Robert Stephen Barnett

Robert S. Barnett, CPA, Esq., is a founding partner of Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP, Attorneys at Law.  His practice is highly concentrated in the areas of taxation, trusts, estates, corporate and partnership law and charitable planning.  His experience includes Surrogate’s Court practice, tax dispute resolution in both Federal and State jurisdictions, and Tax Court representation.  Mr. Barnett frequently assists clients in structuring financial transactions and charitable gifts.

Mr. Barnett applies creative and practical solutions to estate and business planning.  He has served on many committees and is a frequent lecturer on numerous aspects of tax and business law.  He is a member of the Professional Advisors Committee of the Long Island Community Foundation and of the American Heart Association and is active on both the estate and tax planning committees of the New York State Society of CPAs.  Mr. Barnett has written articles on numerous aspects of estate and tax planning and is a frequent contributor to the New York State CPA Journal, The New York Law Journal, and other publications.  His articles and lectures encompass a wide variety of topics, including business succession, estate planning, generation-skipping, stock options, effective strategies for removing tax liens, proper utilization of the marital deduction and utilization of partnership elections. Mr. Barnett serves on the Nassau County Bar Association’s Academy of Law and is Co-Chair of the Tax Committee. He is the Vice President and an Executive Board Member of the Nassau Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs.  He is President of the Educational Foundation of the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners and Chairman of the Education Committee.

Mr. Barnett has extensive expertise representing clients with unreported foreign assets, including failure to file FBAR forms. He has advised clients in all facets of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, including penalty minimization strategies and options.

Mr. Barnett received his juris doctor in 1986 from Fordham University, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the Fordham Law Review.  He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in accounting . Mr. Barnett holds a Master’s degree in taxation as the recipient of the highest dean’s award.   Mr. Barnett is admitted to practice law in New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C.