Find Lawyers in America 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
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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...
George Abney offers his clients confident guidance through civil and criminal tax controversy matters. He honed his skills as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice, where he was recognized by former Attorney General John Ashcroft as a Tax Division Outstanding Attorney. George is a partner on the firm’s Tax Controversy Team, whose practice focuses on civil and criminal tax controversy matters. George has significant trial and appellate experience gained from years as a feder...
Bill Acker is a shareholder, director and corporate vice president. He maintains an “AV” peer review rating with Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest peer review rating for attorneys. He was also selected for inclusion in the 2010-2019 issues of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine featuring the top 5% of attorneys in Michigan in the practice area of Estate Planning & Probate. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020 in...
Jolyon Acosta’s practice focuses on private wealth services for high net worth individuals, families, and multi-generational business owners. Mr. Acosta counsels clients in a variety of complex estate and business planning matters related to their wealth management needs. He has extensive experience advising clients on matters involving estate, gift, and income taxes, and routinely assists family businesses in succession and other planning matters. Mr. Acosta represents clients across a...
Glenn A. Adams practices in the areas of corporate and tax law. He advises clients on a variety of business entity issues during the life cycle of the business — beginning prior to formation, continuing as the business grows and succeeds, and forward until the business, or a unit of the business, is liquidated upon sale or other circumstances. Mr. Adams has substantial experience with the formation of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships (including general partnership...
Jay Adams is a partner in the Tax Practice Group and leader of the state and local tax team. Through partnering with his clients, Jay has developed a broad knowledge of the energy, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and retail industries that allows him to provide comprehensive and cost-effective advice in those areas. For more than 25 years, Jay has represented clients in matters involving virtually every type of state and local tax and in numerous jurisdictions. He has successfully ...
Chuck Adler joined the firm in 1993 and became a Partner in 1995. He has a special interest in planning for individuals, families, and closely held businesses. Chuck counsels individuals and families on complex estate, charitable, financial, and retirement planning matters; on estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes; and on the organization and operation of private foundations. He also works with owners of closely held and family businesses on succession planning. Before joining the firm,...
Roger Aksamit serves as the Firm’s Houston Office Leader. In addition, he is a member of the Firm’s Strategic Lateral Hiring Committee and is involved with the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative. Roger specializes in energy and private equity taxation and counsels public, private equity, and closely held clients in mergers and acquisitions, financing, and joint venture transactions, as well as all other aspects of transactional tax matters and planning. He is Board ...
Steven Anderson is the co-founder and President of Anderson & Jahde, P.C. For 17 years Martindale-Hubbell has awarded him its highest, preeminent, rating in legal ability and ethical standards. Mr. Anderson was named one of Denver’s Top Rated Lawyers of 2014 by Legal Leaders in Commercial Litigation, General Practice and Professional Liability. He has served as lead counsel in some of the highest profile tax cases out of Colorado, and elsewhere, including a criminal tax case which t...
With over 40 years of success as an attorney, Jean's extensive knowledge, experience, and integrity in providing preventive counsel and representing clients in the areas of family law, estate planning, probate, civil litigation, and corporate and real estate law, have proven to be the best-in-class. With each client, Jean is laser-focused on securing the best outcome possible and at the same time providing a peace-of-mind to her clients by involving them appropriately along the way. Jean has ...
William F. J. Ardinger is a shareholder and the Treasurer of Rath, Young and Pignatelli, P.C. He serves on the Firm’s Executive Committee and heads the Firm’s Tax Practice Group. Bill focuses his practice on U.S. federal and state tax matters, business transactions, financial and wealth planning, and public policy issues. He assists clients in structuring business transactions in a tax-efficient manner and planning multi-jurisdictional business structures and systems. Bill represe...
Anson H. Asbury is the founder and managing shareholder of the Asbury Law Firm. Anson represents clients in federal and state tax controversies, complex tax litigation, criminal tax investigations and criminal tax litigation. Anson is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and the American Bar Foundation. He is recognized by Chambers USA for his expertise in Tax Litigation. He is rated among the Best Lawyers in America for tax law and has been selected annually as a Georgia Super Law...
Marla Aspinwall concentrates her practice in the tax, ERISA, labor and securities aspects of executive compensation for publicly held, private and tax-exempt organizations, including employment agreements; nonqualified deferred compensation; and equity, retirement, incentive and welfare benefit plans. Ms. Aspinwall has extensive knowledge of insurance-funded executive benefits and estate planning arrangements. She also specializes in the tax and business aspects of agricultural cooperative or...
Mr. August is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. August has been with the firm since 1994. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Bursiness Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude ...
Bill Backstrom is a partner and leader of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. For more than 35 years, he has focused on state and local tax matters in Louisiana and on a multistate basis. Bill provides comprehensive, practical, and solution-focused tax guidance to a broad range of business enterprises. Known for the quality of his counsel, his commitment to client service, and his ability to explain sophisticated issues in clear terms — particularly with respect to Louisiana’s hi...
Scott J. Bakal develops tax-planning strategies for closely held family businesses, partnerships, and publicly held corporations with significant domestic and international operations. Scott works closely with high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurial companies to develop elegant, tax-sensitive approaches to their complex business transactions, financial situations, estate planning matters, and real estate investments, as well as to pursue tax efficiency throughout their ...
Bob Baker's practice focuses primarily on tax structured finance products with emphasis on renewable energy sources and lease financing. Bob’s work in the structured finance products area includes representation of tax-equity investors in wind and other renewable energy projects through partnerships and other investment entities. Bob also represents lessors and lessees in lease finance transactions for a variety of equipment and facilities including aircraft, rail equipment and electric...
Scott Barnes, a Certified Tax Specialist in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office, brings over 48 years of experience to this profession. Scott focuses his practice on limited liability companies and partnerships, like kind exchanges, conservation easements, the tax implications of these situations and state and local property taxation.
John Baron is the lead partner of the Charlotte office’s Federal and International Tax Group, partner-in-charge of the Charlotte office and chair of the partners committee. His practice is principally transactional in nature, and his clients include both domestic and foreign companies and financial institutions, as well as private equity firms, CDOs and hedge funds. He regularly provides tax structuring advice and renders tax opinions with respect to mergers and acquisitions, structured...
Paul Barrus is a member of the firm’s business and finance group. Mr. Barrus also practices in the areas of tax and employee benefits and executive compensation, which includes advising on the tax and benefit aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Barrus also has experience designing and implementing equity incentive plans. Mr. Barrus received his Juris Doctor in 2015, graduating cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law. He received a B.S. in Political Science, cum laude, ...
Gregg Barton, a partner in the firm’s Business practice, has 25 years of experience focusing on state and local taxes principally in Washington (including Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma matters), Oregon and Alaska. His experience includes advising clients with respect to gross receipt, sales and use, net income, ad valorem , real estate excise and public utility taxes, seeking private rulings, handling administrative appeals and litigating in state courts.
Leigh-Alexandra Basha focuses her practice on domestic and international estate and tax planning. She counsels an affluent international client base on a wide range of sophisticated matters, including estate and trust administration, family wealth preservation, tax compliance, as well as business succession, expatriation and pre-immigration planning. Leigh is head of the Firm’s Washington, DC, Private Client Practice Group. Please view more on Leigh-Alexandra's biography here: https://w...
Catherine (Cate) A. Battin represents clients in state and local tax controversies at the audit, administrative and judicial levels in numerous jurisdictions. She provides national state tax strategies for clients on a full range of state tax issues, including income tax apportionment, nexus, combination and sales tax characterization of products and services. She has defended numerous internet sellers in cases brought under the Illinois False Claims Act alleging fraudulent failures to collec...
Tom Baxter is the head of the Estate Planning, Trusts and Estates Practice Group, serves on the firm’s Management Committee and is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Tom focuses his practice on tax planning for individuals and businesses, estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and probate matters. He also represents clients in state and local tax matters, tax controversies, and issues of general business and corporate taxation, including ma...
Robert Beach concentrates his practice in the municipal bonds and corporate finance sector, with a particular emphasis on bond financing for school districts. He represents municipal advisors, underwriters and issuers. He was involved in the largest school financing in the history of Arkansas school boards and has assisted over 98 percent of the school districts issue debt. Bob, a partner in the firm, has been named Lawyer of the Year 2017 by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Little...
Laura Weintraub Beck is Firm-wide Chairman and Managing Director of Cummings & Lockwood. She is based in the Greenwich office. She focuses her practice on estate planning, including business succession planning and planning for real estate holdings, estate administration, probate litigation and trust administration. Laura was formerly the Chairman of Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Group. In addition, she was previously Director of Client Communication for the Private Clie...
Allan C. Bell is Chair of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group. Mr. Bell practices primarily in tax planning for individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, estates and trusts. He brings his innovative, in-depth tax planning experience as well as the ability to analyze, explain and implement sophisticated techniques to his clients. His insight into the government’s interpretations and views on issues allows him to provide efficient and thorough services and work product without t...
Ronald A. Bell is a Director in the Cincinnati Office of Coats Rose, P.C. He maintains a multidisciplinary practice that encompasses capital markets (public finance, asset securitization, and other capital raising transactions), tax credits, and employee benefits/ERISA, executive compensation, and affordable housing. Ron was named to the Best Lawyers in America list 2018-2020, published by Woodward White Inc., for the areas of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Tax Law. Capital Markets Ron mai...
Juan D. Bendeck is certified by the Florida Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice. Juan focuses his practice in estate planning, estate administration and asset protection planning. He formulates and drafts tax-efficient estate plans for his clients, including more advanced and novel estate planning techniques ...
Kristen Bennett is passionate about the law and enjoys helping her clients navigate potentially confusing areas of estate planning, as well as estate and trust administration, with care, understanding and compassion. She keeps abreast of the ever-changing laws that affect her clients so that she can give them the most up-to-date information possible. Practicing in the firm’s Greater Wilmington, Delaware office, Kristen also provides counsel on taxation and tax planning for individuals a...
Vincent J. Beres is a shareholder in the firm's Business Law, Tax and Tax-Exempt Organizations Practices. While Vince's clientele consists of businesses, ranging from partnerships and LLCs, S corporations, closely held businesses and large national manufacturing and service corporations, he also has deep experience as a trusted business and family advisor to individual business owners. Representative Matters and Experience Helping a food manufacturing client in the acquisition, development an...
More than 30 years of experience in tax matters. Navigates legislative challenges to help clients form tax strategies. Structures joint ventures for M&A deals. As chair of Brownstein’s Corporate & Business Department and co-chair of its Tax Group, Greg Berger helps clients navigate tax elements related to corporate transactions and tax policy. He regularly collaborates with his colleagues in the government relations group to represent clients before Congress and Treasury on note...
Michelle Bergeron Spell focuses her practice on estate planning, succession planning and trust and estate administration for domestic and foreign individuals. She has extensive experience in multi-generational estate planning and asset protection. Michelle's clients include high net worth individuals and families for whom she handles such matters as wills, grantor retained interest trusts, generation-skipping trusts, family limited partnerships and living trusts. Michelle has extensive experi...
J ane C. Bergner's practice encompasses a broad range of tax matters, including tax audit and controversy matters; tax collection disputes; innocent spouse issues; civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels; corporate, partnership, business and individual transactional tax planning; the representation of tax-exempt organizations; and estate, gift and wealth planning and probate. Jane is the author of Chapter 50, "Tax Court Jurisdiction, Procedure & Practice," included in the tax t...
Andrew Betaque focuses on the taxation of domestic and cross-border corporate and partnership business transactions. Andrew has extensive experience with the tax structuring of corporate mergers, acquisitions, internal restructurings, tax-free reorganizations, and spin-offs, as well as partnership formations, joint ventures, mergers, and restructurings. He previously served as a principal of Ernst & Young. Please read more here: https://www.winston.com/en/who-we-are/professionals/betaque-...
Mr. Bibart is a founding member of the law firm of Gordon Bibart, LLC. A substantial portion of Mr. Bibart's practice is devoted to advising clients with respect to the formulation, negotiation and implementation of business strategies and transactions, with an emphasis on the federal tax planning aspects. Mr. Bibart also advises clients on a wide variety of general business and federal tax matters, including entity selection, partnership taxation, the tax treatment of limited liability compa...
Kathryn is a shareholder of the firm and a member of the firm’s Tax Practice Group, where she concentrates her practice in assisting clients with state and local tax matters. Kathryn’s practice focuses on matters before the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, and the Vermont Department of Taxes. Prior to joining the firm in 2007, she was with the state and local tax practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in its Chicago offi...
John represents large publicly traded and privately held businesses in controversies, transactional matters and tax planning involving state and local corporate income/franchise taxes, gross receipts taxes, sales and use taxes, and other business privilege taxes. He also defends clients in state tax audits and litigation before courts, administrative agencies and departments of revenue throughout the country. In addition to his state and local tax practice, John is also one of the nation&rsqu...
David Biscoe Bingham is a native of the Little Rock area and focuses his practice on estate planning, probate, trust law (taxation, litigation, and administration), state and federal income taxation (businesses and individuals) and the structuring and taxation of business entities (formation and sales/re-combinations). David represents individuals, couples and families in estate planning from straightforward wills to complex generation-skipping trusts and makes sure his clients’ assets ...
John Blackman is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. He focuses on employee benefit plans, estate planning, and individual, corporate, and pass-through entity income tax planning. John has drafted qualified plans, employment agreements, and deferred compensation plans; has advised and represented clients on tax and ERISA matters, including Internal Revenue Code Section 409A; and has frequently represented clients in matters involving ERISA litigation. He works with clients to draft complex w...
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