Ep. 205 – Building a Tax Firm with Passion and Precision (with Pietro Canestrelli)

From the IRS to Entrepreneur: How One Lawyer Built a National Tax Practice Focused on People First

Ben sits down with Pietro Canestrelli, a former IRS attorney turned boutique tax firm founder, to unpack how he built a thriving national practice with one clear mission: take the fear out of taxes.

With a niche focus on tax controversy and strategic tax planning, Pietro’s firm now serves clients across the U.S. and beyond—growing from two employees to 20+ in under 10 years. He’s also the author of America’s Tax Defender, a story-driven look at his years inside the IRS and why he chose to walk away.

🔍 Inside this episode:

• How Pietro turned his IRS insider experience into a competitive advantage
• The 3 tax domains every business owner should understand
• Why passion and compassion guide every client interaction in his firm
• How to market a niche practice by cultivating long-term referral partnerships
• What solo and small firm owners are getting wrong about tax planning
• His firm’s 3-stage hiring process—and how it keeps culture and client service aligned

📘 Bonus: Check out Pietro’s book, America’s Tax Defender, available on Amazon.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Ben Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury and long-term disability insurance attorney in Fairfax, VA. Since 2005, Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing have been helping solo and small firm lawyers make more money, get more clients and still get home in time for dinner. We call this TheGLMTribe.com

What Makes The GLM Tribe Special?

In short, we are the only organization within the "business builder for lawyers" space that is led by two practicing lawyers. 

One thing we're sure you've noticed is that despite the variety of options within our space, no one else is mixing
the actual practice of law with business building in the way that we are.

There are no other organizations who understand the highs and lows of running a small law firm and are engaged in talking to real clients. That is what sets GLM apart from every other organization, and it is why we have had loyal members that have been with us for two-decades.