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Tax Expert Steven Cantor Passes Away
Leading tax and estate attorney for wealthy Latin American individuals.
BY JOACHIM BAMRUD
Cantor Group founder Steven Cantor died last week. He was 66.
Cantor was considered one of the top legal advisors for high net worth individuals in Latin America in international tax and estate planning and repeatedly ranked by Latinvex as one of Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers.
Peers remember him not only for his expertise, but also warm personality.
“I was very saddened when I found out that Steve had passed away,” says Jaime Aleman, a former Panamanian ambassador to the United States and a partner at Panamanian law firm Aleman, Cordero, Galindo & Lee, who knew Cantor for 30 years. “What I'll always remember about him will be his ever present smile, his energy and his kindness.”
Jaime Carey, Managing Partner of Chile’s top law firm Carey & Cia, calls Cantor “an icon of private client legal services.”
“We were very sadly surprised with Steve’s sudden passing,” he says. “He was an icon of private client legal services and an important member of many legal organizations. We will certainly miss him.”
Sergio Michelsen, a partner at Colombian law firm Brigard & Urrutia, also singles out Cantor’s mix of professionalism and warm personality.
“Steve was a very good Trust & Estate lawyer and we will miss him,” he says. “His departure saddens all of us. I had the opportunity of working with Steve on several occasions for the past 20 years. He advised several of my clients in a very professional way. We will miss his profound sense of duty coupled with good humor and commitment to his clients.”
Sean McWeeney, a partner at Bahamas law firm Graham Thompson, singles out Cantor’s close ties with the Caribbean country.
“Steve Cantor was an extraordinary gentleman and lawyer,” he says. “He was held in high regard in The Bahamas not only for his considerable prowess as a U.S. tax and estate-planning specialist but also because of his great affection for The Bahamas and its people, especially his many colleagues and friends in the legal and financial services community here. My own professional experiences with Steve were uniformly satisfactory. He was a lawyer of great learning, intelligence and resourcefulness. He knew his stuff. Although a U.S. trained lawyer, he was conversant with Bahamian trust and succession law to an impressive extent.”
McWeeney also praises Cantor’s efforts at boosting The Bahamas and its trust sector.
“Steve was a true believer in The Bahamas and its financial services industry,” he says. “Over the years, he introduced important new business to The Bahamas and was a particularly enthusiastic supporter of the trust legislation of The Bahamas, believing it to be second to none. This confidence in The Bahamas as an international financial services jurisdiction was consistently revealed in Steve’s many writings and speeches and in the moral support that he so generously gave to the Bahamas branch of STEP from its inception.”
And like other attorneys who worked with Cantor, McWeeney praises his personality.
“Steve was also a kind and thoughtful individual who made friends easily. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a polished raconteur. He would light up a room with the warmth of his personality and the delightful quality of his conversation. Like so many others here in The Bahamas, I shall miss him.”
Aleman, who met Cantor right after he had set up his law firm, says he stood out by his deep understanding of the intricacies of complex legal issues.
“It was a pleasure to refer clients to him, because one knew that they would be well looked after,” Aleman says. “Everyone I introduced to him became his client and lifelong friend. Steve was hard working, intelligent, honest, tenacious and charming, but more than anything he was an outstanding human being and an unconditional friend. His spirit will remain with us forever.”
Following Cantor’s death, Cantor Group business will continue with its partners Kathryn von Matthiessen (named one of Latin America’s Top 100 Female Lawyers by Latinvex), Arthur J. Dichter and Sarah Jacobson, the firm announced.
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