Community Outreach & Education
North Star Law Firm is committed to strengthening our community through free legal and financial education.
Legal and financial problems don't start in a courtroom or an IRS office. They start with a missed tax filing that snowballs into penalties. A business formed under the wrong entity structure. A family that doesn't understand what happens when a parent dies without a will. A small business owner who doesn't know the difference between an employee and an independent contractor until the IRS sends a bill for the misclassification. By the time most people call a lawyer, the damage is already done.
North Star Law Firm believes that the most effective legal work happens before there's a legal problem. That's why we offer free educational presentations to community organizations, churches, nonprofits, schools, and professional groups throughout the Houston area. We don't charge a fee, and we don't use these events to sell legal services. We show up, we teach, and we answer questions — because a community that understands its legal and financial rights is a community that makes better decisions.
Our founder, Phillip Zagotti, is a licensed attorney and CPA with over 20 years of experience in tax, bankruptcy, business law, and forensic accounting. He is the co-author of Trusted: The Essential Guide for Trustees and a national speaker on tax controversy, trust administration, and financial literacy for attorneys and CPAs through LexVid's continuing legal education platform. The same expertise he brings to professional audiences is available to your organization at no cost.
What We Offer
We provide free, in-person and virtual educational presentations on legal and financial topics tailored to your organization's audience. Each presentation is designed to be practical, accessible, and relevant — we explain the law in plain language, give your audience actionable takeaways, and leave time for questions. Our goal is education, not solicitation.
Presentations typically run 30 to 60 minutes depending on the topic and format, with a Q&A session following. We're flexible on scheduling and can accommodate daytime, evening, or weekend events depending on your organization's needs.
Sample Presentation Topics
We tailor each presentation to your audience, but here are some of the topics we cover most frequently:
For Individuals and Families
What To Do When You Owe the IRS and Can't Pay — An overview of the options available to taxpayers facing IRS collection, including installment agreements, offers in compromise, currently not collectible status, and innocent spouse relief. We explain how the IRS collection process works, what rights taxpayers have, and what steps to take before the situation gets worse.
Understanding Bankruptcy: Is It Right for You? — A plain-language explanation of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, what debts can be eliminated, what property is protected under Texas law, and how to evaluate whether bankruptcy is the right path versus other options like debt negotiation or restructuring.
What Every Family Needs to Know About Trusts and Estate Planning — An introduction to how trusts work, what happens when someone dies without a plan, the responsibilities that come with being named as a trustee, and the tax implications that families need to understand. Based on our book, Trusted: The Essential Guide for Trustees.
Protecting Yourself During Divorce: The Financial Side — What to know about community property in Texas, how business interests and retirement accounts are divided, the importance of understanding the real financial picture before agreeing to a settlement, and when forensic accounting matters.
For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Choosing the Right Business Entity — A comparison of sole proprietorships, LLCs, S-corporations, partnerships, and C-corporations, with a focus on the tax consequences of each structure and the most common mistakes business owners make when forming an entity.
Payroll Tax Compliance: What Every Employer Needs to Know — An overview of federal payroll tax obligations, the trust fund recovery penalty, worker classification issues (employee vs. independent contractor), and what happens when payroll taxes aren't paid. This topic is particularly relevant for restaurants, construction companies, staffing agencies, and any business that relies on hourly labor.
Tax Season Preparation for Small Businesses — Practical guidance on recordkeeping, estimated tax payments, deductible expenses, and common audit triggers. Designed for business owners who want to stay compliant and minimize their tax burden without getting into trouble.
What To Do When Your Business Is in Financial Trouble — An overview of the options available to struggling businesses, from informal workouts and debt restructuring to Subchapter V small business bankruptcy. We explain when it makes sense to fight through the downturn and when it's time to consider a more formal process.
For Professional Groups
We also present continuing education content for attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, and other professionals. Phillip Zagotti is a contracted CLE/CPE instructor with LexVid and regularly delivers courses on tax controversy, trust administration, forensic accounting, and bankruptcy topics. If your professional organization is looking for a qualified speaker on these subjects, we welcome the opportunity.
Organizations We Work With
Our community education program is available to any Houston-area organization with an educational mission and an existing audience. We've found that our presentations are most valuable to:
Churches and faith-based organizations are hosting financial literacy events. Nonprofit organizations serving individuals and families facing financial hardship. Community development organizations and neighborhood associations. Small business development groups and entrepreneur networks. Chambers of commerce and professional associations. Schools and universities are hosting career days or financial awareness programs. Libraries and community centers offering public programming.
We ask only that the organization provide a venue, promote the event to its members or community, and ensure that the presentation is open to attendees at no charge. We handle everything else — the content, the materials, and the presenter.
How to Request a Speaker
If your organization is interested in hosting a free legal or financial education presentation, we'd like to hear from you. Tell us about your organization, the audience you serve, the topic or topics you're most interested in, and your preferred dates and format. We'll work with you to develop a presentation that fits your group's needs.
There is no cost and no obligation. We do this because we believe that access to legal and financial education should not depend on whether someone can afford to hire an attorney. The more people understand their rights and options, the better decisions they make — and the fewer legal crises they face down the road.
Strengthening Houston, One Community at a Time
North Star Law Firm was founded in Houston's Energy Corridor on the belief that personal and financial freedom is the foundation of success. That belief extends beyond the clients we represent. We believe the entire community benefits when individuals and business owners understand the legal and financial systems that affect their lives. Our community education program is one way we put that belief into practice.
If you know an organization that could benefit from a free presentation on tax rights, bankruptcy options, business formation, estate planning, or financial literacy, please pass this page along or contact us directly. We're here to help.
