Baker McKenzie promotes nine in tax practice across North America

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Baker McKenzie promotes nine in tax practice across North America

Adam Beckerink

Baker McKenzie has elected five new partners, one counsel and three directors in its tax practices in Chicago, New York and Mexico City as part of its promotions in North America.

In Chicago, Adam Beckerink and Jonathan Welbel have become partners in the tax practice. Within the same practice, Andrew O’Brien-Penney has become the director of economics and Ivan Tsios is now the director of economics and valuation services.

Beckerink advises multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals on a range of tax issues, tax controversies and litigation, including multistate and federal tax planning and the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions. He represents clients on state tax matters before administrative appeal boards, tax tribunals and courts in Illinois and other US states.

Welbel advises multinational corporations on transfer pricing and other international tax issues with a focus on US federal tax controversy. He helps clients navigate the audits, appeals and litigation process, and he has extensive experience working with tax court practice and procedure.

O’Brien-Penney provides clients with economic analyses and valuations to assist them in planning and supporting business reorganisations, new transfer pricing policies, transitioning to principal company structures and implementing cost sharing arrangements. He also advises on audit and dispute resolution situations, supply chain restructuring, planning, advance pricing agreements (APAs) and intellectual property migration opportunities.

Tsios provides comprehensive economic and valuation services related to transfer pricing issues and other tax matters. He assists clients with planning inter-company pricing, US and foreign documentation, negotiating APAs, restructuring inter-company arrangements, intellectual property transfers and dispute resolution. Tsios also works in the preparation valuations of businesses, intangible property and damages in mergers, acquisitions and other transactions, corporate tax planning, corporate reorganisations, antitrust and competition, and debt and equity valuation.

In New York, Paul DePasquale and Tatyana Johnson are now partners in the tax practice, and Joshua Nixt has been appointed as the director of economics.

DePasquale advises high-net-worth individuals and families on a range of matters, including cross-border investments, real estate investments, income tax and transfer tax planning, trust and estate planning and business succession, among others. He also advises multinational corporations and investment funds on US inbound and outbound international tax issues, as well as financial institutions on FATCA, CRS, withholding taxes and information reporting.

Johnson focuses her practice on US federal income taxation of corporations, with an emphasis on international tax planning. She advises clients on international mergers, acquisitions, post-acquisition and pre-disposition restructuring, spin-offs, supply chain restructuring, and other tax-related matters, including outbound and inbound tax planning, income tax treaties, efficient repatriation and intangible property migration.

In his role as director of economics, Nixt advises multinational companies across a variety of industries on transfer pricing and tax-related engagements, including planning of inter-company transactions, preparing US and foreign documentation, valuation and audit defence. His practice focuses on IP and other intangibles, and he has managed several analyses related to licensing, IP migration, and cost sharing.

In Mexico City, Victor Morales-Chavez has become a partner in the tax practice and Allan Pasalagua-Ayala is counsel.

Morales-Chavez's practice focuses on corporate taxes, non-resident taxation, international tax treaties and general tax planning. He advises multinational companies on projects related to M&A, corporate restructuring and due diligence.

Pasalagua-Ayala advises clients on transfer pricing matters, with an emphasis on economic analysis, including planning, compliance, valuations, APAs and audits in Mexico. He counsels companies from different industrial sectors on local transfer pricing matters, but has also been involved in global and regional documentation projects. He also has experience advising on business and intangible assets valuations. 

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