Our Team

Yiyan Cao

Principal

Yiyan Cao, Esq. has over fifteen years of experience as a U.S. tax and Trust and Estate attorney, advising corporations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals on complex cross-border business, investment, and tax matters spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Central America.

Her practice encompasses tax controversy and dispute resolution before the IRS and U.S. Tax Court, as well as international structuring and planning of onshore and offshore corporate, trust, and fund vehicles.

She provides comprehensive planning advice to ultra-high-net-worth families on their global assets, integrating tax-efficient wealth accumulation and generational transfer planning, asset protection planning, and sophisticated life-insurance strategies to support long-term wealth accumulation and preservation, philanthropy, and family legacy goals.

Education - Ms. Cao obtained her Bachelor of Laws from Tsinghua University School of Law in Beijing, China. She received her U.S. law degree from UCLA School of Law.

PRC Law Experience - Before U.S. law practice, Ms. Cao practiced law in Shanghai, China, as an associate for top-ranked law firms, counseling China-based large corporations and foreign companies investing or operating in China.

Dispute Resolution and Tax Controversy Experience - Ms. Cao successfully represented clients before the IRS and the U.S. Tax Court, achieving favorable settlements and rulings that cumulatively resulted in over USD 20 million in abated taxes and penalties. She successfully represented a client in a voluntary disclosure proceeding involving over USD 200 million in undisclosed foreign financial assets, securing full civil and criminal protection. She also successfully represented a family with more than USD 20 million in undisclosed foreign income, obtaining a complete civil and criminal resolution.

Inbound Investment by Non-U.S. Persons – Restructured the existing holding structure of a prominent California real estate asset (purchase price exceeding USD 100 million) to minimize U.S. income tax during operations and upon exit—including FIRPTA planning—and to mitigate long-term U.S. estate tax exposure.

High- and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Advisory – Designed and implemented sophisticated estate and gift tax planning vehicles, including onshore and offshore trusts, charitable structures, estate freeze techniques, and other tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies for UHNW families holding assets in the U.S. and Asia. Her experience spans foreign grantor/non-grantor and other trust structures, GRATs, IDGTs and similar techniques for high-growth or pre-liquidity planning, charitable vehicles such as private foundations and charitable trusts; and estate freeze and insurance-based strategies to promote tax-efficient wealth accumulation and generational transfer efficiency. In addition to advising on traditional investments, she has extensive experience structuring wealth transfer and asset protection strategies involving alternative investments, closely held companies, and crypto-related assets.

Sector Expertise - Ms. Cao advises traditional industrial businesses, cutting-edge AI and biotech ventures, and both traditional and crypto fund general partners on income tax planning and compliance.

For Pro Bono work, Ms. Cao counsels Tsinghua Alumni Association of Southern California. She also counsels other non-profit organizations and young first-time entrepreneurs in her spare time.