Criminal Defense: White-Collar Litigation and Controversy - Tax Tax Law
Bryan C. Skarlatos
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2005 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
For more than thirty-five years, Bryan C. Skarlatos has represented corporations and individuals in sensitive matters, many of which involve negotiation or litigation with government agencies. He has significant experience in federal and state tax audits, appeals and litigation, criminal tax investigations, and white-collar criminal prosecutions. Mr. Skarlatos also has an active practice providing tax and estate planning advice.
Mr. Skarlatos is often retained to evaluate the strength of tax positions for tax and financial reporting purposes and to advise on potential remedial actions. He counsels corporations and individuals from around the world on how to come into compliance with U.S. tax law, and he has handled hundreds of voluntary disclosures involving both domestic income and foreign assets.
Mr. Skarlatos is an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law where he teaches a course on tax penalties, and he created and co-chairs the annual New York University Tax Controversy Forum, which brings together representatives from the government and expert private practitioners to discuss issues related to tax compliance and enforcement.
Mr. Skarlatos has been hired by foreign and state governments, and several other clients, to provide expert testimony on tax penalties. He has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee as an authority on tax penalties, and he has testified before the Internal Revenue Service regarding the IRS whistleblower law. Mr. Skarlatos was retained by Senator Charles Grassley, the drafter of the IRS whistleblower law, to write an amicus brief on behalf of the Senator in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Chambers and Partners has ranked Mr. Skarlatos in its top tier of lawyers in the U.S. for Tax Fraud in its USA Guide and for Tax: Private Client in the agency’s High Net Worth Guide. Chambers USA Guide has described Mr. Skarlatos as having a “smart reassuring presence with insight into the government….[He is] extremely knowledgeable and very well connected to the various tax authorities.” The High Net Worth Guide notes that Mr. Skarlatos “is a brilliant lawyer,” “has a ton of experience,” “has excellent judgment,” and “is very pragmatic and very dedicated to his clients.”
He also has been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New York, and Best Lawyers in America has twice named Mr. Skarlatos “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Litigation in New York.
Overview
- Penn State Dickinson School of Law, J.D., graduated 1985
- New York University, LL.M Taxation, graduated 1991
- Penn State Dickinson School of Law, Juris Doctor, graduated 1985
- New York University School of Law - Adjunct Professor
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- New York University School of Law - Adjunct Professor
- Penn State Dickinson School of Law, J.D., graduated 1985
- New York University, LL.M Taxation, graduated 1991
- Penn State Dickinson School of Law, Juris Doctor, graduated 1985
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax, New York City (2025)
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax, New York City (2017)
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax, New York City (2014)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax
- Tax Law
Special Focus:
- Litigation
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Mr. Skarlatos obtained a sentence of less than ninety days time served for a client accused of one of the largest art fraud cases
Mr. Skarlatos obtained a sentence of less than ninety days time served for a client accused of one of the largest art fraud cases in history. The case is now the subject of the Netflix documentary Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art.
- Mr. Skarlatos obtained Deferred Prosecution Agreements from the Department of Justice for three Swiss financial institutions
Mr. Skarlatos obtained Deferred Prosecution Agreements from the Department of Justice for three Swiss financial institutions as part of the Swiss Bank Voluntary Disclosure Program.
- Mr. Skarlatos successfully avoided indictment for several witnesses
Mr. Skarlatos successfully avoided indictment for several witnesses in regulatory investigations into trading practices at large financial institutions.
- Mr. Skarlatos represents a large partnership in a withholding tax audit
Mr. Skarlatos represents a large partnership in a withholding tax audit involving more than $50 million paid to foreign payees.
- Mr. Skarlatos represents several professional firms in connection with material advisor and promoter penalty audits
Mr. Skarlatos represents several professional firms in connection with material advisor and promoter penalty audits and has successfully settled some of those matters for little or no penalties.
- Mr. Skarlatos has represented many individuals accused of money laundering
Mr. Skarlatos has represented many individuals accused of money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act violations.
- Mr. Skarlatos represents several whistleblowers
Mr. Skarlatos represents several whistleblowers who have reported to the IRS Whistleblower Office many billions of dollars in unpaid income taxes.
- Mr. Skarlatos represented a well-known businessman in a Tax Court
Mr. Skarlatos represented a well-known businessman in a Tax Court case in which the IRS claimed more than $130 million in taxes and penalties relating to alleged personal benefits from related-party transactions and settled the case for pennies on the dollar.
- Mr. Skarlatos represented a famous politician
Mr. Skarlatos represented a famous politician from a foreign country who was indicted in the United States for allegedly depositing stolen money in a bank account in New York.
- Mr. Skarlatos represented a hedge fund manager
Mr. Skarlatos represented a hedge fund manager against whom the IRS attempted to impose a multi-million dollar tax-fraud penalty and successfully avoided imposition of the penalty.
- Mr. Skarlatos has been hired by private equity funds to represent their portfolio companies in connection with various federal tax issues
Mr. Skarlatos has been hired by private equity funds to represent their portfolio companies in connection with various federal tax issues. Mr. Skarlatos obtained a sentence of probation for the owner of a construction company who was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for criminal tax evasion.
- Mr. Skarlatos helped an investment fund avoid tens of millions of dollars of penalties
Mr. Skarlatos helped an investment fund avoid tens of millions of dollars of penalties relating to its failure to withhold taxes on payments to U.S. taxpayers.
- Mr. Skarlatos convinced the United States Attorney’s Office to withdraw a filed indictment
Mr. Skarlatos convinced the United States Attorney’s Office to withdraw a filed indictment against a real estate developer who had not filed income tax returns for many years.
- Mr. Skarlatos successfully resolved the audit of a wealthy investor
Mr. Skarlatos successfully resolved the audit of a wealthy investor who donated a conservation easement on undeveloped land in upstate New York.
- Represented the owner of a large construction company
Mr. Skarlatos’ client, the owner of a large construction company, was cleared of all criminal and civil fraud charges relating to personal expenses charged to his business.
- Mr. Skarlatos negotiated a favorable resolution of civil forfeiture charges
Mr. Skarlatos negotiated a favorable resolution of civil forfeiture charges arising from a client’s alleged money laundering activity.
- Mr. Skarlatos represents hundreds of taxpayers in Voluntary Disclosures
Mr. Skarlatos represents hundreds of taxpayers who have voluntarily disclosed to the IRS over $1 billion in off-shore bank accounts and related income tax liabilities.
- Mr. Skarlatos has represented hundreds of taxpayers being investigated by the Department of Justice for tax-related issues
Mr. Skarlatos has represented hundreds of taxpayers being investigated by the Department of Justice for tax-related issues, including alleged failures to report domestic and foreign income and off-shore assets. Mr. Skarlatos has represented hundreds of taxpayers who have voluntarily disclosed to the IRS well over $1 billion in off-shore bank accounts and related income tax liabilities.
- Mr. Skarlatos represents several individuals who are being civilly audited or criminally investigate
Mr. Skarlatos represents several individuals who are being civilly audited or criminally investigated by the IRS in connection with crypto-currency investments and transactions.
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