Cara Howe Santoro

Cara Howe Santoro is a private wealth services attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston and Stamford offices. Ms. Santoro advises charitable and other nonprofit organizations on myriad issues that nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations face on a daily basis.

Ms. Santoro works with new charitable entities on formation, establishing good governance and obtaining tax-exempt status. She advises existing charitable organizations on tax compliance, structuring complex charitable gifts and grants, and adopting best practices for running a charitable organization. She has significant experience working with private foundations and public charities on issues such as self-dealing, private benefit, taxable expenditures and minimum distribution requirements, fundraising and managing and investing tax-exempt funds.

In addition, Ms. Santoro also assists donors with developing and implementing their philanthropic goals in a tax-efficient manner, including through the use of various charitable giving vehicles such as charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts.

She also works with individuals on personal tax planning, and helps family businesses to operate and provide for intergenerational transfers in a tax-efficient manner. She is well-versed in partnership and S corporation tax.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Santoro was an attorney in the private clients group of a boutique private wealth law firm in Stamford, Connecticut. During law school, she was an associate editor of the Fordham Urban Law Journal and was a finalist in the Mulligan Competition of the Fordham Moot Court.