Stephen J. McFarlane
STEPHEN J. McFARLANE
M.B.A., J.D., LL.M. (Tax)
Stephen J. McFarlane is a tax attorney who practices in the areas of probate, estate administration, estate planning, trusts, wills, and general business transactions, including: business formation of LLCs, partnerships and corporations. He has been associated with large Phoenix firms for the past 10 years and in January 2005, together with his partner Richard W. Bredernann, formed the law firm of Bredemann & McFarlane, PLC.
The firm focuses in the areas of probate, estate planning, business, and tax solutions, including:
- Mr. McFarlane has achieved several post-graduate degrees emphasizing estate planning, business law, tax law, business management, accounting, finance, and marketing. He holds a Masters Degree from Boston University in Tax Law (LL.M. (Tax)), a Juris Doctorate from the University of Puget Sound (J.D.), and a Masters Degree in International Business Administration from Thunderbird - The International Graduate School of Management (M.B.A.).
Mr. McFarlane is licensed to practice in Arizona and Washington State, before the U.S. Tax Court, the Arizona Tax Court, and the U.S District Courts in Arizona and Colorado. As a former IRS Litigation Attorney, in the 1990s, he tried over 40 cases before the US Tax Court. In private practice, Mr. McFarlane focuses on Estate Planning, Probate Litigation, Conservatorships and Guardianships. From 1997-2001, he was the Assistant Editor of The Journal of Arizona Taxation (a monthly publication concerning Arizona tax cases, issues, and administrative proceedings). He lectures on tax and business topics to attorney groups and CPAs. He is active in the Arizona State Bar Association where he is liaison with the U.S. Tax Court. He sits on the Executive Committee for the Tax Law Section of the Arizona Bar Association, and is a member of the Business Law Section of the Arizona Bar Association. He is also a member of the College of Estate Planning Attorneys (CEPA), the American Bar Association, the Scottsdale Bar Association, the East Valley Estate Planners Association, and the Phoenix Chapter of the Thunderbird Alumni Association.
Areas of Practice
- Estate & Gift Tax
- Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney
- Probate, Probate Controversy/Litigation
- Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Tax Controversy, Tax Planning, Lien Release, Offers in Compromise
- Property Tax Appeals, State & Local Tax
- Business Formation, LLCs, Corporations, Partnerships, Contracts, Pre-nuptial
- Buy & Sell Agreements, Non-Compete Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements
- Tax Return Preparation
- Individual, Estate & Gift, Fiduciary, Partnership, Payroll and Sales (Use) Tax
Litigation Percentage
- 10% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certified Legal Specialties
- Masters Degree in Tax Law (LLM, Tax), Boston University, School of Law, 1990
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1997
- Washington, 1990
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 2003
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2003
- U.S. Tax Court, 1990
Education
- Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- LL.M. - May, 1990
- Honors: Taxpayer Assistance Program
- Law Journal: Journal of Taxation
- University of Puget Sound School of Law, Tacoma, Washington
- J.D. - May, 1989
- Honors: Moot Court
- Thunderbird - The American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale, Arizona, USA
- M.B.A. - June, 1981
- Honors: Vice President, Student Association
- Major: Finance
- Major: International Marketing
- Major: International Business
Published Works
- Assistant Editor, Journal of Arizona Taxation, 2001
- Assistant Editor, Journal of Arizona Taxation, 2000
- Assistant Editor, Journal of Arizona Taxation, 1999
- Assistant Editor, Journal of Arizona Taxation, 1998
Classes/Seminars
- Tax Aspects of Entity Selection, Harris Trust Bank, 2005 - 2007
- Family Limited Partnerships, Family Wealth Counselors, 2003 - 2005
- Tax Controversy With the IRS, College of Estate Planners, 2003 - 2004
- Choice of Entity, Seminar to Attorneys and CPA's, 2006
- Are Family Limited Partnerships Still Viable?, Seminar to Attorneys and CPA's, 2006
Past Employment Positions
- Morrill & Aronson PLLC, Tax Attorney, 1998 - 2003
- Beus, Gilbert & Morrill, Tax Attorney, 1997 - 1998
- Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, Tax Attorney, 1990 - 1995
- Daisy & Ertl Manufacturing, International Director, Marketing & Sales, 1981 - 1986
Ancillary Businesses
- Tax Return Preparation (Individual, Estate, Gift, Sales, and Use Tax)
Languages
- French
