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Maxwell A. Shapiro

Opportunities are out there – it’s just a matter of uncovering them.

Contact: P /612.604.6772E /[email protected]

Education

University of St. Thomas School of Law, J.D., 2015

University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, M.B.A., 2014

University of St. Thomas, B.A., 2011

Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 2015

My Approach

Failure gets a bad rap. But failure is a huge key to successfully working through problems and finding solutions. It informs future decisions, and allowing for failure widens the scope of what is attempted, and ultimately achieved. That’s why I find working with clients on R&D tax credits so exciting. My clients are people and businesses who seek out challenges, who push the limits of technology and processes, and who attempt to solve problems that have never been solved before. While of course it’s disappointing when a project or experiment doesn’t work, through the use of the R&D tax credit, I help clients understand that the time, money, and resources put into it are not lost, and help them recover value.

I approach my work with a realistic levelheadedness, combining my varied experience in the legal, business, and tax advisory worlds. I appreciate being able to deduce complex legal issues, but at the same time, think of each problem from the client’s perspective, and balance strengths, risks and opportunities. It is important to me to be able to communicate with my clients in the ways that are important to them – understanding and sharing goals helps deliver the best result.

Outside of work, I have two young children who are delightfully exhausting. Our family loves to stay active, taking walks around the lakes and finding adventures wherever we can. I also enjoy playing basketball and burning off steam at the gym.

Practice Areas

Practicing Specialty Tax Credits & Incentives

My Experience

I represent clients in connection with computing and filing for the Research & Development Tax Credit, and have experience advising clients in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, and health care. I enjoy helping clients who are developing new technologies and processes, or improving old ones, take advantage of the R&D tax credit and foster innovation. Prior to joining the firm, I worked as a tax analyst in-house at a major retail corporation, as well as at a Big 4 accounting firm.

Representative Matters

• Generation of research & development tax credit
• Draft appeals and audit responses on behalf of clients to various state Department of Revenue representatives, primarily for research and development tax credit appeals.
• Provide corporate clients in various industries with consulting, compliance and advisory services, focusing primarily in state and local tax matters.
• Prepare quarterly estimates and year-end state tax returns for various legal entities / jurisdictions.
• Responsible for drafting engagement management contracts, such as Engagement Letters, Statements of Work, Master Service Agreements, and Addendums.

Also experienced in

Tax

Associations & Memberships

Minnesota State Bar Association

Wills for Heroes

Volunteer Attorney

Wills for Seniors

Volunteer Attorney