Peter James Yanowitch has been a licensed attorney in Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C. for well over thirty years. During that time he has acted as an outside general counsel for countless entrepreneurs, family businesses and high net worth families with cross border lifestyles. He has successfully managed and/or resolved a wide variety of issues for these families such as real estate purchases and sales, commercial real estate development, asset protection, trust and estates, and even civil litigation. He does so with his characteristic holistic approach with a proactive and aggressive style. He founded “Maestro” to serve the highly specialized advisory needs of international high net worth families, entrepreneurs, and companies.
South Florida has become a preferred locale and the focus of both domestic and international investors. From the distance of their home states and in many instances home countries, it is very difficult for clients to manage their US investments and luxury lifestyle from afar. Mr. Yanowitch addresses this vexing problem by offering a holistic approach general counsel approach. A “one stop shop” of integrated multi-specialty US based advisors. In one fully integrated platform, Peter Yanowitch will manage a client’s residential and commercial real estate purchases, overcome US immigration issues, support business expansion to the US, provide US tax and estate planning, and provide offshore structuring, and even luxury lifestyle support.
Mr. Yanowitch’s longstanding dedication and commitment to support non-US investors has been featured in many well-known publications. Moreover, Mr. Yanowitch has been a frequently invited speaker by family office and trust company conferences on US real estate investment, business oriented immigration visas, and estate planning. Mr. Yanowitch also has contributed articles about US investment, immigration, and tax planning in the e-magazine he co-founded called “Passport Miami”.
Peter James Yanowitch is “AV” rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, both for professional competence and ethical conduct, which is the highest rating of that legal rating organization.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I am up early and typically exercise and then start returning emails and working through my list of calls and/or assignments. I have a small lunch and then head back to work. I take a break in the late afternoon for a second session of exercise, followed by dinner. I then deal with kids’ sports practices, followed by an hour or two of work in the late evening.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I require extensive thought percolation. The more I can just think and ruminate, the better. I may reach out to a colleague for input on the rough concept for feedback. I think and then think some more. Eventually, I put the ideas together in a brief white paper. I then set up an action agenda list and quarterback the implementation.
What’s one trend that excites you?
That the more digital the world becomes, where emails and texts predominate communications, the more the need and importance of nondigital, in-person human connection and communication remains.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Passion and enthusiasm for an idea I believe in.
What advice would you give your younger self?
“Nothing in life represented to you by others is as it seems” and “go deeper to understand where reality lies.”
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
We live in what some call the “information age” where, ironically, masses of people have no interest in gathering and analyzing information, even when that information is important to understand for their self-interest and that of their family.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Spend more time happily being alone in your thoughts and do not fire then ready, aim.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Get away and exercise, so I can relax and think more clearly and gain perspective.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Finding something that I believe in and, once fueled by that sense of vision, working and developing it and overcoming the obstacles one after another.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Being involved in business ventures involves more failures than successes. All too often, it is because a partner or vendor fails to deliver their work product as promised. While the idea for the venture may have seemed great to you and your team, the public always has the ultimate vote on its success. If a venture fails, it is important to learn lessons and conduct a failure analysis for yourself and not to simply accept the perspectives or explanations of others. When that is complete, to gain distance and perspective, forgive yourself, re-energize, reinvent yourself, and search for another project to believe in and pursue anew.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
The Word software program because it enables me to edit what I write, and I enjoy and believe in the benefits of the editing process and refining my message.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Elie Wiesel’s books about the Holocaust moved me in understanding the limitless evil of mankind.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I enjoyed the Queen’s Gambit for the swirl of drama created around a board game.
Key learnings
- The best investment you will ever make is in yourself.
- An intense daily routine with multiple breaks for rigorous exercise can yield both mental and physical benefits.
- Giving sufficient time to fully bake ideas and analyze and anticipate different scenarios helps bring opportunities to life.
- Once you believe you have fully thought through your concept, understand that you haven’t and spend double the time thinking some more.
- The importance of nondigital interpersonal communication skills endures and overcomes, even with the coming AI and the next leap in the digital age.