Fran Obeid - Principal

Fran Obeid is the founder of MFO LAW, P.C. She represents individual and corporate clients in civil and criminal matters involving the Internal Revenue Service, state and city tax agencies, the tax division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Attorney General as well as other government agencies.

Ms. Obeid has represented numerous clients residing throughout the world with undisclosed offshore accounts advising on disclosure and compliance alternatives and guiding them through the process. She defends clients in federal and state audits, including residency and sales tax audits and advises on how to prevent such audits.

Ms. Obeid represents non-filers; alleged responsible persons and has successfully obtained significant abatements of penalties. Ms. Obeid has represented individual witnesses and accounting firms before the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Criminal Investigation unit of the IRS as well as before the New York State Attorney General. She regularly interacts with revenue officers and agents, IRS Appeals officers, IRS Counsel, criminal investigators, Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Attorney Generals, taking the right approach to best meet the client’s needs, whether it be defending a civil examination, criminal investigation or indictment, or subpoena demand.

Education

  • New York University School of Law, L.L.M. Taxation
  • Cardozo School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Michigan, Bachelors of Arts

Clerkship

  • Judicial Law Clerk, United States Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman (S.D.N.Y.)

Admitted to Practice

  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Tax Court
  • New York State Courts
  • Southern District of New York
  • Eastern District of New York

Professional Associations

  • Member, American College of Tax Counsel
  • Chair, Personal Income Tax Committee, New York City Bar (2015 – 2018)
  • Member, American Bar Association, Tax Section
  • Master, Federal Bar Council, Inn of Court

Presentations and Publications

  • Panelist: Nuts and Bolts of Tax Litigation: Administrative Process Summary, Choice of Forum, Initiating a Case (American Bar Association, Webinar August 23, 2023)
  • Panelist: Taxation of Cannabis: Entity Selection, Section 280E, Audits and Potential Tax Reform (New York City Bar, July 17, 2023)
  • Panelist: Recent Developments Affecting International Reporting Penalties (15th Annual New York University Tax Controversy Conference, June 9, 2023)
  • Panelist: The IRS Exam: Who Should Deal with the Revenue Agent? (IRS Representation Conference, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, November 17, 2022)
  • Panelist: Non-Filers, SFRs and NODs: Now What? (IRS Representation Conference, Webinar November 19, 2021)
  • Panelist: Navigating the IRS Penalty Abatement Procedures for Foreign Reporting Noncompliance (Strafford Webinar November 23, 2020)
  • Panelist: 433 A, B, D, F & H: Which Form for What Case? (IRS Representation Conference, Webinar November 19, 2020)
  • Panelist: New IRS Tax Collection and Audit Guidance for Taxpayers in Response to COVID-19: Relief for Complex Collection Cases, Strategies for Individuals and Small Businesses, Securing Abatements of Penalties and Interest (Strafford Webinar May 19, 2020)
  • Panelist: IRS Collection & Enforcement Update (ABA Tax Section mid-year meeting, Boca Raton, Florida, January 31, 2020)
  • Panelist: Offers in Compromise and Installment Agreements (IRS Representation Conference, Uncasville, Connecticut, November 22, 2019)
  • Panelist: Taxpayers First Act (IRS Representation Conference, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, November 21, 2019)
  • Quoted: Ins and Outs of Settling With the IRS (Wall Street Journal Sept. 11, 2019)
  • Panelist: FBAR 2019 Update: FinCen Form 114, Deadlines, Extension, Penalty Resolution and Waiver Provisions (Strafford Webinar August 6, 2019)
  • Panelist: Avoiding, Reducing and Mitigating Payroll Tax Penalties (Lorman Webinar July 16, 2019)
  • Panelist: Liens and Levies (American Bar Association Tax Section Webinar June 27, 2019)
  • Panelist: Offers in Compromise (New York University 11th Annual Tax Controversy Forum, New York, New York, June 21, 2019)
  • Panelist: Navigating the IRS Penalty Abatement Procedures for Foreign Information Reporting Noncompliance (Strafford Webinar March 13, 2019)
  • Panelist: IRS Collection and Enforcement Update (Fifth Annual New England IRS Representation Conference, Uncasville, Connecticut, November 30, 2018)
  • Panelist: Optimizing Client Intake and the Initial Client Relationship (New York City Bar, November 19, 2018)
  • Author: Collecting More with Less: How the Federal and State Governments Are Expanding Their Use of Tax Compliance Tools (Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure August – September 2018)
  • Panelist: Collecting More with Less: The Government’s Use of Private Agencies and Passport Revocations to Collect Tax Debts (New York University 10th Annual Tax Controversy Forum, New York, New York, June 21, 2018)
  • Author: Passport Revocation Begins For Seriously Delinquent Tax Debt (New York Law Journal January 29, 2018)
  • Moderator: The Hot Tax Issues of 2018: Tax Reform and Passport Revocation (New York City Bar, January 10, 2018)
  • Moderator: The Tax Collection Process at the IRS, NYS, NYC and NJ: Hear from the Experts on Your Rights and Obligations (New York City Bar, January 11, 2017)
  • Speaker: What’s New in the Government’s Enforcement of Undisclosed Offshore Accounts and Updates to the Procedures that Can Help Your Client (June 9, 2016, midtown accounting firm-CPE credit)
  • Panelist: Endless War: The Status of the IRS/DOJ Campaign Against Foreign Assets and Accounts ( ABA Tax Section, Washington, D.C., May 7, 2016)
  • Moderator: How Wynne Affects Personal Income Tax Filings (New York City Bar, Sept. 24, 2015)
  • Moderator: FATCA Issues Now and in the Near Future ( New York City Bar, January 20, 2015)
  • Interviewed: U.S. Taxpayers Renouncing Their Citizenship (Willis Report, Fox Business December, 2013)
  • Quoted: More Taxpayers are Abandoning the U.S.- Year’s Tally for Expatriations Sets Record; Increase Comes Amid Tax Crackdown on Offshore Assets (Wall Street Journal Nov. 13, 2013)
  • Co-Author: Out with the Old and in with the New? Plea Bargaining, DOJ and the Ex Post Facto Clause (19th Annual National Seminar on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (May 2010)
  • Author: The Year of Enforcement Action Against Offshore Bank Accounts (LexisNexis October 6, 2009)
  • Co-Author: Foreign Bank Secrecy Laws: Making Amends with the IRS (New York Law Journal Sept. 3, 2008)
  • Co-Author: For Whom the Bell Tolls: How the IRS Picks Audit Targets (New York Law Journal April 11, 2008)

Contact:

Office: (212) 628-3990
Email: fobeid@mfolaw.com

Super Lawyers 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023