handled IRS mat- ters. ose that did were getting older and their calendars full. us, their rates were getting higher. People that could not a ord a good attorney o en, regrettably, turned to “tax relief ” com- panies that advertise on TV and radio. I knew there would be hundreds of people lining up to ll my spot at the IRS, but I did not know of any young attorneys in small to mid-sized rms that represented clients before the IRS.
In 2013, I le the IRS and never looked back.
home life and work life?
Lapekas: Low overhead. I value
free time over expensive things. Not being weighed down by costs allows me to be selective with my cases, do more pro bono work, and travel. Over the past year I spent a total of 11 weeks in Europe. To manage work, I stayed connected and worked a bit every day. e best part? I actually spent less money abroad than if I had stayed home!
AALM: How are you involved in the legal community and the local community?
Lapekas: My most important work outside of the law has been as a “Big Sister” through Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have been a big sister to Anahay for over six years. Seeing the di erence one person can make in a child’s life, I got more involved in BBBS. I have been a board mem- ber and/or treasurer of the Miracle Society for BBBS for several years. In the legal eld, I represent children in dependency proceedings through Lawyers for Children America, serve as the pro bono chair for the calendar call program in the U.S. Tax Court (Miami), and am on the board of Le- gal Services of Greater Miami. I am also the chair of the South Florida Tax Litigation Association and fre- quently speak on tax controversy and tax litigation topics for various orga- nizations.
AALM: What accomplishment are you most proud of achieving?
Lapekas: e happiest moment in my career was calling a client to tell her that the IRS agreed that she did not owe over $1 million. Rather, she owed nothing. She had lost sleep over the issue for years and the stress had taken a toll on her health and relationships. I could not have been happier for the result because of what it meant for this woman’s peace of mind.
AT a glance
LAPEKAS LAW P.A.
540 Brickell Key Dr., Suite C1 Miami, FL 33131
(305) 600-1485 www.talktoataxlawyer.com
EDUCATION
LL.M. in Taxation, University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law
Juris Doctor, Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
HONORS
Top Tax Attorney, Legal Luminaries Award, Dade County Bar Association, 2017
Fellow, Florida Bar Association, Tax Section, 2013
Litigation Excellence Award, IRS O ce of Chief Counsel, 2012
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, Miracle Society, 2015-Present
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big Sister, 2012-Present
South Florida Tax Litigation Association, Chair, 2016-Present
Legal Service of Greater Miami, Board Member
U.S. Tax Court Pro Bono Calendar Call Program (Miami), Chair, 2014-Present
P
MAGNATE PHOTOGRAPHY