John M. Breen has joined Caplin & Drysdale’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on international tax issues involving transfer pricing planning and controversies.

Prior to joining Caplin & Drysdale, Mr. Breen was Chief of Branch 6 in the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International) at the Internal Revenue Service, which has responsibility for transfer pricing matters and related issues.Click here for more details.

Olswang is celebrating the promotion of 10 new partners to the Firm, the highest number ever made up collectively. Elected to the Firm’s Corporate, Litigation and Media, Communications and Technology Groups, the appointments will take effect from 1 May 2008.

Olswang’s new partners include Natasha Kaye (pictured) - Natasha advises on a wide variety of tax issues including corporate sales and acquisitions, re-organisations, private equity transactions, employment tax issues and employee incentivisation packages. She also advises on real estate tax matters such as property investment and stamp duty land tax.

Reed Smith LLP has announced the addition of Craig P. Tanner to its firmwide Tax, Benefits & Wealth Planning Group.  He is resident in the firm’s San Francisco office, where his practice focuses on global compensation and human resources matters for multinational corporations.

“Craig is among the pioneers in the global compensation field,” said John Martini, Head of Reed Smith’s Tax Benefits and Wealth Planning Group.  “His significant experience in the global compensation field is ideally suited to meet the needs of our expanding global client base with operations in numerous countries, at a time when demand for expertise in this area is definitely increasing.”

On global compensation matters, Mr. Tanner works with clients on the design and implementation of equity-based compensation programs, including options, purchase rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and stock appreciation rights, as well as salary and cash bonus programs.  He regularly advises on the tax, securities, employment, currency exchange, and communications issues that the companies encounter when offering these programs to employees, directors, and consultants throughout the world.  He also advises clients on U.S. and cross-border compensation issues arising in mergers and acquisitions.

On human resources matters, Mr. Tanner advises companies on a wide variety of issues including codes of conduct, data privacy, employment agreements, entitlements, leaves of absence, reductions in force, and works councils.  These human resources matters typically involve transferring employees, cross-border employees, contingent workers, and consultants.

“The opportunity to play a key role in further developing a top tier global compensation practice comes along once in a lifetime,” said Mr. Tanner.  “As Reed Smith expands into major markets worldwide, providing this kind of support and helping its clients ensure their compensation programs and related resources are competitive in the global economy is going to add tremendous value.”

Mr. Tanner began his career as a litigator before transitioning his practice to the global compensation field.  He was a member of the team at Baker & McKenzie in San Francisco that launched one of the first global compensation practices in the nation. Prior to joining Reed Smith, he was a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group at DLA Piper.

“Craig is a well-respected leader in the executive compensation field,” said David A. Thompson, Reed Smith’s San Francisco Managing Partner.  “He is another great addition to the exceptional team we have in the Bay Area.”

Mr. Tanner earned his JD from the University of San Francisco in 1993, and his BS from the University of Colorado at Boulder, in 1988.  He is a member of National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP), the Global Equity Organization (GEO), WorldAtWork, and the Bay Area Compensation Association (BACA).  Mr. Tanner has published and presented widely on topics related to global compensation and human resources issues.

He is the second attorney to join Reed Smith’s firmwide Tax, Benefits and Wealth Planning Group this month.  Angelo Ciavarella, a federal income tax specialist, joined the firm’s New York office on March 3.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises.  Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions.  Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education.  For more information, visit reedsmith.com

U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Century City, Richmond

Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Birmingham, Greece

Middle East:  Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing

Baker & McKenzie LLP announced yesterday that it has expanded its global transfer pricing capabilities with the addition of Richard Boykin as Principal Economist. He will reside in the Firm’s London office until mid-2009 before relocating to its New York office.

“Transfer pricing is an important growth area for Baker & McKenzie,” said John Peterson, Chair of Baker & McKenzie’s Global Tax Practice Group. “Expanding our global reach in transfer pricing is key, given the multi-national nature of every transfer pricing project; as well as the increased focus of various tax authorities on transfer pricing as a compliance area. Dick will boost the Firm’s critical mass and skill set necessary to be a major player in the global transfer pricing market.”

Commenting on Mr. Boykin joining, Alex Chadwick, head of tax in London, said: “Having Dick team up with us in London will increase our capabilities to manage multi-jurisdiction matters with multi-national teams providing first-rate transfer pricing services.”

“We are excited to have Dick join us. He complements our existing capabilities in transfer pricing and will greatly enhance our presence in New York,” added Duane Webber, Chair of Baker & McKenzie’s North American Tax Practice Group. “Adding transfer pricing professionals, like Dick, in all regions is essential to meet the growing needs of our clients.“

Mr. Boykin has been practicing transfer pricing economics at KPMG since 1990, having been based in Washington, D.C., the Silicon Valley, London, and New York. Mr. Boykin has held a number of key positions while at KPMG including leadership of the firm’s global transfer pricing services group. A well-known transfer pricing advisor, he speaks and writes frequently on transfer pricing and related topics. Mr. Boykin holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland.

“Dick’s well-regarded position within the economics community and our well-established position in the market for legal advice is a winning combination,” said David Hackett, North American Managing Partner. “He will add significant depth and breadth to our tax and transfer pricing practice globally, in Europe, and in the United States. Our clients benefit from the ability to use Baker & McKenzie as a ‘one-stop shop’ for many of our services, including tax planning, tax controversy and transfer pricing advice.”

Baker & McKenzie has significantly added to its transfer pricing and economics capability with the recent additions of Ken Okawara in Tokyo and Glenn DeSouza in Shanghai. Over the last few years, the firm has also added Richard Fletcher (London), Stephan Schnorberger (Dusseldorf), Brian Cromwell (Palo Alto) and many others in the U.S., Europe, Mexico and other Latin American countries. There are more than 50 practitioners in the Firm’s Economics Group worldwide and over 150 practitioners in the broader Global Transfer Pricing Practice.

Commenting on his joining, Mr. Boykin said: “I am excited to bring my practice to Baker & McKenzie. The Firm has a recognized tax practice offering extensive expertise in transfer pricing issues, particularly in transfer pricing audits, controversies, and dispute resolution. I look forward to working with the Firm in driving the growth of the practice.”

With a worldwide team of more than 550 tax lawyers, economists and financial analysts, Baker & McKenzie’s Global Tax Practice is the largest tax practice of any law firm in the world. It ranks in 24 countries in the International Tax Review World Tax 2008. Fifty-two of our tax lawyers were named leading individuals in their field. In addition, Euromoney recognized twenty-one of our transfer pricing lawyers in its 2008 Guide to the World’s Leading Transfer Pricing Advisers.

Leading Benelux law firm, NautaDutilh, has announced the appointment of Jean-Marc Groelly as a partner in the firm’’s Luxembourg office, NautaDutilh Avocats Luxembourg.

Jean-Marc Groelly is a specialist in international tax law who advises on structured finance, M&A, private equity and real estate transactions. He joined NautaDutilh in January 2006, having spent over six years working in Luxembourg for Anglo-American law and consultancy firms.

NautaDutilh is the largest law firm in the Benelux market with 400 lawyers, civil law notaries and tax advisers in offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Brussels, London and  New York. NautaDutilh works in close cooperation with leading law firms worldwide on a non-exclusive basis.

Drew & Napier LLC has announced that Ong Sim Ho and his team joined D&N on 3 Mar 2008 with a view to leading and further expanding the D&N tax practice.

Sim Ho specializes in tax law and has more than 10 years of experience. He has been running his own practice since December 2001, which will cease to operate with his move to Drew & Napier. He was formerly with the Tax Interpretations & Treaties Branch, and the Law Division, of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). He holds both a LL.B (Honours) and an Accountancy degree and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Sim Ho sits on the boards of several private and public companies. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Accountancy of Singapore Management University and a member of the Investigation Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS) which looks into complaints of professional misconduct against CPAs.

Rachel Sandby-Thomas is to join the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) as Solicitor and Director General on 31 March 2008. She will lead a team of 220 people, including more than 100 lawyers. Rachel joins the Department from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), where she is currently Director, Tax Law

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Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has announced that partner Marc R. Trevino will become Co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice Group with partner Max J. Schwartz, who currently leads the Group. In addition, partner Matthew M. Friestedt becomes assigning partner for the group.

H. Rodgin Cohen, Chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell, said, “This step is yet another
demonstration of the exceptionally deep bench that we have in this area. We are
privileged to be able to provide the highest caliber guidance to our clients in the areas of
executive compensation and corporate governance, areas in which client needs have
grown substantially over the past several years.”

The lawyers of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Executive Compensation and Benefits Group
advise companies, boards of directors, management teams and individual executives on
the complete range of compensation and benefit arrangements in extraordinary corporate events, such as mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings, in the context of transition and succession planning and in a regular advisory role. Our advice
encompasses corporate governance, securities, disclosure and tax considerations.

The Executive Compensation and Benefits Group has been recognized in independent
rankings as one of the strongest such practices in the United States. Chambers & Partners
have noted the strength of the Group, reporting, “This ‘highly responsive’ practice keeps
clients abreast of the latest changes in tax, securities and labor law affecting executive
compensation and employee benefit plans. As well as operating a high-level counseling
arm, the group plays an integral part in sophisticated M&A transactions…The team has
also seen an increase in its work as special counsel to compensation committees as a
result of the enhanced environment of corporate governance in the USA.” (Chambers
USA 2006)

Marc R. Trevino is a member of both the Executive Compensation and Benefits Group and S&C’s Financial Institutions Group and has been practicing for 14 years. Marc’s practice focuses on advising financial institutions in a wide range of compensation and benefits matters, including transactional matters, succession and related compensation matters, regulatory and compliance issues and investigations. Mr. Trevino also lectures and writes extensively on compensation and corporate governance matters, including for the American Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Bank Director magazine, The Corporate Counsel and The Corporate Governance Advisor. He is currently the co-chairman of the PLI Executive Compensation Program.

Max J. Schwartz, currently the Managing Partner of the Group, has been practicing for 34
years. He has broad-based experience in the securities, tax, ERISA and labor laws impacting executive compensation and employee benefits, and advises the Firm’s clients on both a regular, ongoing basis and in the context of corporate transactions and initial public offerings. Mr. Schwartz is widely recognized as a leader of this field in consecutive recent editions of established guides to the legal profession.

Matthew M. Friestedt has been practicing for ten years and is experienced in handling all
matters involving the compensation of senior executives, including employment, change-in-control and severance agreements, equity compensation arrangements and other incentive compensation arrangements. Mr. Friestedt’s primary focus is on dealing with all compensation and benefits matters arising in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. He also lectures and writes on compensation matters, including for The National Association of Stock Plan Professionals and The M&A Lawyer.

About Sullivan & Cromwell

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is a global law firm that advises on major domestic and cross-
border M&A, finance and corporate transactions, significant litigation and corporate
investigations, and complex regulatory, tax and estate planning matters. The Firm’s
hallmarks are the highest quality independent advice and intense dedication to solving
client problems. Founded in 1879, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has over 700 lawyers on
four continents, with four offices in the U.S., including its headquarters in New York,
three offices in Europe, two in Australia and three in Asia.

Financial Services Tax Lawyer, Dr. Bert Kimpel, has joined the Taylor Wessing tax team in Dusseldorf as of 1 February 2008. He previously worked as a senior manager at PwC.

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Janne Juusela has been invited to join the partnership at Attorneys at Law Borenius & Kemppinen Ltd.

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Borenius & Kemppinen is one of the leading law firms in Finland. With offices in Helsinki, Espoo and Tampere, it is also one of the country’s largest law firms.