Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt's tax practice, led by David Tetreault, employs 35 partners and 20 fee earners, most of whom work on corporate tax issues, but it has professionals in the other practice areas: indirect tax, transfer pricing and tax disputes. ...
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Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt's tax practice, led by David Tetreault, employs 35 partners and 20 fee earners, most of whom work on corporate tax issues, but it has professionals in the other practice areas: indirect tax, transfer pricing and tax disputes. Their clients are from a variety of industries, but they are particularly strong in financial services and energy. The East Coast practice serves six big Canadian banks and three major insurance companies, while in Calgary they act on behalf of major oil and gas companies. In September 2011, Osler represented US retail chain Target on its entry into Canada through its $1.85-billion acquisition of up to 200 leasehold interests in Canada from Zellers, the discount division of Hudson's Bay, which has a presence in the Canadian market dating back to 1670. Osler partners from all practice areas draw compliments from rivals and clients. Tetreault and Patrick Marley in M&A; Sean Aylward and D'Arcy Schieman, in indirect tax; Monica Biringer and Andrew McGuffin, capital markets/financial products; and Firoz Ahmed, for his "technical expertise and thoroughness" in corporate tax and cross-border structuring. In the area of tax controversy, Al Meghji's name is repeatedly mentioned. "He has developed a reputation for sophisticated tax litigation," said one competitor. "Osler has the best tax litigator in Canada. […] Meghji has an amazing success rate and it kills him to lose a case. That is the attitude I like when my company's dollars are at stake in litigation," one client said. Taxpayers choose the firm because "they have top talent, they use a team approach so the client benefits from the experience of the entire tax partnership". In May 2012, Osler acquired two new partners: Edward Rowe from Blake, Cassels & Graydon; and Edmund Gill from McCarthy Tétrault. The firm also lost a highly regarded partner when Scott Wilkie left in October 2011 to join Ernst & Young.
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