Sahel Ahyaie Assar

Sahel is the Leader of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC’s Blockchain and Digital Assets Practice Group where she develops, monitors, and assesses the legal needs of clients with respect to all things blockchain, crypto, and digital assets.

Sahel is also an international tax attorney at the firm and has been practicing for more than 20 years in the areas of tax and wealth management.

Sahel is a seasoned international tax lawyer, well-versed in the legal needs and legal issues of relevance to large international families and entrepreneurs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia with U.S. connections. She has extensive experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) and their closely held business interests and real property holdings with respect to international cross-border tax planning (inbound and outbound), international trusts and estates for families of substantial wealth, and compliance with U.S. tax reporting requirements such as assistance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). In addition, Sahel assists individuals with respect to reporting matters before the IRS, including representation in matters pertaining to the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program(s) and the IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures, among others. Sahel is recognized as a thought leader on matters pertaining to taxation of cryptocurrencies.

Sahel enjoys tennis, skiing, horseback riding, reading, the arts and culinary endeavors. Had she not become a lawyer, she would have pursued a career as a writer or an art expert in Old Masters.

Prior to joining Buchanan, Sahel was a Senior Wealth Planner with Credit Suisse Group in Zurich, Switzerland, and a Supervising Senior Tax Specialist at KPMG LLP, Washington National Tax in the Mergers & Acquisitions group.