Americas Tax Awards 2015
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Americas Tax Awards 2015

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Top honours at this year's Americas Tax Awards went to Deloitte, Baker & McKenzie and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

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Methodology


Tax advisory and law firms made submissions during June and July this year for the awards, which covered tax and transfer pricing in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in South America, and Canada and six metropolitan areas in the US – Chicago, Dallas/Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco & Silicon Valley and Washington, DC.

The firms submitted three examples of their best work undertaken between June 1 2014 and May 31 2015. The submissions were judged according to two criteria: innovation – what new thinking did the firm bring to the solution for the client – and impact – how did the matter help the client achieve their objectives.

The 11 deal categories and the regional awards were also judged on the basis of the firms' submissions.

Journalists from International Tax Review and TPWeek then carried out extensive research to come up with shortlists and winners for the awards.


Argentina Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Bolivia Tax Firm of the Year

Brazil Tax Firm of the Year

Brazil Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Canada Tax Firm of the Year

Canada Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Chile Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Colombia Tax Firm of the Year

Colombia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Central America Tax Firm of the Year

Mexico Tax Firm of the Year

Mexico Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Peru Tax Firm of the Year

Peru Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Uruguay Tax Firm of the Year

Uruguay Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Venezuela Tax Firm of the Year

Venezuela Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: Chicago Tax Firm of the Year

US: Chicago Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: Dallas/Houston Tax Firm of the Year

US: Dallas/Houston Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: Los Angeles Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: New York Tax Firm of the Year

US: New York Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: San Francisco & Silicon Valley Tax Firm of the Year

US: San Francisco & Silicon Valley Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US: Washington, DC Tax Firm of the Year

US: Washington, DC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

US Tax Court Firm of the Year

Tax Court of Canada Firm of the Year

Brazil Tax Court Firm of the Year

Mexico Tax Court Firm of the Year

Americas Newcomer

Americas Tax Policy Firm of the Year

Americas Tax Pro Bono Firm of the Year

Americas Tax Innovator of the Year

Americas Tax Technology

Americas Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year

International Law Firm of the Year

North America In-house

Latin America In-house

North America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Latin America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Americas Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Americas Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

North America Tax Disputes of the Year

North America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Latin America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

Latin America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

North America Tax Firm of the Year

Americas Tax Firm of the Year

Latin America Tax Firm of the Year

Americas Banking Deal of the Year

Americas Capital Markets Deal of the Year

Americas Financial Services Deal of the Year

Americas Joint Venture Deal of the Year

Americas Private Equity Deal of the Year

Americas Tax Restructuring Deal of the Year

Americas Consumer Products Deal of the Year

Americas Energy Deal of the Year

Americas M&A Deal of the Year

Americas Media & Entertainment Deal of the Year

Americas Technology & Communications Deal of the Year

Deloitte won the Americas Tax Firm of the Year Award for displaying the greatest strength and depth of all tax practices in North and South America. Apart from impressive capabilities as a transactional firm, it continued to perform powerfully in transfer pricing and showed innovation in its deployment of technology, particularly data analytics, to help clients achieve the best tax situations.

Skadden Arps, which achieved notable results during the year as a transactional powerhouse and scored some big victories in the tax controversy area, was named North America Tax Firm of the Year, while Baker & McKenzie's capabilities in a number of jurisdictions in South America, such as Colombia and Mexico, won the award for top firm on that continent.

The advantage of being a specialist was seen in the victory of BaseFirma as Latin America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year. The firm won the national transfer pricing awards for Peru and Venezuela, and was shortlisted in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Deloitte won the North America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year award after winning the city awards for Dallas/Houston, Los Angeles and New York, and being shortlisted in each of the other places that make up the North American region for these awards: Canada, Chicago, Mexico, San Francisco & Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. The Big 4 firm was the most successful entrant in the awards overall, winning 11.

Some of the biggest and most notable transactions of the year from a tax point of view were also recognised in the 11 deal categories. The Burger King/Tim Hortons combination, which won some notoriety as an example of an inversion (though this description was hotly disputed by the two companies) won the award for M&A Tax Deal of the Year. And Repsol's takeover of Canada's Talisman Energy won in the energy tax deal category,

The awards were presented for the 10th time at a dinner at the Pierre Hotel in New York on September 17 2015.

Argentina Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Grupo GNP



Bolivia Tax Firm of the Year

Tufino & Villegas



Brazil Tax Firm of the Year

Lefosse Advogados



Brazil Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

BRATAX



Canada Tax Firm of the Year

Osler



Canada Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Gowlings, Taxand Canada



Chile Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

PwC



Colombia Tax Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



Colombia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Brigard & Urrutia



Central America Tax Firm of the Year

Arias & Munoz



Mexico Tax Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Mexico Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



Peru Tax Firm of the Year

Estudio Olaechea



Peru Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

BaseFirma



Uruguay Tax Firm of the Year

Bergstein Abogados



Uruguay Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Venezuela Tax Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Venezuela Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

BaseFirma



US: Chicago Tax Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



US: Chicago Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

McDermott Will & Emery



US: Dallas/Houston Tax Firm of the Year

Baker Botts



US: Dallas/Houston Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Deloitte



US: Los Angeles Tax and Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Deloitte



US: New York Tax Firm of the Year

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom



US: New York Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Deloitte



US: San Francisco & Silicon Valley Tax Firm of the Year

Fenwick & West



US: San Francisco & Silicon Valley Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

DLA Piper



US: Washington, DC Tax Firm of the Year

McDermott Will & Emery



US: Washington, DC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Sullivan & Cromwell



US Tax Court Firm of the Year

Sullivan & Cromwell



Tax Court of Canada Firm of the Year

Blake Cassels & Graydon



Brazil Tax Court Firm of the Year

Demarest Advogados



Mexico Tax Court Firm of the Year

Basham Ringe y Correa



Americas Newcomer

Creel Garcia-Cuellar Aiza y Enriquez



Americas Tax Policy Firm of the Year

Miller & Chevalier



Americas Tax Pro Bono Firm of the Year

Bichara Advogados



Americas Tax Innovator of the Year

Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting US



Americas Tax Technology

Vertex



Americas Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year

Deloitte



International Law Firm of the Year

A&L Goodbody



North America In-house

Melrose Industries



Latin America In-house

Isagen



North America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Kirkland & Ellis



Latin America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Taxand



Americas Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Americas Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



North America Tax Disputes of the Year

Mayer Brown



North America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Latin America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



Latin America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

BaseFirma



North America Tax Firm of the Year

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom



Americas Tax Firm of the Year

Deloitte



Latin America Tax Firm of the Year

Baker & McKenzie



Americas Banking Deal of the Year

BB&T acquisition of Susquehanna Bancshares

Sullivan & Cromwell; Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz



Americas Capital Markets Deal of the Year

FHIPO’s IPO

Davis Polk & Wardwell; Munoz Manzo y Ocampo; Paul Hastings



Americas Financial Services Deal of the Year

RBC’s $2 billion structured note programme and National Bank of Canada’s $3.5 billion linked note programme

McMillan



Americas Joint Venture Deal of the Year

Symphony Communication Services’ JV

Fenwick & West



Americas Private Equity Deal of the Year

Acquisition of GE Capital real estate assets by funds managed by Blackstone

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg; Dechert; Hogan Lovells; Simpson Thacher Bartlett; Sullivan & Cromwell



Americas Tax Restructuring Deal of the Year

ITR Concession Company restructuring

Kirkland & Ellis



Americas Consumer Products Deal of the Year

Becton Dickinson’s acquisition of Care Fusion and the acquisition financing

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom



Americas Energy Deal of the Year

Sale of Talisman Energy to Repsol

Fenwick & West; KPMG; Norton Rose Fulbright



Americas M&A Deal of the Year

Burger King / Tim Hortons combination

Blake Cassels & Graydon; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg; Fenwick & West; Kirkland & Ellis; Osler



Americas Media & Entertainment Deal of the Year

Verizon’s purchase of AOL

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz; Weil Gotshal & Manges



Americas Technology & Communications Deal of the Year

Altice’s acquisition of Suddenlink

Mayer Brown; Paul Hastings



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