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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.