Christopher R. Zapalski, LL.M.

Profile

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Attorney, tax practitioner & business scholar

Christopher R. Zapalski leads Zapalski Tax and Accounting, the taxation and accounting division of Zapalski Law. A member of The Florida Bar since 2002, he pairs a Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) — a combination that lets him see a client's tax position the way an attorney, an accountant, and a business strategist would, all at once.

For more than two decades Chris has prepared and planned taxes for individuals and businesses, kept books for companies across the country, and resolved difficult matters with the IRS and the Florida Department of Revenue — audits, back taxes, liens, levies, and penalty disputes. Because he is a practicing trial attorney, clients whose tax matters escalate never need to change advisors: the person who prepared the return can defend it, in negotiation or in court, with the protection of attorney-client privilege.

Chris also advises businesses on entity selection, formation, and structure, ensuring that legal, tax, and financial decisions pull in the same direction from day one.

Chris is also a Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) — a designation issued by the Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM) and recognized in FINRA's professional designations directory — and a GAFM Wealth Management Fellow, credentials that bring investment- and wealth-planning depth to the firm's tax and estate work. He has also served as Audit Committee Chairman of a publicly traded company, giving him firsthand experience with governance, financial oversight, and fiduciary duty at the highest level.

He is a member of Hillsdale College's Free Market Forum, a fellowship of scholars dedicated to the study of free enterprise — a commitment to sound economic principles that informs the firm's approach to every client's business and tax strategy.

Credentials & Experience

• Member, The Florida Bar (since 2002)
• Member, Free Market Forum, Hillsdale College
• Juris Doctor (J.D.)
• LL.M. — Master of Laws (advanced law degree)
• D.B.A. — Doctor of Business Administration
• Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) — recognized in FINRA's professional designations directory
• Wealth Management Fellow, Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM)
• Managing Partner, Zapalski Law & Zapalski Tax and Accounting
• Audit Committee Chairman — publicly traded company
• 20+ years of tax preparation, planning & IRS resolution
• Litigation practice in Florida state & federal courts
• Business formation, structuring & advisory