Our Team
- Neil D. KatzManaging Partner
- Lara R. ChwatPartner
- Alyssa DanzigerAssociate
- Varun KathaitAssociate
- Elyssa D. KaplanAssociate
Meet Our Firm
Katz Chwat, PC is a firm forged out of years of experience and commitment to high standards of client service and professional excellence. The firm’s partners joined together to bring their experience to a firm that can provide a comprehensive package of services to clients to protect their legacy and plan for their future, the future of their families and their businesses. We represent individuals and small, closely-held and family-owned businesses who are seeking sound legal advice from attorneys who can guide them through sensitive legal issues relating to tax, business transactions, estate and succession planning, elder law (including special needs planning, Medicaid, and guardianships), or probate and trust administration. We pride ourselves on providing practical, hands-on, personalized advice to our clients and educating them about their legal needs to help them to reach their business and personal goals. If you are:
- An individual or business taxpayer who is under audit by the IRS or NYS/NYC Tax Department, or owes taxes for previous years
- An individual or business looking for tax advice on a particular transaction
- Someone interested in developing an estate plan to preserve your legacy and protect your family’s future
- A child struggling with an elderly parent’s financial, legal or long-term care issues
- A parent anxious about the future care of your special needs child
- A business owner concerned about a smooth transition to the next generation of owners
- A family member of a deceased loved one seeking to understand what is needed to administer an estate
- An executor of an estate or a trustee of a trust overwhelmed with your fiduciary responsibilities
- An individual or group wishing to form a new business, seeking to acquire, merge or sell a business, or needing business agreements or business tax planning
We can help.
Our Team
Neil D. Katz
Managing Partner
Neil D. Katz is the Managing Partner of Katz Chwat, P.C. A respected member of the legal profession, he is responsible for the administration of the firm’s overall practice. In addition, he serves as KBC’s lead attorney for all tax matters, corporate and tax planning and business sales and acquisitions. He also lends his assistance in many sophisticated estate planning matters. Neil specializes in federal and state income tax issues, as well as in matters relating to corporate, partnership, estate and gift taxation.
Lara R. Chwat
Partner
Lara R. Chwat is a Partner of Katz Chwat, P.C. Her areas of practice include Federal and State tax matters, Business Transactions and Estate Administration. Lara guides clients facing Federal, New York State and New York City tax audits through the often confusing and nerve-wracking audit process. If the client’s tax issue is not resolved at audit, Lara represents her clients before the Appeals Office of the Internal Revenue Service, the New York State Bureau of Conciliation and Mediation Services (BCMS), or, when necessary, in Federal Tax Court or at the Division…
Alyssa Danziger
Associate
Alyssa Wanser is an Associate at Katz Chwat, P.C., practicing predominantly in the areas of trusts and estates and corporate law. Alyssa worked with Neil Katz and Lara Chwat at Katz, Bernstein & Katz before joining them at the new firm. She works with the firm’s partners helping clients with their estate planning documents and estate administration matters, as well as aiding with corporate documents for the firm’s business clients.
Varun Kathait
Associate
Varun Kathait is an associate with Katz Chwat, P.C., handling all stages of Federal and State criminal and civil tax matters. He counsels clients on audits, tax controversies, penalty issues, and foreign and domestic voluntary disclosures. He also assists in advising clients about the tax consequences of corporate, partnership, estate and gift taxation matters.
Elyssa D. Kaplan
Associate
Elyssa D. Kaplan is an associate at Katz Chwat, P.C., where she practices in the areas of estate planning, tax law and estate administration. She predominantly focuses on the administration of estates of various sizes as well as estate planning with an emphasis on asset protection strategies for Medicaid purposes. In May of 2017, Elyssa received her Juris Doctor from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. Prior to attending law school, Elyssa received her undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Law from Binghamton University in 2014, which is where…
Blog
On June 21, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided North Carolina Department of Revenue v. Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust, holding that The Due Process Clause does not permit a state to tax a...
A guardianship may not only be a useful tool in many situations, but for some it may be the only option. A guardianship is an arrangement where the court appoints a person to make various...
On May 29, 2019, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance released Technical Memorandum TSB-M-19(1)S highlighting some of the Sales and Use Tax changes enacted in the 2019-2020 NYS Budget. One such item...
