Robert A. "Pete" Seale
Mr. Seale is a partner in the Vorys Houston office and a member of the taxation group. His primary practice is concentrated in assisting closely held private businesses and high net worth individuals structure business and estate plans. He routinely works with accountants, life insurance professionals, investment advisors, fiduciaries of estates trusts as well as executives of charitable organizations in addressing legal issues confronting these professionals, including succession management. Mr. Seale has extensive experience in partnership and limited liability company planning for various businesses, including real estate and real estate development, oil and gas, banking and equipment leasing.
Career highlights include:
- Lead U.S. legal counsel on a major natural gas exploration and development project in Sicily, with development funding provided by a publicly traded French firm.
- Coordinated U.S./international aspects of copper projects in South Africa and Argentina, one of which resulted in the merger of a closely held private firm with a NYSE company.
- Served as executor and trustee (1977-1995) of large estate that owned more real property than any governmental entity in Harris County, Texas.
- Lead counsel in tax free division of corporations and partnerships pursuant to sections 355 and 755 of the Internal Revenue Code. Assets in the divisions and spinoffs involved holdings in oil and gas, timber and rice milling, plus developed and undeveloped real estate. Tax free aspects of these transactions were approved by Private Letter Ruling issued by the IRS.
- Lead counsel in recapitalization of leading private Houston Bank placed under supervision of state and federal bank examiners and subsequent successful sale of bank post-recapitalization.
- Obtained favorable decision from Administrative Law Judge in hearing conducted by telephone to determine whether opposing party qualified as a “small business” for SBA purposes. Decision permitted client, a pipeline construction firm, to immediately begin construction of portion of Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
- Coordinated successful re-structuring of factoring firm after operating officers dismissed for running a “Ponzi Scheme.” Investors recovered 100 percent of funds invested plus interest.
Mr. Seale was formerly of counsel at Liskow & Lewis and a partner of Phelps Dunbar, both in Houston. He also was formerly a partner of Vinson & Elkins, where he was chair of the Personal Tax and Estates Section. He is a member of the Tax and Real Property, Probate and Trust Sections of the ABA and the Tax and Business Law Sections of the Texas Bar Association. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Law, a life member of the Texas Bar Foundation and a sustaining life Fellow of the Houston Bar Association.
He has served on the boards of directors of numerous organizations, including one of the largest private banks in Houston. Currently he is a member of the University of Texas Health Science Center Development Board and is chair and trustee of The Lyons Foundation. Mr. Seale also serves as Advisory Trustee to The Paul M. Hebert School of Law at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Tax Law, 2007-2012
- The Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estate Law, 2007-2012