Allen Stevenson Advisors (ASA) places tax leaders within law, accounting and management consulting firms. We monitor the market for career transitions within the discipline, and follow corporate, M&A and private equity lawyers as a resource for tax professionals. Firms continue to hire corporate lawyers at a high rate during unprecedented deal activity. However, we noted only one tax practice and one tax partner shifting firms in November.
Some of those making changes include the following:
TAX
GIBSON DUNN
November 15 – Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP announced that Sanford Stark, Saul Mezei, and C. Terrell Ussing joined the firm as partners in the Washington, D.C. office. Formerly with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, they will continue their tax controversy and litigation practices. Stark will serve as Co-Chair of the firm’s newly formed Global Tax Controversy and Litigation Practice Group, along with Michael Desmond, previously Chief Counsel of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
WEIL GOTSHAL
November 15 – Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced that Andrew Morris joined the Firm as a partner in the global Tax practice, based in Weil’s New York office. Morris joins Weil from the New York office of Linklaters LLP, where he was a tax partner. With a practice focused on federal income tax matters, he advises private equity firms and multinational corporate clients on investment funds and products, mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, spin-offs, internal restructurings, and the development of novel cross-border financing instruments. His involvement in complex M&A transactions encompasses multi-step LBO takeovers, as well as distressed asset dispositions and restructurings.
CORPORATE
WHITE & CASE
November 30 – White & Case LLP expanded its Global Debt Finance Practice with the addition of Brad Laken as a partner in Chicago. Laken represents commercial banks, investment banks, direct lenders, alternative credit providers and other debt investors as agent and lead arranger in a wide array of lending transactions, with an emphasis on middle market private equity sponsor-backed leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations. Laken joins White & Case from Katten Muchin Rosenman, where he was a partner.
REED SMITH
November 23 – Reed Smith announced that Ian Sherwin joined the firm’s Global Corporate Group as a partner in the New York office. Formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, Sherwin has significant experience advising companies on all regulatory aspects of executive compensation, with a focus on transactions. Sherwin represents private and public companies and management teams in all executive compensation-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, reorganizations, financing arrangements, and securities offerings.
BAKER BOTTS
November 18 – Baker Botts L.L.P announced that Frank X. Schoen joined its New York office as a partner in the Global Projects Department. Schoen regularly advises private equity sponsors and project developers, as well as commercial and investment banks, investment firms and other financial institutions, on project finance, leveraged finance and acquisition finance transactions in the conventional power, renewable energy, oil & gas, and infrastructure sectors. He joins Baker Botts from King & Spalding in New York, where he was a member of the Corporate, Finance & Investments practice group.
The firm earlier in the month announced that Scott Bowling joined its New York office as a partner in the Financial Restructuring practice. Bowling’s practice encompasses domestic and cross-border corporate restructurings, distressed financings and acquisitions, credit and equity investments, liability management transactions, crisis management and other special situations. Bowling joins Baker Botts from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
LATHAM & WATKINS
November 15 – Latham & Watkins LLP announced that Todd Gleason joined the firm as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and as a member of the Corporate Department. Gleason’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities, and other corporate and commercial transactions, with a particular focus on private equity-backed companies in the healthcare, business services, and technology sectors. Gleason joins Latham from Hinckley Allen in Boston.
KATTEN MUCHIN
November 15 – Katten Muchin Rosenman announced that Olga Gurtovaya joined its Dallas office as a partner in the Real Estate practice. Gurtovaya focuses on representing commercial lenders, including regional banks and private lenders, in financing transactions and restructurings, structured finance transactions and loan assignments. She was previously a partner with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr.
DLA PIPER
November 8 – DLA Piper announced that Ken Muller joined the firm as a partner in the global Investment Funds practice. Based in San Francisco and Palo Alto, Muller will continue to represent private investment funds and growth companies in all aspects of their enterprises, including the formation, organization and operation of private equity funds, private equity real estate funds, venture capital funds, debt funds and secondary funds. Muller joins from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
COVINGTON & BURLING
November 8 —Taisuke (Tai) Kimoto joined Covington as a co-head of the firm’s Japan Initiative and a partner in its Corporate Practice Group, based in Los Angeles. Kimoto’s practice focuses on M&A transactions, general corporate matters, technology transfer agreements, and real estate transactions for companies based in Japan. He also serves as an outside U.S. general counsel for a number of Japanese companies and in that capacity coordinates advice in many areas. Kimoto was previously a partner with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
MAYER BROWN
November 8 – Jonathan Pacheco joined Mayer Brown’s Capital Markets practice as a partner in its Washington DC office. Pacheco has experience working on a broad range of securities offerings for companies in a variety of industries. Mr. Pacheco’s practice includes representing issuers, private equity sponsors and underwriters in a range of securities offerings, including initial public offerings, follow-on and secondary equity offerings, preferred equity offerings, at-the-market offerings, and high yield and investment grade debt offerings. Pacheco was previously Of Counsel with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
PROSKAUER
November 5 – Proskauer announced that Robert Shmalo joined the Firm as a partner in the Real Estate Practice of the New York office. Shmalo’s practice focuses on representing private equity firms, investors and participants in complex transactions involving a wide variety of uses of real estate. He joins Proskauer from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
BAKERHOSTETLER
November 4 – BakerHostetler announced that Adam W. Finerman joined the firm as a partner in its New York office. Finerman will co-lead the firm’s IPOs and Securities Offerings team. Finerman has extensive experience representing businesses in public and private securities offerings, IPOs, all types of M&A transactions and securities restructurings. He was previously a partner with Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP.
WINSTON & STRAWN
November 1 – Winston & Strawn announced the appointment of Matthew Schlosser as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office and a member of the corporate practice. Matthew focuses his practice on complex business transactions, including structuring and negotiating strategic and leveraged acquisitions and divestitures, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and venture capital and growth equity investments. Schlosser had been a partner with Kirkland & Ellis.
PAUL WEISS
November 1 – Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced that Gerald Brant and Jeffrey Lazar Kochian joined the firm as partners in the Corporate Department in New York. Brant and Kochian have both advised on high-profile public and private mergers and acquisitions, as well as on shareholder activism and other corporate governance matters. The two were previously with Akin Gump.
