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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Baker & McKenzie has been expanding its tax practice, headed by Brian Segal, over the past two years and now employs four partners and five fee earners. It has also hired two new partners: Jacques Bernier in May 2011 and John Owen in January 2012; both ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie has been expanding its tax practice, headed by Brian Segal, over the past two years and now employs four partners and five fee earners. It has also hired two new partners: Jacques Bernier in May 2011 and John Owen in January 2012; both were partners of Bennett Jones. Christopher Raybould, Baker & McKenzie's economist in charge of transfer pricing advisory work, is well-respected by peers and clients alike. "Chris Raybould is thorough, professional, and delivers on time," said one client.

Led by Hector Reyes-Freaner, Baker & McKenzie's tax practice group comprises 10 partners and 45 fee earners. The group, which covers the main tax practice areas, is particularly active in the auto, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. During ... [more]

Led by Hector Reyes-Freaner, Baker & McKenzie's tax practice group comprises 10 partners and 45 fee earners. The group, which covers the main tax practice areas, is particularly active in the auto, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. During the past year, the team served as tax and corporate adviser to a company involved in one of the most important energy projects in Mexico, valued at $3.1 billion. In another matter, the firm advised a Mexican company on transferring its tax residence to a foreign jurisdiction. Two partners, Guillermo Villaseñor-Tadeo and Emilio Angeles-Acosta, left the firm in August and October 2011, respectively. However, the tax group acquired a new partner, Alberto Polanco-Inzunza, who joined in January 2012 from KPMG.

Led by Gregg Lemein, Baker & McKenzie's Chicago practice comprises 17 partners and 29 fee earners. While the practice is active in transfer pricing, tax litigation, and state and local tax, it is particularly strong in international corporate tax.The ... [more]

Led by Gregg Lemein, Baker & McKenzie's Chicago practice comprises 17 partners and 29 fee earners. While the practice is active in transfer pricing, tax litigation, and state and local tax, it is particularly strong in international corporate tax.

The firm is highly regarded by peers and clients alike. "US international tax is Baker & McKenzie's sweet spot; they are one of the top firms [in that area]," said one client. "Baker & McKenzie has a great tax controversy practice," one competitor said. "I have tremendous respect for Gregg Lemein's skills, especially in transfer pricing, but in international tax as well," said another. Clients praise Jeff Maydew as an excellent technician. "He's as good as the firm's senior partners in international tax," said one client. Rivals also express respect for Jim O'Brien for his skill in tax controversy and particularly his experience in transfer pricing disputes.

The firm acted as tax counsel to electronics retail chain Best Buy on the restructuring of its joint venture with Carphone Warehouse, the UK mobile telecommunications retailer, and is acting as trial counsel on behalf of Western Union, which is involved in a dispute with the IRS over a tax-free reorganisation that included a cost-sharing agreement. In 2003, Western Union, a subsidiary of First Data at the time, transferred foreign goodwill and going-concern value as part of a restructuring of its foreign-to-foreign money transfer business in a tax-free reorganisation. The company also entered into a cost-sharing arrangement with a foreign affiliate. The IRS denies that any material foreign goodwill and going-concern value was transferred and asserts the value of the compensable intangibles to be $3 billion.

Baker & McKenzie's Dallas and Houston practices are sought out for complex multi-jurisdictional tax minimisation, post-acquisition restructuring, redomestications, transfer pricing and supply chain restructuring projects where tax efficiency is the driver ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie's Dallas and Houston practices are sought out for complex multi-jurisdictional tax minimisation, post-acquisition restructuring, redomestications, transfer pricing and supply chain restructuring projects where tax efficiency is the driver for the project, and not an add-on to a predominantly corporate or M&A assignment. The Dallas and Houston offices, led by Robert Albaral and Susan Stone respectively, are also active in complex federal and state tax disputes at various stages, including audit, administrative appeals and judicial proceedings. The firm's Houston practice advised Ensco on the public merger of equals with Pride International, which resulted in the world's second largest drilling company, with a market capitalisation of more than $13 billion. The merger was completed in May 2011, the post-merger restructuring is still unfinished though. As a result of Ensco's 2009 redomestication to the UK, the merger accomplished the de facto redomestication of the Pride Group to the UK. Baker & McKenzie served as US and UK tax counsel from the negotiation stages of the merger agreement through the closing and then for post-merger restructuring.

Baker & McKenzie's New York tax practice comprises 11 partners and 10 fee earners specialising in international corporate tax, transfer pricing, and state and local tax. Thomas May, who assumed the position of North American tax planning and transactions ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie's New York tax practice comprises 11 partners and 10 fee earners specialising in international corporate tax, transfer pricing, and state and local tax. Thomas May, who assumed the position of North American tax planning and transactions subpractice committee chairman in January 2012, moved to the New York office from Washington DC with the aim of growing the practice. May is co-head of the New York practice together with Robert DeJoy, chairman of the New York tax group. The practice has been advising Ecolab, a NYSE-listed food and beverage processor, on its $8.24 billion merger with water treatment services company Nalco Holding, also listed on the same exchange. May and Jonathan Stevens, as well as Alex Chadwick, corporate tax practice leader in London, were the lead tax advisers to Sony and Mubadala during their bid for and purchase of $2.2 billion of EMI's music publishing unit, which owns more than 1.3 million copyrights. The firm reviewed tax due diligence material to construct a tax-efficient investment structure and also advised on the negotiation of the tax provisions of deal documents in the transaction. Marc Levey is well respected by peers for his transfer pricing expertise.

Well-established on the west coast, Baker & McKenzie's California practice, which comprises the San Francisco and Palo Alto groups, is highly regarded for its sophisticated international tax advice, tax planning and controversy defence for clients in ... [more]

Well-established on the west coast, Baker & McKenzie's California practice, which comprises the San Francisco and Palo Alto groups, is highly regarded for its sophisticated international tax advice, tax planning and controversy defence for clients in the high-tech and pharmaceuticals industries. In the past year, the practice, led by Palo Alto tax practice group chairman Scott Frewing, had an important taxpayer victory in the case of Veritas Software Corp & Subs, Symantec Corp (successor in interest to Veritas Software) v Commissioner, 133 TC 297 (2009). It was the only cost-sharing buy-in case ever to be tried to final judgment in the Tax Court. In another case, the practice represented Broadcom in its defence against proposed transfer pricing adjustments totalling more than $5 billion for the company's 2001 to 2006 tax years. The primary transfer pricing issues concerned the arm's-length cost-sharing buy-in payments due under Treasury Regulations section 1.482-7 (g) (1995) for pre-existing and acquired intangibles made available to a qualified cost-sharing arrangement. Baker & McKenzie also advised the US communications semiconductor provider on multiple acquisitions in Israel, Spain, the UK and US, and on the integration of these companies into their structure. Competitors praise John Peterson for his work in cross-border structuring. The firm lost Beth Williams to Bingham McCutchen in August 2011. Diana Lathi left the firm in September 2011to join Intuitive Surgical as vice president, corporate tax.

Baker & McKenzie's Washington DC practice comprises 11 partners and 15 fee earners, offering services in international tax, transfer pricing and tax litigation. The practice, led by North American tax practice group chairman Leonard Terr and Duane Webber, ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie's Washington DC practice comprises 11 partners and 15 fee earners, offering services in international tax, transfer pricing and tax litigation. The practice, led by North American tax practice group chairman Leonard Terr and Duane Webber, also employs five economists, three analysts and one litigation support specialist. The practice serves as Boeing's main outside tax counsel, advising the aerospace and defence company on worldwide tax matters, including integrating aspects of acquisitions such as Jeppesen, Aviall, Carmen Systems, and others. It also assists with tax controversy matters, as well as tax compliance and planning. Projects concluded this year include successful resolution with the IRS Appeals Office of all issues for a five-year cycle and all issues for another two-year cycle. Clients for which Baker & McKenzie did significant new work in 2011 include American Air Liquide, Computer Sciences, General Dynamics, The Hershey Company, and Metropolitan Life Insurance. The firm also acquired three new partners: Mary Bennett rejoined in October 2011 from the OECD where she was head of the tax treaty, transfer pricing, and financial transactions division; Joshua Odintz joined during the same month from the US Treasury where he served as senior adviser for tax reform to the assistant secretary for tax policy; and the most recent addition is Anne Batter, who joined Baker & McKenzie from Miller & Chevalier. North American tax practice group co-chairman Thomas May transferred to the firm's New York office in January 2012.