I function as a proactive advisor to my clients. I try to think ahead and come up with creative solutions to issues before they become problems for my clients. What makes coming to work exciting is coming up with creative solutions that most people don’t think of. The center of my wheelhouse is federal taxation. Since just about everything we do has a tax impact, my practice is varied. From helping clients structure their business lives from inception to sale to maximize their after-tax cash flow, to provide asset protection planning to help clients protect the wealth they have acquired, to mergers and acquisition work, to estate planning.

Val practices in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, taxation, asset protection, and estate planning. He offers considerable experience in business sales and acquisitions, family and business tax planning, asset protection, and estate planning for family succession.

Val offers years of experience structuring family business interests for growth and asset transfers and minimizing the tax consequences of those transactions in present day transfers and in transferring the family business to the next generation. He strongly believes in protecting key family assets from litigation risk and creating the business structures most likely to offer that advantage. As lawyers we frequently encounter people in crisis. He has learned to be a good listener to understand a client’s issues and concerns before he starts talking about solutions.

He has advised start-up businesses from inception through negotiating and drafting the documents to selling the business. In that process, he works with the client to structure the deal in a manner that minimizes income tax consequences and maximizes cash flow.  Finally, he works with the client to plan for minimizing estate taxes and protect the assets the client has spent their business lives accumulating.

Val is a Certified Public Accountant.

Significant Matters

  • Taken small businesses from initial creation to equity and asset sales valued at over $100 million.
  • Performed complex estate and asset protection plans for clients with net worths in excess of $100 million.
  • Successfully represented clients in the United States Tax Court.

Areas of Focus

Education

Education

  • SMU Dedman School of Law (J.D.)
  • Baylor University (B.B.A., with honors)
    • BSU Student Ministry; Leadership

Admissions

Bar Admissions
  • Texas
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District, Texas
  • United States Tax Court

Outside of Work

Val enjoys working out, traveling, and creating investment portfolios.