Jay R. Nanavati - Lawyer in Washington, DC

Jay R. Nanavati is an accomplished litigator, a former federal tax prosecutor, and a founding partner of Kostelanetz Finks Washington, D.C., office. He has developed an enviable record of success in persuading the government to terminate investigations of his clients and in defeating the government in court.

Mr. Nanavati maintains a nationwide practice, focusing on white-collar criminal defense with an emphasis on tax-related matters. He represents individuals and entities facing investigations and prosecutions by the IRS, the FBI, state investigative agencies, U.S. Attorneys offices, and the Department of Justice Tax Division. His clients rely on his ability to analyze cases from the governments perspective and trust his sound judgment to guide them through their most difficult challenges.

Mr. Nanavati spent more than a decade as both a federal and a state prosecutor. He supervised more than 30 federal tax prosecutors and oversaw criminal tax enforcement for a region covering 22 states. He is a veteran trial lawyer, having conducted dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench trials.

Mr. Nanavati is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, a member of the ABAs Section of Taxation, Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee, as well as of the ABAs Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, and a member of the Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court.

From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Nanavati assisted the White House Office of Presidential Personnel in a pro bono capacity by vetting potential presidential appointees for possible tax-related problems.

Background

Department of Justice Tax Division, Assistant Chief for the Western Criminal Enforcement Section, Counsel to the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters, Trial Attorney

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney for Fairfax County, Virginia

Law Clerk for Chief Judge Hector M. Laffitte of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

Speaking Engagements

Panelist, The U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020: Strengthening AML Enforcement Abroad While Closing Loopholes at Home, Bahamas Financial Services Board, June 2021

Panelist, PPP Loan Fraud, Quinnipiac Universitys 4th Annual Criminal Tax Day, June 2021

Featured Speaker, Theres A Perfectly Reasonable Explanation For That, Financial Crimes? Dirty Money Stories Podcast, May 2021

Speaker, Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Enforcement, Bahamas Financial Services Board, Nassau, Bahamas, November 2020

Panelist, Financial Crimes Enforcement, Compliance and Risk Mitigation Workshop, Bahamas Financial Services Board, Nassau, Bahamas, February 2020

Panelist, A World of Lies: The Truth Behind the Tax Protestor Arguments, 3rd Annual Criminal Tax Day, North Haven, Connecticut, May 2019

Panelist, Technology in Tax Enforcement, 43rd Annual Tax Law Conference, Washington, D.C., March 2019

Speaker, Global Tax Enforcement: Compliance and Risk Mitigation (Part II), Bahamas Financial Services Board, Nassau, Bahamas, November 2018

Panelist, Global Tax Enforcement: Compliance Risk Mitigation, Bahamas Financial Services Board and Association of International Banks Trust Companies, Nassau, Bahamas, November 2017

Moderator, Civil and Criminal International Tax Enforcement Update, Paramus, New Jersey, June 2017

Panelist, Nuts and Bolts of Criminal Tax, ABA Tax Section Mid-Year Meeting, Orlando, Florida, January 2017

Panelist, Top Tips for Criminal Tax Cases, ABA Criminal Tax Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, December 2016

Panelist, The United States as a Potential Tax Haven: Foreign Assets and Potential Money Laundering Exposures for Lawyers and Other Gatekeepers, White Collar Practice Seminar, Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2016

Speaker, Civil and Criminal Enforcement of Employment Tax Laws, Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Richmond, Virginia, September 2016

Speaker, The Role of Legal Privileges in Sensitive IRS Examinations, Virginia Society of Enrolled Agents, Richmond, Virginia, August 2016

Speaker, Global Tax Enforcement in 2015, Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Richmond, Virginia, December 2015

Panelist, Disclosure In a Criminal Prosecution: Are You Getting What You Should Have?, ABA Tax Sections National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud Tax Controversy, Las Vegas, Nevada, December 2015

Moderator, Foreign Bank Accounts and Black Money? Recent Legal Developments in the U.S. and India on Foreign Account Tax Compliance (FATCA), Corruption, and Offshore Accounts, U.S. India Business Council, Washington, D.C., June 2015

Panelist, The U.S. Governments Global Crackdown on Tax Evasion: Where It Has Been and Where It Is Going, Orlando, Florida, June 2015