Mr Fred Adam > WilmerHale > Boston, United States > Lawyer Profile
WilmerHale Offices
60 STATE STREET
BOSTON, MA 02109
MASSACHUSETTS
United States
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Mr Fred Adam
Work Department
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force; Cross-Border Transactions; Emerging Company and Venture Capital; Investment Management; Life Sciences; Private Equity; SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) Transactions; Tax; Technology; Trials
Position
Partner
Career
Fred Adam is a trusted business advisor who helps public and private multinational, investment fund and fund portfolio companies, and early-stage emerging market companies navigate the complex tax issues they often face. In particular, Mr. Adam advises clients—including those in the pharmaceutical, life sciences, medical device, technology, private equity and financial services, real estate and retail industries—on the taxation and structuring involved in international and domestic tax planning and advisory matters, fund formation and investment transactions, private equity investments, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, and financings and recapitalizations, as well as venture capital and early-stage investments. Mr. Adam has led countless multi-jurisdictional transactions and planning/advisory projects, and his experience includes projects and matters that have touched nearly every country around the world.
Mr. Adam’s international tax experience includes international outbound and inbound tax planning, international restructurings, international tax matters relating to global business model planning, supply chain and tax efficiency projects, extensive transfer pricing experience, financial services, and pre- and post-transaction integration structuring. He also has significant experience relating to international, federal and state tax controversy matters.
Mr. Adam has authored articles on IRS guidance regarding patent cross licensing arrangements, regulations regarding disregarded entities and the authority in treaty interpretation, and Section 956 tax issues involved in US financing transactions.
Prior to joining WilmerHale, Mr. Adam had 27 years of professional experience, which includes having been a partner at other large international law firms with offices in Palo Alto, as well as having been a principal in a Big Four accounting firm. After receiving his Tax LL.M (NYU), Mr. Adam served as attorney-advisor to the Honorable William M. Fay of the United States Tax Court in Washington DC. He then started his private firm career—mentored by Charles Rettig, the 49th IRS Commissioner—at what was then known as Hochman, Salkin & DeRoy LLP, a premier tax boutique law firm nationally renowned for tax controversy matters.
Mr. Adam serves as an Honorary Ambassador of Greater Zurich Area, a Swiss government agency that promotes foreign companies’ investment in the Zurich region. He is also a member of the Friends of Cal Crew, an endowment management organization that supports and celebrates the UC Berkeley Rowing Program. He is also an avid road cyclist.
Memberships
- California
- New York
Education
- LLM, Taxation, New York University School of Law, 1993
- JD, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 1992
- BA, Political Economies of Industrial Societies, University of California, Berkeley, 1986
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
WilmerHale’s non-contentious tax practice, primarily operating from the firm’s Boston office, handles the tax aspects of transactions in a broad range of sectors, with particular strength advising emerging companies in the tech and life sciences spaces. William Caporizzo, extensive experience handling the tax aspects of mergers, dispositions, and international restructurings, leads the team alongside executive compensation specialist Kimberly Wethly. Julie Rogers has considerable experience in taxable and tax-free mergers, spin-offs, bankruptcies, financing transactions, and state taxation. She has advised clients in the tech, life sciences, financial services, energy, and manufacturing industries, among others. Fred Adam in Palo Alto represents multinational corporations, growth-stage companies, investment funds, and fund portfolio companies on a broad range of tax issues. Meghan Walsh, promoted to partner in January 2024, plays a key role in the team, advising corporations, asset managers, and tax-exempt organizations. Matthew Schnall left the firm in July 2023.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Antitrust > Cartel
- International trade > CFIUS
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Industry focus > Education
- Industry focus > Education
- Industry focus > Education
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Industry focus > Native American law
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
Firm Rankings
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- Government > State attorneys general
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- International trade > Trade remedies and trade policy
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- International trade > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Government > Government contracts
- Government > Government relations
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Finance > Fintech
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Real estate > Real estate
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense