Caroline D. Ciraolo
District of Columbia
Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP
601 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Suite 620
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 443-845-4898
Email:
cciraolo@kflaw.com
Web:
www.kflaw.com
During her tenure with the Justice Department, Caroline was actively involved in all aspects of Tax Division operations and responsible for approximately 500 employees, including more than 360 attorneys in 14 civil, criminal and appellate sections. Under her leadership, the Division reached agreements with 80 Swiss financial institutions that admitted to facilitating tax evasion and the avoidance of reporting requirements by U.S. account holders, and imposed and collected more than $1.36 billion in penalties, increased civil and criminal enforcement with respect to offshore tax evasion, employment tax violations, and traditional tax offenses, assisted the IRS through summons enforcement proceedings, and engaged in affirmative and defensive litigation involving abusive tax shelters and schemes, refund claims, and challenges to statues and regulations.
Prior to joining the Department, Caroline was Chair of the Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group of a regional firm in Baltimore, Maryland, where she represented individuals and businesses in all phases of state and federal civil tax controversies and criminal tax investigations and prosecutions.
She has been recognized by Chambers (Tax Fraud (Nationwide), Tax (DC)), Benchmark, Best Lawyers in America (Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law), Super Lawyers (Top 10 Attorneys in Maryland, Maryland cover story in 2013, DC), Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards (Best in Tax Dispute Resolution) (2014), and The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence. Caroline is a recipient of the ABA Section of Taxation’s Janet Spragens Pro Bono Award, and in January 2017, she was recognized by IRS Chief Counsel William Wilkins with the Chief Counsel Award, the highest honor that can be conferred by that office.
Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP has built a national reputation as the law firm of choice for clients facing high-stakes negotiations and controversies with government agencies. Our attorneys have unparalleled experience in tax controversies, white collar defense and regulatory matters, and as a result handle the most challenging, complex and sensitive cases. An important part of the firm’s practice includes tax and estate planning and representation in government procurement and government contracting.
In 2018, we were honored as Tax Team of the Year by Chambers USA. The award highlights our strength in the tax controversy sphere and highly regarded work on criminal tax cases, as well as our expansion to a new office with top-level talent in Washington, D.C.
We are skilled attorneys who approach each matter strategically — based on decades of litigation experience. Our partners are regularly sought out as teachers and lecturers and we literally wrote the book on civil and criminal tax controversies.
Our attorneys have served as former senior leaders of the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Department of Justice and other prosecutors’ offices. Several of our attorneys have masters’ degrees in taxation and/or have served as federal judicial law clerks.
Our personalized attention to each client is unparalleled. Our clients, large and small, have immediate access to our partners and to our most senior attorneys. The firm focuses on providing value to its clients, and is sensitive to the balance between cost and benefit inherent in every legal assignment. As a result, the firm has the depth and flexibility to add attorney strength as the needs of the client or matter demand.
Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP is well known for its creative strategies and tenacious advocacy and has enjoyed extraordinary success achieving favorable results for clients.
“Caroline Ciraolo is a strong choice for complex criminal and civil tax controversies. She brings to the table her valuable experience as a former employee of the DOJ Tax Division.”