Hap May focuses on business and tax law. He also has significant experience in commercial litigation, real estate law, bankruptcy, business transactions, estate planning, and probate as well as asset protection.
As both an attorney and a CPA, he has held many court-appointed roles over the last 30 years, including serving under the State District Court to help dissolve the affairs of a Houston law firm. He was appointed as arbitrator in a massive real estate case involving more than 300 property owners and a settlement upward of $20 million. He was also appointed by a federal judge as receiver of a perfume manufacturer that was involved in a Ponzi scheme.
Before founding Harold “Hap” May, P.C. Hap began his law career by opening his first law practice in 1991, which he would merge with other partners as well as founding other firms before joining Hoover Slovacek, LLP as Of Counsel in 2011.
Over the years he has served on the Consumer Arbitration Board for the Chrysler Corporation, and was editor for the American Bar Association’s annual report on insurance company taxation. He served as the co-author and lecturer on the Texas Strategies Using Like-Kind Exchanges Professional Systems Institute, Inc. and authored “How to Turn a Haystack Into a Pile of Needles: the Difficult but Surmountable Task of Proving Insolvency,” which was published in the Winter of 2010 edition of the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees.
Education and Certifications:
Rice University – Bachelors of Arts in Economic and Managerial Studies
South Texas College of Law – Doctorate of Jurisprudence, magna cum laude
Recipient of an American Jurisprudence Award
University of Houston Law Center – LLM in Tax Law
Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Commercial Real Estate & Tax Law
Certified by the American Institute of Carried Public Accountants in Financial Forensics
Admitted in:
US District Court of Texas – Southern, Northern, and Eastern districts
US District Court of Ohio – Northern district
US District Court of Colorado
United States Tax Court
US Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
US Supreme Court
Professional Associations:
State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – the Forensic and Valuation Services Section
Texas Society of certified Public Accountants
American Association of Attorney CPAs
Publications & Lectures:
“How to Turn a Haystack Into a Pile of Needles: the Difficult but Surmountable Task of Proving Insolvency”
Winter of 2010 ed., Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees.
Investing in the United States – Not a Matter of Luck
Lecture at the Universidad Tecnológica – Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, and Quintana Roo locations, 2016.
How to Extend Year End, 2017 update
A Continuing Legal and Accounting Education Lecture given at Law Firms and Accounting firms in Houston, 2017.
Solving Problems Created by Federal Tax Liens
A Continuing Legal and Accounting Education Lecture given at Law Firms and Accounting firms in Houston, 2014-2015.
How to Extend Year End
A Continuing Legal and Accounting Education Lecture given at Law Firms and Accounting firms in Houston, 2013-2014.
The 15% Capital Gains Rate: Death of A Line
A Continuing Legal Education Lecture given at Law firms around Houston, 2013-2014.
Texas Strategies Using Like-Kind Exchanges
Lectures at and with the Professional Systems Institute, Inc., 2004-2005.