The Legal 500

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s nine ‘particularly well-rounded’ New York-based tax partners are essential members of the multi-disciplinary teams formed to handle the firm’s regular diet of major transactions, restructuring and complex one-off assignments. The core expertise of the group, which is ‘stocked full of excellent lawyers’, is in corporate and capital markets advice and planning, although ancillary areas connected to deals, such as employee benefits issues, are accommodated competently. Clients consistently praise service standards and expertise, the only issue being that lawyers can be so extraordinarily busy that ‘contact is sparse’. Work connected to the financial crisis continued through 2010; in February 2010, Kristofer Hess advised ING on the sale of its substantial US financial advisery and brokerage business to Lightyear. The return of strategic deals to the market brought numerous instructions, including advice to Google through a series of transactions; the work, handled by Sheldon Alster and Yaron Reich included the acquisitions of AdMob, Episodic, ITA Software, and several other companies to a total value of $1.45bn. Alster also acted as counsel to Hewlett-Packard in its $2.35bn acquisition of 3PAR, and other deals. Other recommended lawyers in the extraordinarily talented department include Jason Factor, James Duncan and Erika Nijenhuis. The firms’s domestic tax clients include Dollar Thrifty Automotive, Nortel Networks, Hartford Financial and American Express.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP’s New York office provides ‘excellent service – the lawyers are highly knowledgeable about tax as well as business savvy’. The five-partner practice, though small, receives consistent accolades and is capable of advising on extraordinarily complex work including major transactions, structuring, spin-offs, and sophisticated private equity acquisitions and financing. Department head Stephen Gordon is ‘a very sharp tax attorney who has excellent business sense, and can communicate complex concepts in easily understood terms’. The experienced and influential Michael Schler, who is ‘in a class by himself; brilliant and very responsive’, represented The Stanley Works in connection with its $4.5bn all-stock acquisition of Black & Decker to create the global giant Stanley Black & Decker. Lauren Angelilli, ‘a terrific tax lawyer who gives great advice’, worked with Stephen Gordon to represent Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) when it exchanged its holdings in Mead Johnson Nutrition $7.4 bn of outstanding BMS stock. Andrew Needham, who led the tax work for IBM in connection with its $1.4bn acquisition of applications provider Sterling Commerce from AT&T, and associate Leonard Teti are ‘tremendous technicians who are quick to understand the business transaction and provide timely and appropriate advice’.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, ‘a firm with a fleet of strong tax lawyers’, has ‘a huge tax practice and a broad area of strength’. The New York office houses the majority of the firm’s 13 tax partners, with representation in California and London. The lawyers work mainly within the multi-disciplinary teams formed to support complex high-value instructions although some direct instructions are taken. Avishai Shachar, who heads the department, and Kathleen Ferrell provided tax counsel to Exxon Mobil Corporation in its $41bn all-stock takeover of natural gas producer XTO Energy; the deal closed in July 2010. Michael Mollerus, who has a strong transactions practice, was on the tax team which advised CVS Caremark Corporation on its $1.25bn January 2011 acquisition of the Medicare Part D business of Universal American. The tax group has made a significant contribution to the firm’s reputation for innovation in restructuring and spin-offs, and has also attracted headline mandates such as appointment by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the US Department of the Treasury as lead counsel in the AIG restructuring. Other recommended partners include Michael Farber for complex capital markets work, and Neil Barr, ‘a great young lawyer’, for transactions. The firm’s major clients include Citigroup, Comcast, CVS, Deutsche Bank, Emerson and PepsiCo. The team also has a strong private equity and hedge fund following.

Debevoise & Plimpton’s New York tax department is ‘very responsive, extremely thorough, technically competent and offers extremely high levels of industry knowledge’. Department chair Burt Rosen has established a ten-partner group well supported by several senior former partners with of counsel ranking, and a ‘very solid bench of associates’. Tax experts work closely with colleagues in firm’s leading corporate and financial practices on complex transactions, restructurings and bankruptcies, serving major corporations, financial institutions, and private equity and investment fund managers. The group is particularly expert in industry sectors including insurance, banking, aviation, communications, media and real estate. In recent instructions, busy insurance sector expert Seth Rosen provided tax advice to American International Group in a series of divestitures, including the proposed $35.5bn sale of its Asian life insurance unit, and Peter Schuur assisted Hewitt Associates in its $4.9bn merger with Aon Corporation. Other recommended lawyers include Peter Furci, who is ‘quite simply the best tax lawyer I have ever worked with’; David Schnabel, ‘one of the real experts in partnership tax – who can integrate technical tax answers with actionable and commercial solutions’; Andrew Berg, who ‘comes up with creative solutions to the knottiest problems’, and ‘proactive, technically excellent and extremely thorough’; and Robert Staffaroni. The department’s clients include Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, General Electric, Hertz Global, Amazon.com and Protective Life.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s tax group ‘consistently provides exceptional service, response times are great and acumen and industry knowledge are superior to other firms’. Clients comment that the tax team ‘doesn’t drop out of sight when the deal is done like some firms, it follows up and finishes the job’. The largest and strongest domestic tax team is based in New York, with several heavyweight lawyers in Washington DC, and seamless accessibility to the talent of domestic and global network. New York-based tax group co-chair Matthew Rosen, one of the top US M&A tax attorneys, works alongside deal-driving Stuart Finkelstein. Also in New York, Pamela Endreny’s ‘knowledge of the tax code and financial industry trends is at the highest level’, while Katherine Bristor advises in numerous high-value transactions; recent assignments include advising Great Plains Energy through the tax issues of its $2.7bn acquisition of natural gas and electricity distributor Aquila. Diana Lopo is also recommended. In Washington DC, restructuring tax guru André LeDuc’s latest headline Chapter 11 cases included Hayes Lemmerz International and Hostess Brands. Commended for transactions expertise are Jessica Hough, who advised BJ Services in its $5.5bn acquisition by Baker Hughes, and Cliff Gross, ‘a superb tax lawyer and leader who inspires confidence in everything he handles’. The tax group advises numerous blue-chip clients including Oaktree Capital, Schering-Plough, Pfizer and Banc of America Securities.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP’s ‘tax group is the best – while not cheap, it provides sound guidance in complex matters, world-class expertise and incredible customer service’. Substantially based in New York, with a significant Washington DC presence, the well balanced team generates instructions directly from clients, as well as providing tax expertise to other departments. Clients confirm effective delegation and supervision. New York tax chair Robert Cassanos heads the tax practice – he ‘combines a very commercial approach with robust technical analysis’. Recommended lawyers in New York include David Shapiro, who is ‘an exceptional attorney who has handled the most complex and difficult tax issues both US and foreign’, Lisa Levy for funds and insurance work, and Brian Kniesly for hedge fund matters. In Washington DC, Alan Kaden is ‘smart, incredibly pleasant to work with and has a wonderful ability to make very complex, dry tax material easy to understand’, and Michelle Gold is ‘tremendous value because of her speed in grasping issues and completing projects’. In recent high profile instructions, Washington DC-based Michael Alter worked with Alan Kaden advising Abraxis BioScience in its $2.8bn acquisition by Celgene Corporation, and New York’s Eli Weiss represented Cooper-Standard Automotive and its US subsidiaries in connection with Chapter 11 cases filed in the US Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware. Other clients include Cloud Peak Energy, GS Capital Partners, Northrop Grumman and Virgin Media.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s tax practice offers ‘outstanding responsiveness, an intelligent, practical, and insightful approach, and terrific domain expertise’. Richard Bronstein, ‘a leader in the field – there is no better adviser for a private equity firm in its tax issues’, and Jeffrey Samuels, ‘an impressive tax expert who is also pleasant to work with’, co-chair the New York tax department, which has significant national penetration. Lawyers recommended include David Sicular, who is ‘very knowledgeable, detail-oriented and gives a quick response time’, and David Mayo, who is ‘creative and knows the fund industry very well’. Alan Halperin, a specialist in trust, estate and family succession planning, is ‘an excellent attorney who provides a comprehensive analysis of the issues’. The team recently handled the tax aspects of the Chapter 11 reorganization of Charter Communications, and the spin out of Trilantic Capital Partners from Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking. Peter Rothenberg led the tax work for AbitibiBowater, the world’s largest producer of newsprint, in connection with the company’s complex US and Canadian bankruptcy filings. Clients include Citigroup, the Weinstein Company, Automatic Data Processing, Time Warner and Eton Park Capital.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s New York tax group has ‘impressive technical expertise, which combines with a practical business/deal knowledge – on top of which, it is a pleasure to work with’. The team members work closely with the M&A, private equity and capital markets departments to provide extremely high levels of service. Group chair Steven Todrys has ‘the ability to digest an issue and explain the tax technical and business implications clearly and succinctly – a huge strength’. Gary Mandel, ‘a creative thinker, adept at devising solutions to complex problems’, represented Blackstone Group in several acquisitions, including that of Dynergy, in a $4.7bn deal which included the assumption of existing debt. Nancy Mehlman provided the tax advice to KKR and General Atlantic in the acquisition of Northrop Grumman’s Advisery Services unit for $1.65bn. Other highly commended lawyers include John Hart and Katharine Moir. Practice clients include Intergraph, Warburg Pincus, Lexington Partners and Owens-Illinois.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP’s 12-partner New York-based tax practice group provides ‘excellent service, completely on a par with other leading US tax firms’. Clients note that some lawyers in the firm can be rather less aggressive in their advice than others. Department chair Andrew Solomon and Andrew Mason are ‘both outstanding in all respects’. The lightly leveraged group, praised for high-partner contact, works closely with the firm’s corporate, restructuring and other general practice teams, assisting in the most complex national and cross-border transactions, as well as offering tax planning services. The department is very active in the private equity sector, and also has considerable expertise in the finance and insurance industries, and in complex restructuring. In recent major instructions, Solomon provided tax advice for Fiat in connection with its strategic alliance with, and investment in, Chrysler Group, and the subsequent creation of ‘new Chrysler’. Mason advised Fairholme Capital Management and Pershing Square Capital Management as lead counsel on bankruptcy and investment matters in the injection of $4bn in new equity capital in General Growth Properties. Other recommended lawyers in New York include Ronald Creamer, noted for his expertise in corporate finance and investment banking, who advised Cablevision Systems in its $1.3bn spin-off of Madison Square Garden, and David Spitzer, an expert in real estate, private equity, and partnership transactions. The firm has acted for AT&T, Pitney Bowes, Royal Bank of Canada and Rio Tinto.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s 10-fee-earner tax practice is headed by Peter Canellos. The team has advised in many of the recent major transactions including the acquisition by JPMorgan of Bear Stearns, the acquisition by Wells Fargo of Wachovia, the acquisition by Bank of America of Merrill Lynch, and the acquisition by Delta Air Lines of Northwest Airlines. Deborah Paul is widely regarded as one of the leading corporate tax attorneys in New York. In a complex deal which closed in December 2010, Jodi Schwartz and T Eiko Stange advised Nasdaq-listed IAC, when Liberty Media exchanged its entire equity stake in IAC for a combination of operating assets and cash in a transaction intended to be tax-free to both parties. Practice clients include Time Warner, Lucent Technologies, NYSE Group and Hexion Specialty Chemicals.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP ‘always provides appropriate resources -the responsiveness is always timely and the costs are fair’. The 20-partner East Coast tax practice is substantially based in New York, with smaller contingents in Washington DC and Boston. The tax lawyers ‘work seamlessly with one another – which ensures the highest level of efficiency’, and also co-operate effectively with other practice groups on complex instructions, ranging from M&A transactions to private equity fund formation, capital markets issues, and corporate restructuring. Kenneth Heitner, a leader in complex transactions, and Martin Pollack, with his large financial institution client following, co-chair of the firm’s global tax practice. Stuart Goldring, ‘very busy, but that’s never a problem, he’s always reachable and up to speed’, is an expert in the tax complications of restructuring, continues to work with Kimberly Blanchard advising Motors Liquidation Company, the ‘old General Motors’, in its wind-down. Scott Sontag is ‘a strong young partner who is pragmatic and business savvy as well as technical, and communicates effectively’, and in Boston, Joseph Newberg ‘has a vast depth of technical knowledge and experience to draw upon, and is a pleasure to work with’. Mark Hoenig advised AIG in its complex and high-profile group restructuring and spin-offs, and Trump Entertainment in connection with its reorganization. Clients of the practice include Goldman Sachs, Lazard, Lehman Brothers, Macquarie and Providence Equity Partners.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP’s Linda Swartz chairs the five-partner, two-senior counsel US tax practice from New York, which houses four partners, with one in Washington DC. The group has all the expertise necessary to support the firm’s corporate and financial departments, and has particular expertise in securitization and structured finance. In recent transactions, members of the department advised Pfizer on the tax issues of its high-profile acquisition of Wyeth, and represented Xerium Technologies as debtor’s counsel in its Chapter 11 case. David Miller is highly recommended. Practice clients include Celanese, Merrill Lynch, Barclays and UBS.

Clifford Chance’s penetration of the US domestic tax market is somewhat constrained by the New York group’s small size, and by the large number of international transactions generated by the global network. The 18-strong team provides ‘excellent service from tax experts who always respond quickly’. In recent domestic matters, Christopher Roman advised Hearst in connection with the estimated $375m acquisition of digital marketing firm iCrossing, and Donald Carden represented US REIT Northstar Financial in connection with its participation in a joint venture to purchase CDO debt. Philip Wagman advises E*TRADE on tax matters. Clients include Colony Financial, Legacy Healthcare and Gramercy Capital.

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP ‘is as good as any firm in its tier, with the added benefit of lawyers that are not only smart and technically competent, but also nice to work with’. The East Coast tax group comprises some 30 fee-earners, substantially based in New York. Clients comment that New York-housed practice head Gordon Warnke, and Washington DC partner Joseph Pari, ‘a go-to adviser with unparalleled technical tax knowledge in all areas of corporate tax/M&A’, have created ‘the best M&A and corporate tax practice’. The department lost New York partners Devon Bodoh and Monica Coakley to KPMG in June 2010. Also in Washington DC, Abraham ‘Hap’ Shashy is highly recommended for structuring transactions. Partly due to the firm’s reputation in the insurance sector, Warnke led the team which advised MetLife on the tax aspects, of the record breaking $16bn acquisition of ALICO from a special purpose vehicle affiliate to AIG and the NY Federal Reserve. The group’s clients include Cenovus, Macquarie, Molson Coors Brewing and Walt Disney.

Latham & Watkins LLP’s New York-based co-chair of the US transactional tax group, a highly rated negotiator in deal discussion, David Raab is also global co-chair of the firm’s transactional tax practice group; Raab provided Nestlé with tax advice on the $3.7bn acquisition of Kraft Foods’ frozen pizza business in the US and Canada. The New York and Washington DC tax group forms part of the nationwide practice of some 70 attorneys. Also in New York, Jiyeon Lee-Lim has developed an impressive reputation in capital market tax advice, and Lisa Watts is recommended for corporate, partnership and REIT taxation. In the Washington DC office, Joseph Sullivan advises in numerous high-value transactions, and Cheryl Coe assisted Liberty Global on the sale of its stake in Japanese cable TV provide Jupiter Telecommunications to KDDI Corporation. The practice has a strong client following in the industrial sector and has developed particular expertise in real estate, and the hi-tech and healthcare sectors where IP issues cross over with tax. The department’s clients include Eli Lilly and Company, Carlyle Group, JPMorgan and Onex Partners.

Mayer Brown’s East Coast tax group houses 12 partners spread between the firm’s offices in New York, Charlotte and Washington DC. Washington DC-based Kenneth Klein is firm-wide practice leader of the tax transactions and planning department, which includes the international tax group. The expertise on offer is broad, ranging across corporate transactions, restructuring and capital markets work. The practice has niches in renewable energy tax credits, and shipping taxation. In New York, Jason Bazar, who worked with James Barry from the Chicago office on Assured Guaranty’s $750m acquisition of Financial Security Assurance Holdings, ‘is easy to work with and he and his team have excellent response times’. The Charlotte lawyers handle numerous banking matters, for which Hayden Brown and Robert Mendenhall are recommended. Practice clients include Bank of America, Metropolitan Life Insurance and Carlyle Group.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP ‘is the best all around tax firm I have ever used – knowledgeable and very creative when it comes to tax planning ideas that work’. The New York office houses some of the firm’s most experienced attorneys. Thomas Giegerich, who heads the New York tax practice, offers ‘comprehensive tax expertise, and well rounded commercial approach’, and advises several multinationals on US tax planning, including Diageo and Sumitomo. The firm’s heavyweight SALT team is led from New York by Arthur Rosen. In Washington DC, the key areas of expertise include transactions, real estate taxation and partnerships. Blake Rubin ‘mentors his team very well’ and is highly recommended for complex partnership tax, as are the other members of ‘an industry leading team’ Andrea Whiteway and Jon Finkelstein. In Miami, Philip Tingle has established a niche advising complex energy tax-related matters, including renewables. Practice clients include Merrill Lynch, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Moody’s and Morgan Stanley.

Shearman & Sterling LLP’s tax practice ‘is getting better and better’, although clients would like to see stronger support for the excellent leading partners. New York-based Larry Bambino is global co-chair of the tax department, which provides essential support to the firm’s corporate, financial and transactional practices and, although better known for international tax expertise, frequently offers tax planning advice in complex domestic matters. Peter Blessing, who offers ‘an amazing encyclopedic knowledge of tax law and great response time’, provided the tax advice when Aditya Birla Group acquired Atlanta-based Columbian Chemicals Company from One Equity Partners in January 2011. Another member of the small New York team Douglas McFadyen, whose ‘advice is always practical and results-oriented’, advised RBS and UBS Investment Bank as dealer managers in connection with an offer to purchase a $700m aggregate tranche of Thomson Reuters’ loan 6.20% notes, due 2012. In Washington DC, Michael Shulman ‘has a great understanding of the securities industry’, and Craig Gibian is ‘a star of the future’. Clients of the practice include Corning, Deere, Dow Chemical, Quest Diagnostics, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.

White & Case LLP’s ‘tax partners and associates are outstanding on all fronts’. Each of the East Coast offices in New York, Washington DC and Miami, has a slightly different character, although all contribute to the nationwide practice. New York houses the global tax practice head William Dantzler and the firm’s largest group, which has particular strengths in transactions and capital markets work. Also in New York, Gerald Rokoff ‘demonstrates both the technical skills and creativity required to advise on very complicated domestic and cross-border tax issues’. In Washington DC, where links to the IRS and other government departments are ‘well managed’, Linda Carlisle, who ‘builds strong relationships with both clients and many key government officials’, provided tax advice to NTE Mobility Partners on a $2bn public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation. The Miami office houses Michael Kavoukjian, head of the firm’s global private client group, who offers ‘extensive experience and nimble footwork’ in trust and individual tax planning. Tax practice clients include The Williams Companies, Alticor, Hastings Fund Management and Starwood Capital.

Dechert LLP’s tax department numbers 26 fee-earners, located in Philadelphia and New York, and Boston. Clients confirm high service standards and good value in all tax disciplines, with the exception of SALT. Several tax partners work across practice areas in corporate or finance law as well as tax, and provide excellent tax support to the strong transactions flow in financial services, real estate, and the travel industry. The tax group has considerable expertise in complex restructuring and, in a more recent development, a specialty in handling the many tax issues involved in massive frauds such as the Madoff scandal. Daniel Dunn chairs the department from New York; Dunn represented hedge fund Elliott Associates in the $3.5bn acquisition and post-petition financing of Delphi Corporation by a consortium of lenders. Recommended attorneys include Philadelphia-based Richard Wild, ‘excellent technically but never loses sight of the business objective’, and Richard Hervey in the New York office, who is expert in the taxation of regulated investment companies. In Boston, ‘thorough, detailed, and practical’ Adrienne Baker has considerable expertise in intellectual property, hedge fund and private equity matters. Practice clients include Carlyle Group, PIMCO, Arclin and Bayou Hedge Funds.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s New York tax practice group of some 15 fee-earners, provides ‘high levels of service’, and ‘of all non-New York head-quartered firms, is the best – a first class tax department’. The New York practice has particular strength in private equity transactions, including fund formation, and in corporate reconstruction and bankruptcy. In representative transactions, Steven Clemens, who is ‘knowledgeable, practical, and creative in providing solutions’, worked with Greer Phillips to assist Bristol-Myers Squibb through the $855m acquisition of biotech drug developer ZymoGenetics; the deal closed in October 2010. Patrick Gallagher provided the tax advice when Avista Capital Partners acquired Global Auto Group from the Clorox Company. Sara Zablotney and Kevin Treesh are recommended for complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. The firm’s New York office clients include Apax Partners, Bain Capital, Catterton Partners, Citadel Broadcasting, Clearwire and Danaher.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s New York seven-member tax practice handles both US domestic and international instructions. John Narducci includes private equity expertise within his broad practice; Narducci provided tax advice to StreamServe Inc in its April 2010 merger with a wholly owned subsidiary of Open Text Corporation. Peter Connors, recommended for insurance and banking sectors instructions, represented Credit Suisse as tax counsel in connection with issuance of approximately 100 structured notes which had returns based on the value of equities, commodities and foreign currencies.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP’s East Coast tax group provides ‘broad and deep knowledge with timely and quality advice which allows for quick and accurate decision making’ and is represented New York and Atlanta, though, following defections, no longer in Washington DC. The entrepreneurial practice works with other departments on corporate, real estate and financial transactions and has also established an excellent reputation for bespoke tax planning. New York clients ‘could not be happier with Andrew Short ’s intellect and responsiveness’, and in Atlanta, Phil Marzetti, a leading specialist in low-income housing credit, ‘understands the business side of a deal and provides comprehensive tax analysis’. Joseph Opich from the New York office engineered the tax aspects of the restructuring of the entire equity capitalization of the Centerline publicly-traded partnership. Practice clients include Brookfield Asset Management, KPMG, Sentinel Real Estate Fund and Michigan Motion Picture Studios.

Sidley Austin LLP’s tax group provides ‘timely advice that is thorough, well thought out, and considers our business objectives’. The New York practice has an established reputation for expertise in financial products, structured finance and derivatives, and has more recently built strength in investment funds, M&A, insurance, capital markets, real estate, SALT, and municipal finance. David Miller is an expert in the real estate taxation practice; he counseled Brookfield Asset Management in connection with its acquisition of Crystal River Capital, a publicly held REIT. Paul Wysocki pays ‘great attention to detail but is also able to see the whole picture’, and is particularly expert in the hedge fund matters. Laura Barzilai, highly rated for insurance taxation, represented Guggenheim Partners in connection with its acquisition of Security Benefit Corporation. Clients of the practice include MI Developments, Aon Corporation, Brookfield Asset Management and Delta Air Lines.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP has established a reputation for high-quality advice in non-contentious work, although the firm is best known for controversy matters. Department co-chair Philip West, who ‘grasps complex situations very quickly and offers sound practical and technical advice’, with co-chair Mark Silverman, assists long-term client Henkel KGaA with transactional tax planning, including spin-offs and purchases of multinational businesses such as the acquisition of Imperial Chemical Industries from Akzo Nobel. In addition to attorneys acting for major corporations and privately held companies, the group also houses Catherine Wilkinson, a certified public accountant, who specializes in the not-for-profit and charities sector. The firm’s clients include Allstate Insurance, EQT Corporation, Liberty Global and Raytheon.

Sullivan & Worcester LLP’s 33-strong Boston-centered tax practice, which is also represented in New York, is one of the largest on the East Coast and certainly the strongest in Massachusetts. The group is lightly leveraged, with approximately half of the complement comprising highly experienced partners, and is commended for ‘excellent, highly responsive service’ by long-term clients. A comprehensive service is on offer, embracing domestic and international transactions, tax planning, and controversy representation in both federal and state taxes. Ameek Ponda, the Boston-based practice group leader, is ‘super smart, a great teacher, who sees the big picture and the details as well’. Also in Boston, the ‘incredibly knowledgeable’ Lewis Greenwald provides ‘relevant and value-adding solutions and advice’, in international matters, and ‘smart and detail-orientated’ David Nagle has a strong practice which bridges transactions and controversy. In a particularly complex recent instruction, the team advised a leading, listed multinational company with complex real estate investments, on conversion to REIT status, and wide domestic and overseas tax issues. Also recommended are Christopher Curtis, for general business taxation and wealth planning, and Richard Jones for state tax advice and controversy. Clients include Hancock Natural Resources, Comcast and American Tower Corporation.

Chadbourne & Parke LLP’s tax group is ‘beyond excellent in every category’. The firm’s tax practice group numbers some 30 fee-earners with a high ratio of partners, with the larger team housed in New York, and a smaller presence in Washington DC. In New York, group chair William Cavanagh’s ‘depth of experience and knowledge is exceptional and he and his team utilize this knowledge in a timely and practical manner’. Several of the senior partners have held senior tax positions in the US Treasury and professional associations, and the most recent joiner, Eli Katz, was previously GE Energy Financial Services’ tax counsel. In a recent headline deal, the group represented NYSE-listed GLG Partners, the global asset manager, in its acquisition LSE-listed hedge fund Man Group. Richard Leder and Lawrence Rosenberg continue to represent Citibank in connection with a first priority $700m revolving secured credit facility and a $200m secured first priority term loan in the high-profile TOUSA bankruptcy. Recommended New York tax attorneys include Jeffrey Robins, who includes trust estate and individual tax planning within his portfolio, and Edouard Markson, recommended for capital markets and partnership instructions. Keith Martin, in Washington DC is an expert in the tax issues surrounding project finance. The tax practice group has advised Rockwell Automation, Purdue Pharma, Access Industries, Paul Capital, Harbinger and Strategic Value Partners.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP’s tax practice group’s ‘level of service is excellent, with particular strengths being proactive advice and value for money’. The firm’s tax practice, with members in Paris as well as the main New York offering, has particular expertise in private equity and finance, and cross-border transactions, as well as providing support to the firm’s key bankruptcy, entertainment and sports groups. New York-based department chair Howard Rothman has a reputation for expertise in the entertainment sector which goes well beyond tax matters; he regularly handles the sale of ‘showbiz’ management companies, the formation of recording joint ventures, state and local tax planning for musicians, and celebrity branding and merchandising. Philip Weingold is ‘a strong client advocate and brilliant adviser with strengths in corporate tax structuring’, and Barry Herzog has ‘tremendous knowledge of tax laws, business sense, intelligence and skill’. SALT expert Maria Jones ‘will not allow anyone working with her on a case, neither the client nor her staff, to be led off track for any reason’. The group’s clients include First Investors Consolidated, Ossen Innovation, Alloy Inc and General Maritime.

Proskauer Rose LLP’s 33-strong East Coast tax practice, which fields its largest group in New York, and a smaller team in Boston, provides ‘the best possible advice, explained well and delivered on a timely basis’. In a wide practice which serves corporates, financial institutions and not-for-profit organizations, the firm is noted for particular expertise in the wider real estate sector, the entertainment business and private equity. New York-based department chair Andrea Rattner provides ‘expertise, timeliness, proactivity, and is easy to work with’, qualities which permeate the practice group. Other recommended lawyers in New York include Solomon Warhaftig ‘an extraordinary tax lawyer – a superstar!’, and Amanda Nussbaum, who is ‘extremely knowledgeable, caring and diligent’. The vastly experienced Jacob Friedman heads the not-for-profit tax group. In Boston, private equity specialist Scott Jones ‘is able to easily explain sophisticated, technical information in layman’s terms’. In a representative recent deal, New York’s Stuart Rosow, who ‘has incredible subject matter expertise, and is able to provide creative input in areas outside of tax law’, led the tax work for Grifols on its $4bn agreement to acquire Talecris Biotherapeutics and create the world’s third-largest plasma-products manufacturer. The firm’s clients include Independent Fiduciary Services, Morgan Stanley, MultiPlan and Verizon Investment Management.

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP’s New York tax group provides ‘a very high level of quality, excellent response, backed by extensive industry knowledge’. Strong in the financial service space, Alan Waldenberg, ‘very sharp, and one of the best business-oriented lawyers in the tax area’, chairs the department, in which Dan Kusnetz is ‘responsive and always a pleasure to work with yet firm on matters of substance’. Recent headline work includes the hugely complex Chrysler recue and restructuring, and the representation of Cerberus Capital Management in connection with the $7.5bn in federal aid advanced to its GMAC affiliate.

Winston & Strawn LLP’s tax department ‘is excellent, with a very high level of expertise provided in a timely manner’. The four East Coast tax partners divide equally between two offices. The New York team tends to handle transactions and complex tax planning, for which Edmund Cohen is recommended. In Washington DC, the work is largely connected with government, although the two resident partners, James Warren and Alexander Zakupowsky, are ‘among the top experts in the utility tax field’. Zakupowsky has represented the US electric utility industry, as tax counsel for the Edison Electric Institute, and the US natural gas distribution industry, as tax counsel for the American Gas Association, on a broad range of tax issues.

Caplin & Drysdale’s exempt organizations practice group is ‘totally conversant with the issues in the sector and gives practical advice and quick response’. Marcus Owens and Douglas Varley are ‘top notch advisers’, who have represented a broad range of nonprofit organizations including private foundations, charities, churches and trade associations. Instructions have ranged from tax planning to assistance in audits by the IRS Exempt Organizations Financial Investigative Units.

DLA Piper LLP’s US national tax practice is chaired from New York by Bruce Wein, who acted as lead tax counsel for Pfizer in several potential acquisitions during 2010. Tax lawyers are also housed in Baltimore, Boston and Washington DC. The tax group assists the corporate, capital markets and restructuring departments across a wide range of instructions for client including major multinationals and numerous financial institutions. The ‘bright and knowledgeable’ Jeffrey Korenblatt is recommended in Washington DC. Clients include Dunbar Armored, Hewlett-Packard, HSBC International, ICON Capital and Moody’s Investors Service.

Fowler White Boggs P.A. has one of Florida’s largest and most expert tax practices, with a department complement well-leavened by experienced former government counsel. The commended estate and personal tax planning team advises many of Florida’s numerous high-net-worth families and individuals. Clients confirm ‘competent, effective and extremely satisfactory’ service, and note a ‘well-developed mutual respect’ between the tax group and the Florida Department of Revenue. In Tampa, tax practice leader Mitchell Horowitz and Hunter Brownlee are highly recommended for both federal and local tax advice. Recent confidential instructions include IRS and state tax audits, and the representation of a major soft drinks manufacturer in the acquisition of a bottling plant. Darren Farfante, a former Justice Department Tax Division trial attorney, combines his tax practice with bankruptcy expertise. In Tallahassee, SALT practice chair William Townsend and Rex Ware are expert in multi-state taxation. Tax practice group clients include Citigroup, Pepsi-Tropicana, Hearst Corporation and Sara Lee Corporation.

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP’s Atlanta-based tax group now ranks as a stand-alone ‘best in the business’ practice as well as providing expert support to the corporate and restructuring departments. Russell Love, head of the firm’s tax, estate and probate group ‘has a great bedside manner and provides support beyond a business relationship’. Love is recommended for US and international tax planning, and Mark Lange is ‘an extremely good attorney for complex tax matters’. In a confidential 2010 instruction, the team served as outside general counsel and special tax counsel to a large health-sector non-profit organization to structure its tax-efficient entry into a for-profit trading partnership. Practice clients include Altadis USA, Balfour Beatty Communities, Delta Air Lines and Valor Equity Partners.

Ropes & Gray LLP’s Christopher Leich heads the tax and benefits group from Boston; the department is also represented in Washington DC and New York. Other Boston residents include Eric Elfman, who advised specialty coffee leader Green Mountain on a series of acquisitions over the last year, including that of Canadian Van Houtte group, for a purchase price of CAD$915m, which closed in December 2010, and Jennifer Harding, who advises on federal income taxation for corporate and partnership transactions. Also in Boston, Susan Johnston is expert in the taxation of regulated investment companies, and Lorry Spitzer specializes in advising health care organizations and other types of tax-exempt organizations. Rom Watson is recommended for cross-border matters. Washington DC’s Erik Corwin advised Electro-Motive Diesel, in its $820m sale to Caterpillar subsidiary, Progress Rail Services. Clients include Domino’s Pizza, AstraZeneca, Goldman Sachs and MassMutual.

Covington & Burling LLP’s East Coast tax department expanded to 15 partners with the lateral hire of the highly experienced and knowledgeable Robert Culbertson from Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP; Culbertson and of counsel Kurt Baca, who joined the firm at the same time, provided advice on the federal tax consequences of a currency derivative trading program. Practice clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Brown Brothers Harriman and Sun Financial.

Foley & Lardner LLP’s Florida tax group ‘provides excellent service – prompt, comprehensive, and competent’, with strengths in tax and estate planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, and a broad-based tax support service for mid-tier corporations. Randolph Wolfe, the managing partner of the Tampa office, ‘is top shelf on all metrics’ and an excellent all-round business tax lawyer. Guillermo Fernández-Quincoces, in Miami, who also has a general business-based practice, ‘is as focused on solving a complex tax issue as anyone I have ever seen’. Albert Silva in Tampa is also a member of the firm’s hospitality, resort & golf industry group, and is recommended for tax advice in the sector.

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP’s Atlanta-based, tax practice group has ‘no real weaknesses – we get good, practical, business-like tax advice. The team is an excellent choice for regional businesses and high-net-worth families and should be considered nationwide for a highly developed tax expertise in the non-listed REIT and timber sectors. Charles (Chuck) Beaudrot has recently advised in five REIT public offerings valued as high as $3.3bn for clients including Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT and Cole Credit Office/Industrial Trust. Fellow co-chair of the tax department Cassady Brewer is recommended for private corporation, partnership, and tax-exempt advice and planning.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP’s New York headquartered tax group consists of five partners, two of counsel and one associate. The tax expertise on offer reflects the mid-sized firm’s strengths in insurance, finance, hedge funds and private equity. Jeffrey Uffner, noted for his expertise in investment funds and restructuring, heads the team. Micah Bloomfield, a member of ISDA’s tax committee, has a broad-based practice, with a particular emphasis on financial and insurance products. Recent instructions include the representation of Specialty Underwriters’ Alliance in its $114m merger with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tower Group. Practice clients include Mizuho Alternative Investments, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and SkyBridge Capital.

Venable LLP fields a 25-fee-earner tax practice from Baltimore and Washington DC, with a growing presence in New York, and is recommended for mid-tier US domestic, international taxation and tax controversy. Within the generalist practice, Bryson Cook is recommended for tax support to privately held corporations and their owners. In a noteworthy niche Stefan Tucker in Washington DC, and Brian O’Connor in Baltimore, have developed considerable expertise in the REIT sector, a response to Maryland’s benevolent REIT taxation framework.