Debbie Klis is a partner in the Business and Financial Services Department and serves as the Practice Chair of the Investment Management and Fund Formation Group handling all aspects of fund formation and compliance, investment adviser registration and compliance and related securities issues.
Debbie specializes in transactional matters across a broad array of business, securities and tax issues. She represents corporations, investment banks and multinational financial institutions, funds, investment advisers, municipalities, investment companies and banks. Debbie specializes in all aspects of investment management including the formation and operation of hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, oil and gas funds, EB-5 immigration investment funds and international master-feeder structures. She represents equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and both registered and unregistered funds in connection with issues under the Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934, the Investment Adviser Act (including new form ADV and implementation of Dodd-Frank changes), the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Commodity Futures Act.
Debbie is a member of the Alternative Public Offering group, which specializes in reverse mergers, PIPEs and SPACs, as well as public and private securities offerings, including public offerings, major high-yield transactions and investment-grade debt offerings. Her experience includes global equity offerings with multi-million dollar deal values. In the case of private placements of securities, she has represented underwriters and issuers on the private placement of common and preferred stock, limited partnerships interests, secured and unsecured senior and subordinated debt, medium term notes, convertible securities and equity derivatives.
Debbie also advises domestic, international and multinational clients in connection with tax issues concerning investments and fund formations, financial products and derivatives, partnerships, real estate, stock option plans and exempt organization issues. She handles regulatory and tax controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service and advises clients on federal and state tax credits including the New Market Tax Credit, the Rehabilitation Tax Credit and various Energy Tax Credits and syndication deals.
Debbie is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from crowd funding, raising angel money and venture capital to writing business plans. Debbie graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor's Degree in Neurological Psychology and received her law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. Debbie earned an LL.M. in Taxation at Georgetown University Law Center. She is an active volunteer with many non-profit entities in the Washington, D.C. metro area and is a member of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. On December 16, 2009, under Debbie’s leadership, Shulman Rogers became one of first Montgomery County businesses certified under the county's new Green Business Certification Program.
News
Publications
- Taxation of Policy Acquisition Expenses, Legal Horizons Magazine, Summer, 2002
- Taxation of Split-Dollar Arrangements Changes Again, Legal Horizons Magazine, Summer, 2002
- To Amend or Not to Amend: Will the Statute of Limitations Protect Your Tax-Exempt Client?, The Report Journal, Federal Bar Assoc., Taxation, 1999
- Redefining Business Hedges: Examination of IRS Regulations and Suggestions for Reform, Accepted for Publication, Tax Notes, Spring, 1996
- Reforms to Criminal Defense Instructions, 24 Golden Gate UL Rev. 1311, Spring, 1994
- Go/No-Go Discrimination Task in Medial Septal Lesion Rats, Brain Research Bulletin, Vol. 4,, Spring, 1991
Events
- Crowd Funding for Business Development
January 31, 2012 - Rockville Women's Business Center
November 3, 2011 - Keep it Legal
May 10, 2011 - How to Write Business Plan
October 26, 2010 - ACTiVATE has a new home - join us in the celebration!
May 25, 2010