Charlie Steel is a Corporate and Tax attorney in Manning Fulton’s Durham office, bringing more than five decades of experience advising clients on complex tax, estate, and transactional matters. His practice centers on tax controversies, estate planning and administration, and high-value business and financial transactions, with a strong track record of securing favorable outcomes in high-stakes matters before the United States Tax Court, U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He has carefully planned for the transfer of assets for numerous high net worth clients and has handled large and complex estate administrations.
Charlie regularly represents individuals, business owners, and high-net-worth families in complex tax disputes and sophisticated wealth transfer planning. He has guided clients through major estate planning initiatives and administered large, multi-faceted estates, combining technical precision with practical, client-focused counsel. His transactional experience includes like-kind exchanges, tax credit structuring for New Markets and historic preservation projects, mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions, and complex asset acquisitions.
Charlie is a recognized leader in the tax and legal community. He previously served as Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Tax Section Council, President of the Durham County Bar Association and the 14th Judicial District Bar, and as a planning committee member for the J. Nelson Young Tax Institute at the University of North Carolina School of Law. He is also listed in the “Red Book” of qualified bond lawyers and has served as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel, and general counsel for state agencies issuing tax-exempt financing.
An active member of the Durham community, Charlie currently serves as Chancellor of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, is a member and past president of the Durham Rotary Club, and volunteers with the “Wills for Seniors” program. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, named to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, and holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating.