Law School for Finance Executives (E2501184)

Steven A. Loeb is a member with Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC's Corporate & Securities, Tax, and Trusts & Estates Groups. Bringing more than 15 years of experience and a keen understanding of the ever-evolving tax environment, he is a seasoned advisor in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation, charitable planning, marital planning, and nonprofit formation and counseling. In addition, Steven is adept at addressing the needs of his individual and corporate clients on matters involving asset protection, domestic and international tax planning, and corporate transactions – including spin offs, mergers, and divestitures. 

Steven is an advisor to high-net-worth individuals and businesses on sophisticated estate planning and administration issues affecting wealth preservation. He assists clients in implementing such strategies as marital deduction trusts, credit shelter trusts, life insurance trusts, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), Supplemental Benefits Trusts, Limited Partnerships, LLCs, and Dynasty Trusts. Steven counsels fiduciaries on the duties related to managing an estate or trust and provides legal advice on probate proceedings, preparing estate and inheritance tax returns and handling disputes involving complex legal and tax issues.

Steven also advises on the complex estate and tax planning issues that can affect clients' marriages and family-related tax issues. He regularly crafts prenuptial agreements, and assists matrimonial lawyers with the tax and estate planning aspects of divorce. 

Steven represents closely-held businesses and other privately-owned firms, helping them develop and implement tax minimization strategies that address present needs as well as long-term objectives. He counsels business owners on issues relating to formation, operating agreements and shareholder agreements, financing, growth, insurance needs and corporate compliance issues arising from pre-transaction planning related to a future sale of a business, as well as viable exit strategies. Steven also organizes and advises all types of nonprofit entities – including private foundations and public charities – advising on substantive laws and tax rules relating to their tax-exempt status. He works closely with his clients to ensure that tax planning is comprehensive and seamless; and that tax issues are addressed as part of the greater business plan. In addition to his business entity representation, Steven represents business executives on a personal level, providing guidance and counsel related to their contracting and employment needs. 

Steven is a frequent lecturer before numerous professional associations on the topics of estate planning, tax minimization, asset protection and corporate law. He has been featured in several publications including The New York Times, Standard Federal Tax Reports, The Daily Record and New Jersey Monthly.

Melissa Salimbene is an experienced employment litigator and trusted advisor. For her litigation practice, Melissa regularly represents public and private employers of all sizes and industries before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in all aspects of employment litigation, including defending claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour issues. Melissa also brings and defends restrictive covenant claims involving trade secrets, confidentiality agreements, non-compete agreements and other postemployment obligations. In addition, Melissa regularly counsels business owners and human resources professionals in order to ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and obligations. This includes advising her clients on employee hiring, discipline and termination, classification issues, necessary policies and procedures, wage and hour requirements, ADA accommodations, leaves of absence and other workforce anagement issues. In connection with this advice, Melissa prepares employment elated documents, including employee handbooks and policies, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements and separation agreements. Melissa also represents individuals in negotiating employment agreements and separation agreements. Melissa conducts internal workplace investigations on employment related issues such as claims of harassment and discrimination, and she provides trainings to employees including sensitivity and anti-harassment training. Melissa also advises clients on employment issues that arise in the context of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, downsizing and reorganization. This includes due diligence, as well as negotiation and preparation of employment related agreements.

Frank Xavier Wukovits practices with the firm’s Tech, Privacy, & Data Innovations and Corporate & Securities Groups. Frank dedicates his practice to working with entities at the intersection of law, business, and emerging technologies, ranging from startups, emerging growth companies, private companies, and Fortune 500 companies to private equity funds, venture capital funds, corporate VCs, family offices, and angel investors that invest in those companies.

Frank works with entities across the entire corporate life cycle, including strategic planning and decision making prior to formation, governance, corporate counseling, venture capital, debt and equity financings, series funding, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and integration.

Frank’s passion is rooted in helping clients identify, assess, adopt, and benefit from advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence. This includes guiding entities in the development, deployment, acquisition, and use of products and services that incorporate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automated processing Frank also enjoys guiding clients on complex matters involving corporate compliance, cybersecurity, privacy, integration, analytics, and digital forensics. Among other things, this includes identifying and mitigating risks to an organization’s core business functions, leading vulnerability, and risk assessments, investigating and responding to data breaches, protecting organizational assets and systems, and implementing effective security protocols, policies, and procedures. Frank also negotiates and drafts agreements involving application development, end user licenses, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), secure cloud computing, mobile computing, information technology, data licensing, e-commerce, AdTech, marketing tech, insurtech, and healthcare with service providers, vendors, partners, developers, business associates, manufacturers, suppliers, customers, and other entities.

Frank’s speaking engagements include seminars and presentations for board members, executives, in-house counsel, managers, industry experts, attorneys, and law students in the realm of mergers and acquisitions, artificial intelligence, data security and privacy, risk management, current and trending issues, threat analysis, cost benefit analysis, and compliance.

Prior to joining CSG Law, Frank litigated complex disputes in federal, state, appellate, and arbitration proceedings ranging from contract disputes to class actions and federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) claims. While in law school, Frank served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Esther Salas, United States District Court, District of New Jersey, as well as the Honorable Thomas J. Walsh, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Civil Part. Frank also interned for the Federal Trade Commission, the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Section of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, and a Fortune 500 company ranked as one of the world’s largest IT management services firms.

Frank received his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law, with a concentration in Data Privacy & Security; Master of Engineering from The George Washington University – School of Engineering & Applied Science, with a concentration in Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance; and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colgate University.