Intellectual Property
United States
09 October 2025
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP‘s SALT practice is ’very knowledgable, commercial and easy to work with, and always delivers top-tier value’. The global tax practice led by Nora Burke in New York has an outstanding SALT controversy expert in Sacramento-based Carley Roberts, who is ‘at the absolute top of her field’. Craig Becker in Palo Alto is ’one of the premier experts in his specialty’. In New York, the firm hired Larry Sannicandro from McCarter & English, LLP, who ‘brings significant strength, where previously the firm has flown under the radar’. His expertise in tax controversy and private wealth, and his role as a member of the IRS Advisory Counsel, add significant depth to the team. San Francisco-based Jeffrey Vesely also plays a key role in SALT matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘My experience with Pillsbury is limited to the US Taxes - State and Local Tax tax team only, where Carley Roberts, Craig Becker, Zachary Atkins, and Evan Hamme have been mostly involved on the planning and diligence side. The Pillsbury SALT team is very knowledgable and exercises great attention to detail, commercial and easy to work with, and always delivers top-tier value to my company. ’
‘Carley Roberts is the absolute top of her field, with unmatched connections in local governments, a massive range of experience, and the crucial ability to be incredibly technical while bringing the conversation to the level of the client. She's always thinking about the bigger picture of the client relationship and how she can provide the best service possible. Craig Becker is one of the premier experts in his specialty and always displays a strong balance of technical knowledge, commercial understanding of the business, and the pulse of the "market". Craig is very responsive and goes the extra mile for us.’
‘The recent addition of Larry Sannicandro brings significant strength, where previously Pilsbury has flown under the radar.’
‘Larry has a breadth of knowledge and experience in civil and criminal tax litigation as well as the audit or investigative stage. He has worked on several cases with novel issues and helped contribute to important caselaw.’
‘The only person that I know is Larry Sannicandro, who recently joined Pillsbury. Larry is a stellar attorney. He knows tax procedure better that almost anyone else. He is thoughtful and responsive.’
‘Larry Sannicandro is a seminal tax controversy attorney who is widely regarded by tax bar. His advice is sought after by both his clients and peers, alike. Larry solves big problems through his deep knowledge of the Tax Code and IRS procedures. He is also a zealous litigator and passionate and effective advocate for his clients. Whenever I have a problem or a difficult question, Larry is my first call.’
Key clients
- Amazon.com, Inc.
- AT&T
- Chevron Corporation
- Center for Taxpayer Rights
- Coca-Cola Company, The
- Clear Water Paper Corporation
- General Electric Company
- Walmart
- Microsoft Corporation
- NextEra Transmission, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc.
- NTT Data
- Apple Inc.
Work highlights
Representing Apple Inc. before the Maryland Tax Court in an appeal from the state’s Comptroller for the disallowance of Apple’s claim for refund of Maryland’s Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax (the DAT).
Representing Microsoft in a high-profile case of first impression in a consolidated Superior Court action against the City and County of San Francisco involving a gross receipts tax.
Representing the Center for Taxpayer Rights pro bono as amicus curiae to the New Jersey Appellate Division in Gill v. Director, Division of Taxation; Docket No. A-003116-22, in a case deciding whether there is an unlimited statute of limitations to assess sales tax against responsible persons even though, as the New Jersey Tax Court held, there is a limited statute of limitations to assess gross income tax withholding against responsible persons.
Practice head
Nora Burke; Carley Roberts
Other key lawyers
Larry Sannicandro; Craig Becker; Zachary Atkins; Evan Hamme; Jeffrey Vesely