Find Lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts for Tax Law
Practice Area Overview
The structure of a transaction can significantly affect its tax consequences, and very small changes in structure or in the underlying facts can have enormous tax significance. Tax lawyers design structures with those consequences in mind, while also taking into account the parties’ commercial goals, timing issues, and any other legal or accounting considerations. The tax treatment of some transactions — such as a “spin-off,” where a company distributes subsidiary stock to its shareholders — is highly complex, and tax lawyers may assist clients in obtaining confirmation of their transactions’ tax consequences from the IRS in the form of a private letter ruling.
Tax lawyers also review and negotiate the terms of the transaction, ensuring that the legal agreements implement the deal in a manner consistent with its intended structure. The agreements also govern the relationship between the parties. They may help the parties understand the intended tax treatment, identify certain tax exposures, and allocate responsibility between the parties for any taxes that may apply.
Tax lawyers also work with clients to determine the most tax efficient manner of carrying on ongoing business operations, taking into account federal, state, local, and international tax considerations.
On occasion, tax-related disputes arise between the parties to a transaction or with the IRS or another taxing authority. Tax lawyers may represent clients in administrative proceedings, private settlement negotiations, or litigation related to these controversies.
Tax lawyers are responsible for providing technical advice and analysis, but must fully understand the overall business transaction in order to do so. The best lawyers give advice in a way that is clear, thoughtful, and business-minded. Tax lawyers need to be closely involved in a transaction from the very beginning and throughout the transaction, in order to be able to give the best advice on an ongoing basis and to be able to modify the structure, if necessary, in response to any changes to the business terms of the transaction.
Stephen L. Gordon, Partner
Andrew W. Needham, Partner
Lauren Angelilli, Partner
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Sue Abbott, a partner in Goodwin’s Trusts & Estate Planning practice, is the chair of the firm’s Exempt Organization group, former chair of the firm's Higher Education practice, and a member of the firm's Impact and Responsible Investing practice. She focuses her practice on tax-exempt organizations, probate and trust law, and estate planning, with a particular emphasis on charitable planning. She advises tax-exempt organizations on issues related to their formation, operation...
Richard’s clients operate in virtually every industry, including the tech, energy, financial, health, retail, and restaurant industries. He has spoken at the State Tax Roundtable for Utilities & Power (STARTUP) and Restaurant Industry Sales Tax Audit Professionals (RISTAP) annual meeting. Richard also works with individuals regarding personal income tax issues such as residency. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/call-richard-c/
Joel is co-managing partner of Sullivan. He is particularly experienced in the tax structuring of complex business and investment arrangements using partnerships, limited liability companies and Subchapter S corporations. He advises a broad range of private and institutional investors, including real estate investment firms, on a wide variety of U.S. federal income tax matters, including in connection with fund formation matters, the acquisition and disposition of property, structuring debt a...
Howard Cubell is a member and former chair of the Tax practice at Goodwin. Mr. Cubell’s practice focuses on the development of innovative tax strategies for various domestic and international business transactions and collective investment vehicles, with particular emphasis on representing private equity sponsors in acquiring, disposing of and recapitalizing portfolio companies. Mr. Cubell has represented TA Associates in a multitude of transactions over a period spanning 35 years.
Chris has a wide-ranging practice, which has included everything from sophisticated estate planning to multi billion dollar mergers and acquisitions. His primary experience has been in representing family or employee owned businesses and their shareholders in all aspects of federal income, gift and estate taxation. Chris also has substantial experience in the taxation of mutual funds and private investment vehicles.
Ed Glazer is a member of Goodwin's Tax practice and its nationally recognized Real Estate Capital Markets and Real Estate Industry groups. He focuses principally on structuring and implementing tax-oriented commercial transactions of all types, including real estate and venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions, pension investments in real estate involving issues of unrelated business taxable income, leveraged financings, and workout and debt restructurings. Mr. Glazer regularly ...
John concentrates his practice in tax-exempt organizations, estate planning, sophisticated charitable giving, private foundation tax planning and the unrelated business income tax. He has also lectured extensively in the tax area. John has helped organize and establish the qualifications for numerous private and public foundations and other charitable organizations including schools, medical research, religious, social welfare and cultural organizations.
David concentrates his practice in employee benefits and executive compensation. With respect to benefits, David is experienced in the design, implementation and administration of welfare and fringe benefit arrangements and qualified retirement plans (including 401(k) plans and ESOPs) for large and small employers, retirement distribution planning for individuals and the design and implementation of nonqualified deferred compensation and equity compensation arrangements for public and private...
Lawrence Hunt counsels clients throughout the estate planning process, educating and guiding them through the various options that address their unique circumstances in order to realize their goals of transferring their wealth and values to the next generation. He regularly assists clients in communicating their wishes to their children and families, often participating in family discussions. Larry advises clients on using wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and incapacity documents such...
Rich is the leader of Sullivan’s Tax Group. He concentrates on state tax and local tax (SALT) litigation and transactional planning involving corporate, personal income and sales/use tax matters. He has more than two decades of experience before the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, the Supreme Judicial Court, various state Departments of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service on a range of issues, including corporate nexus, domicile, apportionment, step transaction, and unitary repo...
Marguerite’s practice focuses on advising U.S. and non-U.S. fund sponsors regarding the tax aspects of forming and operating private investment funds, including credit, buyout, venture capital, secondary and funds of funds, as well as on advising fund sponsors regarding their internal economic arrangements. Marguerite also advises various types of institutional investors in their investments in private investment funds and represents buyers and sellers in secondary transactions. In the ...
Forrest Milder is one of our lead tax partners when it comes to tax credits and other tax-advantaged investments. He has a national practice that emphasizes the development of renewables, affordable housing, historic and new markets tax credit projects as well as resolving disputes with the IRS. What do you focus on? “Outside-the-box” solutions My practice emphasizes structuring and bringing to closure many kinds of tax-advantaged projects, both for investors and those who need th...
Michael E. Mooney is Nutter's managing partner. A tax attorney, he maintains an active tax and business practice. Michael represents corporations and other businesses in a broad range of domestic and international tax issues. He advises clients on all aspects of complex business combinations and divestitures, such as tax-free corporate reorganizations and spin-offs. Michael also assists individuals with personal tax planning and works with businesses and individuals in designing and implement...
Phil is a tax attorney focusing on state and local tax consulting and litigation. He has over 25 years’ experience litigating and resolving major tax controversies before courts and administrative boards. While he has a successful track record of litigating cases, he has also successfully and discretely resolved hundreds of cases short of trial. His experience spans just about every area of state and local tax, including corporate income, sales and use, personal income, estate, real and...
Ameek is director of Sullivan's Tax Department and a former member of the firm's Management Committee. His practice includes domestic and international taxation, with an emphasis on mergers & acquisitions and REIT transactions. Ameek is nationally recognized for his work in REIT conversions and REIT cross-border matters. He has represented public and private REITs in an array of real property sectors, both domestically and abroad, including: business storage facilities; cold storage facil...
A member of Rubin and Rudman’s Executive Committee, Robert Vigoda focuses his own practice on high net worth families in areas such as estate planning, administration, and business succession for family owned businesses. Rob has been recognized for his experience, imagination, and strong sense of service. Rob represents some of the most financially successful entrepreneurs and families in the country. His proactive approach to identifying and implementing practical strategies has preser...
Caroline has an extensive tax controversy and litigation practice representing taxpayers in front of federal and state taxing authorities at all levels of the audit, controversy and litigation process. Caroline has significant experience representing both individual and business clients before the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, and in helping life science and technology clients navigate Massachusetts’ state and local tax landscape. Caroline also has in-depth federal tax controversy ...
Liam Murphy is a tax partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Liam advises public companies and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on the tax aspects of complex domestic and cross-border business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, spin-offs, restructurings, public offerings and other financings. Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Liam Murphy was an associate in Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s Tax De...
Ryan provides sophisticated estate planning to closely-held business owners as well as high net worth individuals and family offices by implementing tax-efficient intergenerational wealth transfer strategies, which include the use of split-interest trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts, limited liability companies and family limited partnerships. Ryan counsels trustees and personal representatives in the a...
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