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Riea and Steve |
Since his graduation from the college in 1977, Steven Lainoff's highly successful professional trajectory has been one that would make any Wildcat proud.
Over the course of his career, Steve has moved from private practice to government to business, with notable contributions in each sphere.
With his wife Riea, Steve moved from New Jersey to Arizona to attend the College of Law. Steve quickly found his passion for tax law.
Like many Wildcats, Steve recalls a particular faculty member who shaped the course of his career. It was Arthur Andrews, he says, who spurred his interest in the field of taxation and "is more responsible than anyone for the lawyer I became."
After graduating, Steve worked as an associate with an international tax firm in New York. He then was hired by the U.S. Treasury Department and there coordinated the international elements of the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
An internationally recognized leader in corporate tax, debt capitalization and internal restructuring, he later served as partner-in-charge of the Washington, DC, office of the global tax firm KPMG. In 2008 and 2010, Steve was named a "Best of the Best" tax advisor by Legal Media Group's Expert Guides.
Steve retired from KPMG last year. He and Riea travel extensively, both personally and to visit their three children, Caitlin, Brian, and Mark, and one grandchild. Steve and Riea are also dedicated to philanthropy and nonprofit service.
Steve now serves on the Finance and Investment Committee of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in Bonn, Germany and as the chair of the Development Committee of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, having just rotated off the board of Rhodes College.
The College of Law has also benefitted greatly from Steve's time and talents. He has served on the Board of Visitors and in 2014 was an executive-in-residence at the college, interacting extensively with students and faculty. He currently chairs the Dean's Economic Council, which he describes as a group of alumni who have run organizations, businesses, professional firms, and advise on the business side of the issues facing the College of Law, including, for example, international growth, marketing, and new programs.
Steve's expertise and leadership is invaluable to the college and to me.
We will present Steve with the Alumni of the Year Award at the University of Arizona Alumni Association ceremony on Friday, October 27, at 2:30 p.m. The ceremony is open to the public and I encourage you to attend (
RSVP).