Firm News

Capes Sokol is pleased to announce that Laura Al-Shathir, David V. Capes, Sara G. Neill and Michelle F. Schwerin have been selected to the Missouri Lawyers Weekly (MLW) 2021 POWER List for Tax Law, a list identifying the 26 most powerful tax attorneys in Missouri.

The MLW editorial team interviewed respected attorneys and other leaders around the state, reviewed outcomes of significant cases, and consulted their archives to select its POWER List of Tax Attorneys.

Laura E. Krebs Al-Shathir

Laura Al-Shathir serves as tax and corporate counsel to businesses in a variety of industries. As special tax counsel, Laura represents clients in income tax and in sales and use tax controversies throughout the United States. She assists corporations, partnerships, and individuals in resolving complex tax controversy matters at the examination level, in IRS appeals, in the U.S. Tax Court, and in making voluntary disclosures. With a background in international tax, she represents clients in resolving tax compliance issues related to foreign income and assets. Laura is an elected Fellow of both the American College of Tax Counsel and the American Bar Foundation.

David V. Capes

David V. Capes has continuously been recognized as one of the top white collar criminal defense attorneys in St. Louis. For over 40 years, David has concentrated his practice in tax and white-collar criminal matters. David is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and spent several years early in his career as a federal prosecutor for the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Sara G. Neill

Sara is the Chair of Capes Sokol’s Tax Controversy and Litigation Practice Group.  She represents clients in civil and criminal tax disputes and litigation. Sara was recognized as the St. Louis “Litigation and Controversy—Tax Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America^®in 2015 and 2018. In addition, she is the immediate past-president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and an adjunct professor at Washington University Law School where she co-teaches, “Tax Fraud Prosecutions.”

Michelle F. Schwerin

Michelle represents individuals and businesses in a variety of civil and criminal tax matters. She is an adjunct professor in the Masters of Forensic Accounting program at the Walker School of Business & Technology and will join the Washington University School of Law faculty as an adjunct professor in the LL.M program this fall. Michelle is a Certified Public Accountant and Chair of the St. Louis Chapter of Missouri Society of CPAs. She holds leadership roles in the Criminal and Civil Penalties Committee of the American Bar Association, Section of Taxation.