Alan Granwell, who can count a stint as international tax counsel at the US Department of Treasury during his career, has left DLA Piper to become of counsel to Sharp Partners, also in Washington, DC.
He advises multinational corporations on cross-border planning related to transactions such as acquisitions, dispositions and business restructurings; IP migrations, services arrangements, repatriation planning, international insurance, international transportation, cross-border leasing, transfer pricing and the use of bilateral tax treaties. He also advises high-net-worth individuals on cross-border tax planning and structuring, to include foreign persons becoming US persons and US persons moving offshore or expatriating.
He has recently become active in advising investors from emerging countries on cross-border transactions involving the US and Europe and in advising financial institutions and their clients on international tax enforcement initiatives, particularly on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
His administrative practice means he regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department, including negotiating advance pricing agreements, conducting competent authority proceedings, advising taxpayers on voluntary disclosures, assisting clients in obtaining regulatory changes and tax rulings and advising clients on tax legislation matters.
From 1981 to 1984, Granwell was the international tax counsel and director of the Office of International Tax Affairs at the Treasury Department. The role meant he was senior international tax adviser in the department and was responsible for advising the assistant secretary for tax policy on legislation, regulations and administrative matters involving international taxation and directing the US tax treaty programme.