Contact Information:
Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C.
9302 Lee Highway, Suite 1100
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Direct dial: (703) 218-2177
Facsimile: (703) 218-2160
Email Wayne
Biographical Information:
Wayne M. Zell is a principal in Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, P.C. and a member of the firm’s Trust, Estate and Tax Planning and Corporate, Securities, Tax & Finance practice groups. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and has spent his legal, public accounting and business advisory career counseling clients in a broad range of industries, including technology and government contracting companies of all types and sizes and investors and investor groups. His clients also include for-profit and non-profit executives, service providers and high-net worth individuals.
Wayne has extensive experience in representing clients in complex estate planning, tax and business planning matters. On estate planning matters, Wayne routinely advises clients in structuring and preparing intricate revocable and irrevocable trusts, family limited partnerships and limited liability companies, life insurance vehicles, charitable giving arrangements (including charitable lead and remainder trusts), private and public foundations and grantmaking programs, asset protection planning, joint ventures with tax-exempt organizations, and compensation and equity incentive plans for executives.
On tax and business planning matters, Wayne represents the owners of closely-held businesses on general business, tax and business succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, private equity fund formation and operation, equity and debt investments and executive compensation matters. He also represents key employees of publicly traded and privately held entities in planning for the receipt and disposition of stock options, restricted stock and synthetic equity (e.g., phantom stock and stock appreciation rights).
Prior to joining OFP, Wayne was the founder and president of Zell Law, an estate and business planning boutique. In addition, Wayne practiced as an attorney and as a CPA with a variety of law firms and public accounting firms. He also served as General Counsel and CFO of YellowBrix, Inc., an internet content provider and enterprise software developer. Previously, he was a partner with Mintz Levin; Powell Goldstein; Freedman, Levy, Kroll & Simonds; and O’Connor & Hannan. He also was a Senior Manager in the Washington National Tax Service Office of Price Waterhouse, specializing in tax-exempt organizations and flow-through entities, including partnerships, limited liability companies and trusts, and has practiced as an attorney since 1985 and as a CPA since 1980.
Wayne has received an AV rating, the highest rating granted by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent law directory and attorney rating service. In 2010, Wayne was recognized among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” in Virginia Business magazine and in 2006, Wayne was named one of the Washington, DC area’s “Legal Elite” by SmartCEO Magazine. He is a frequent lecturer on estate and business planning topics and hosts a popular educational radio talk show – Blueprint for Wealth – every Saturday from 10-10:30am on 1500AM and 820AM. He also writes a monthly column for the Washington Business Journal entitled Blueprint for Wealth on tax, business and estate planning topics of interest. Wayne currently serves as Chairman of the Northern Virginia Family Service Gift Planning Advisory Council and volunteers monthly at NVFS’ SERVE food distribution center. From 1991 to 2005, he served as an Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Charities Foundation, Inc. in Washington D.C., which hosts the annual BB&T Classic Basketball Tournament. He is a member of the Taxation Section and the Exempt Organizations Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.
Practice Areas:
- Business and Commercial Law
- Business Organizations
- Business and Succession Planning
- Corporate Finance Law
- Corporate Law
- Estate and Trust Administration
- Estate Planning
- Mergers and Acquisition
- Partnership Law
- Probate and Estate Administration
- Securities Law
- Taxation
- Trusts
- Wealth Preservation and Asset Protection
- Wills
Education:
- J.D., The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, 1985
- B.S., Commerce (Accounting Concentration), University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce, 1980
Professional Activities:
- Fairfax Bar Association
- Virginia State Bar Association – Business and Taxation Sections
- Maryland State Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- American Bar Association – Taxation and Business Law Sections
- Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants
Community Activities:
- Chair, Northern Virginia Family Service Gift Planning Advisory Council
- Volunteer, SERVE
- Host, Blueprint for Wealth radio show, 1500AM, 820AM, Saturdays, 10-10:30am
- Columnist, Washington Business Journal
- Teacher, Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation
Awards/Honors/Distinctions:
- BNA Law Student Award
- 2005 SmartCEO Smart CPA
- 2006 SmartCEO Legal Elite
- Named one of Virginia’s Legal Elite for 2010, Virginia Business Magazine
Admitted to Practice:
- Maryland
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court District of Maryland
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Tax Court