Ben Geslison > Baker Botts L.L.P. > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile
Baker Botts L.L.P. Offices
910 LOUISIANA STREET
HOUSTON
TEXAS 77002-4995
TEXAS
United States
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Ben Geslison
Work Department
Tax
Position
Special Counsel
Career
Ben Geslison is an experienced trial and appellate litigator and tax attorney, actively practicing in state and federal courts at all levels. Mr. Geslison’s practice currently focuses on state and local tax controversies, commercial disputes, and constitutional law matters. He has first-chair experience in trying jury trials to verdict in both state and federal district court. Mr. Geslison also regularly handles high-profile appellate matters in state and federal appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of Texas and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Geslison also regularly advises clients on state and local tax matters, including tax audits and redeterminations, letter rulings, litigation, voluntary disclosure programs, settlement negotiations with state and local taxing agencies, and providing comparative analysis of tax issues across states for clients’ use in strategic planning.
Prior to attending Harvard Law School, Mr. Geslison worked for several years as a business consultant for Accenture, assisting several of Silicon Valley’s tech giants optimize their systems and business processes.
Memberships
State Bar of Texas
Louisiana State Bar
Oklahoma State Bar
Wyoming State Bar
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Houston Bar Association
Education
J.D., Harvard Law School 2010
cum laude
Senior Editor & Business Manager, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy
Dean’s Scholar: Advanced Legal Research, Antitrust, Foundations of Western Legal Thought
B.S., Biology, Brigham Young University 1999
magna cum laude
Golden Key National Honor Society
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Tax > US taxes: contentious
Baker Botts L.L.P. fields a long-established federal tax controversy and litigation team, with strength in the energy, technology, and financial service industries, and a large SALT practice, which is active in state audits, appeals, and litigation. Clients are particularly complimentary of the firm’s aptitude for estate and gift tax controversies, and praise the group’s ‘depth and breadth of expertise.’ State and local tax chair Renn Neilson, based in Houston, covers property, income, and sales tax controversies. Also based in Houston are senior partner John Porter and the ‘fantastic’ Keri Brown, who frequently work closely together on estate and gift tax controversies. Jon Feldhammer works from the San Francisco office, and is active on tax controversies before the IRS, California Franchise Tax Board, and other state agencies. Senior associate Ben Geslison, of the Houston office, focuses on SALT matters. William Gorrod left the firm in February 2024.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- International Trade > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
Firm Rankings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Energy > Energy litigation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Tax > International tax
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing)
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Finance > Project finance
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Real estate > Real estate
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense