Bar Admissions
- North Carolina
- Florida
Education
- University of Florida Levin College of Law, LL.M., Taxation, with honors
- University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., with honors
- Queens College, B.A., Accounting, summa cum laude
Stanton P. Geller is Co-Chair of the Audit and Tax Controversy practice group and practices in the areas of federal and state income, estate and gift tax planning; corporate, partnership and business law; succession planning; estate planning; federal and state tax audit, appeal and controversy; and commercial real estate transactions. Stanton focuses on minimizing taxes, preserving wealth and managing risk for his clients.
Stanton represents entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and successful individuals and companies in developing and achieving comprehensive solutions to their complex tax and legal issues. Further, Stanton works with his clients to fully integrate their estate and succession planning with all ongoing business and investment dealings for one cohesive plan. Stanton has experience in representing clients with all aspects of business mergers and acquisitions, including tax planning, negotiating and drafting transactional documents. Additionally, Stanton counsels businesses in matters related to ongoing operations.
- Counseled a wide variety of clients with both purchasing and selling businesses; worked with large private equity firms and investors in negotiating and implementing mergers and acquisitions; provided advice to minimize taxes and risk exposure
- Represented clients before the IRS and North Carolina Department of Revenue on audit and appeals matters including audits of conservation easements, complex income tax and partnership tax matters, sales and withholdings matters and penalty abatement
- Litigated complex income tax matters in the U.S. Tax Court
- Provided clients with advice on income, partnership and corporate tax issues related to their business ventures and individual activities; drafted sophisticated operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, employment and non-compete agreements, and confidentiality agreements
- Consulted with real estate investors and developers on complex tax and business matters, including minimizing taxes and preserving wealth; planned and implemented sophisticated Code Section 1031 “like-kind” exchanges and conservation easements
- Implemented a wide range of advanced estate planning strategies; planned and drafted revocable “living” trusts, multi-generational irrevocable trusts, sales to grantor trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs), family partnerships and LLCs, and irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs); organized and counseled family offices
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Chair of Tax Section, 2009-2010, 2018-2019
- Mecklenburg CountyBar, Co-Chair of Tax Section, 2008-2009
Civic & Community Activities
- Foundation For The Carolinas, Cabinet of Professional Advisors, 2020-2022
- Queens University of Charlotte, Planned Giving Advisory Council
- Legal Services for Southern Piedmont, Will Clinic
Honors & Awards
- Business North Carolina Legal Elite, Tax and Estate Planning 2019, 2023
Publications
- Co-Author (with Christopher E. Hannum), “Long-Term Considerations: Some Key Legal Issues for Middle-Market Companies,” Charlotte Business Journal, March 20, 2015.
- Co-Author (with Christopher E. Hannum), “How to Make Non-Competes Not Worth the Paper They Are Written On,” Southern Building Material Association, Inc., February 2013.
- Co-Author (with Christopher E. Hannum), “Protecting Real Estate Developers: Expect the Unexpected in Drafting LLC Operating Agreements,” Notes Bearing Interest, a publication of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Business Law Section, Vol. 31, No. 4, June 2010
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Panel on Captive Insurance,” at the 16th Annual NC/SC/GA Tax Section Workshops, May 26-28, 2017
- Speaker, “Using Gifts and Trusts for Wealth Transfers,” at the 5th Annual Estate Planning Update, April 30, 2013
- Speaker, “Handling IRS Civil Tax Cases: Audits, Administrative Appeals and Litigation,” at the Mecklenburg County Bar, April 26, 2013
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