Davis Polk & Wardwell won the award for North America tax firm of the year for the first time at International Tax Review's fifth annual Americas Awards in New York on September 29. PricewaterhouseCoopers won the award for Latin America tax firm of the year.
The in-house tax team award, for the company tax department that displayed outstanding achievement in tax planning, compliance or dispute resolution, went to Dan Goff and the team at Xilinx, a technology company. Xilinx was successful earlier this year in a case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in which the court ruled that the company did not have to contribute to the costs of employee share options in a cost-sharing arrangement with its Irish subsidiary.
Douglas Shulman, Commissioner of the IRS, received the editor's choice award, which goes to the person or organisation that has had a significant impact on tax in the last year. Shulman also chairs the OECD's Forum on Tax Administration, which brings together 43 tax commissioners from around the world to discuss tax compliance issues.
Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers each took home nine awards, tying for the most of the evening. Deloitte won both Latin America indirect tax firm of year and Latin America transfer pricing firm of the year. In addition to Latin America tax firm of the year, PricewaterhouseCoopers also took home the award for Latin America energy tax firm of the year.
New awards this year went to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for North America media & entertainment firm of the year and Estudio O'Farrell for the equivalent in Latin America; Stikeman Elliott for North America energy tax firm of the year; Latham & Watkins for best banking tax firm in North America, Lefosse Advogados/Linklaters which won the same award in Latin America, Weil Gotshal & Manges for North America private equity tax firm of the year, and Marval O'Farrell & Mairal for best private equity tax firm in Latin America.
Sixty eight awards were presented to firms in 15 jurisdictions or US metropolitan areas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru; US: Chicago; US: Houston & Dallas; US: Los Angeles; US: New York; US: San Francisco Area; US: Washington, DC; Uruguay and Venezuela.
In July and August 2010, International Tax Review asked law firms and tax advisory firms to submit examples of their best work in both the transactional and dispute resolution contexts. The magazine's editorial staff then considered these submissions and the information obtained through interviews with tax directors, as well as peer interviews, to compile shortlists and choose winners for each of the country and regional awards.
Winners in bold
TAX FIRM OF THE YEAR AWARDS |
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Argentina Tax Firm of the Year |
Bruchou Fernandez Madero & Lombardi - Taxand, Deloitte, Estudio O'Farrell, Mitrani Caballero Rosso Alba Francia Ojam & Ruiz Moreno, Negri & Teijeiro Abogados, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Brazil Tax Firm of the Year |
Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão – Taxand Brazil, Lacaz Martins Halembeck Pereira Neto, Gurevich & Schoueri Advogados, efosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Machado Associados, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Junior e Quiroga Advogados, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ulhôa Canto Rezende e Guerra Advogados |
Canada Tax Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, McCarthy Tetrault, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt, Thorsteinssons |
Chile Tax Firm of the Year |
Barros y Errazuriz - Taxand, Carey y Cia, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Philippi Yrarrázaval Pulido & Brunner, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Colombia Tax Firm of the Year |
Godoy y Hoyos, Deloitte, KPMG, Lewin & Wills, Prieto & Carrizosa, Quiñones Cruz Ltda. Abogados |
Mexico Tax Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Chévez Ruíz Zamarripa y Cía, Mijares Angoitia Cortes y Fuentes - Taxand Mexico, Munoz Manzo y Ocampo, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tron Abogados |
Peru Tax Firm of the Year |
Estudio Echecopar, Hernandez y Cia, Miranda y Amado Abogados, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rodrigo Elias y Medrano |
Uruguay Tax Firm of the Year |
Deloitte, Estudio Bergstein, Ferrere, Guyer & Regules, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Venezuela Tax Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Candal Taxand, Deloitte, Despacho de Abogados miembros de Macleod Dixon, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
US: Chicago Tax Firm of the Year |
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Kirkland & Ellis, Mayer Brown |
US: Houston & Dallas Tax Firm of the Year |
Baker Botts, Ernst & Young, Bracewell & Giuliani, Vinson & Elkins |
US: Los Angeles Tax Firm of the Year |
DLA Piper, Ernst & Young, Latham & Watkins, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
US: New York Tax Firm of the Year |
Davis Polk & Wardwell, Debevoise & Plimpton, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Sullivan & Cromwell |
US: San Francisco Area Tax Firm of Year |
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young, Fenwick & West, McDermott Will & Emery |
US: Washington, DC Tax Firm of the Year |
Dewey & LeBoeuf, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, McDermott Will & Emery, Miller & Chevalier, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan |
North America Tax Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Deloitte |
North America Capital Markets Tax Team of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Cravath Swaine & Moore, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Latham & Watkins, Shearman & Sterling |
North America M&A Tax Team of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Cravath Swaine & Moore, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, McCarthy Tetrault, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt, Sullivan & Cromwell, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz |
Latin America M&A Tax Team of the Year |
Barbosa Müssnich & Aragão – Taxand Brazil, Chévez Ruíz Zamarripa y Cia, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Machado Associados, Miranda & Amado - Taxand Peru, Munoz Manzo y Ocampo, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
North America Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year |
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, Davis Polk & Wardwell, DLA Piper, McCarthy Tetrault, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Weil Gotshal & Manges |
Latin America Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year |
Bruchou Fernandez Madero & Lombardi - Taxand, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Negri & Teijeiro |
North America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year |
Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, Baker & McKenzie, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Latin America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year |
Deloitte, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Miranda & Amado, Estudio Ferrero, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
North America Energy Tax Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Borden Ladner Gervais, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Dewey & LeBouef, Stikeman Elliott, Vinson & Elkins |
Latin America Energy Tax Firm of the Year |
Candal Taxand, Godoy y Hoyos, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Mijares Angoitia Cortes y Fuentes - Taxand Mexico, PricewaterhouseCoopers Mexico |
North America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year |
Cravath Swaine & Moore, Deloitte, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
Latin America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year |
Estudio O'Farrell, Godoy y Hoyos, Lacaz Martins Halembeck Pereira Neto Gurevich & Schoueri, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters |
North America Banking Tax Firm of the Year |
Davis Polk & Wardwell, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, McCarthy Tetrault, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, Weil Gotshal & Manges |
Latin America Banking Tax Firm of the Year |
Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Godoy y Hoyos, Rodrigo Elias & Medrano |
North America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year |
Cravath Swaine & Moore, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Gibson Dunn, Kirkland & Ellis, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Weil Gotshal & Manges |
Latin America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year |
Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão – Taxand Brazil, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Marval O'Farrell & Mairal |
International Law Firm in the Americas |
Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Loyens & Loeff |
Best Newcomer |
Passarella Abogados, Peters Advisors, Turanzas Bravo & Ambrosi |
Latin America Tax Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Taxand |
Best use of Internet |
Deloitte, KPMG, Mayer Brown, McDermott Will & Emery, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sullivan & Cromwell, Taxand |
Editors' Choice |
Douglas Shulman, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service |
Americas Tax Policy Firm of the Year |
Bichara Barata Costa & Rocha Advogados, Deloitte, Estudio Ferrero, KPMG |
In-house Team of the Year |
Dan Goff and team, Xilinx |
Latin America Capital Markets Firm of the Year |
Carey y Cia, Chévez Ruíz Zamarripa y Cía, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Miranda & Amado - Taxand, Munoz Manzo y Ocampo |
AMERICAS TAX AWARDS 2010 - TRANSFER PRICING |
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Argentina Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Estudio O'Farrell, Mitrani Caballero, Rosso Alba Francia Ojam & Ruiz Moreno, Negri & Teijeiro, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Brazil Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Barbosa Müssnich & Aragão - Taxand, Deloitte, Lacaz Martins Halembeck, Pereira, Neto Gurevich & Schoueri, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Canada Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Gowlings-Taxand, McCarthy Tétrault, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Chile Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Salcedo y Cia |
Colombia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Prieto & Carrizosa |
Mexico Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Peru Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Rodrigo Elías & Medrano |
Uruguay Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Deloitte, Estudio Bergstein, Ferrere |
US: Chicago Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Ceteris, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Mayer Brown |
US: Houston & Dallas Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Ceteris, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Gardere Wynne Sewell |
US: Los Angeles Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Deloitte, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young |
US: New York Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Ceteris, Deloitte, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young |
US: San Francisco Area Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young, Fenwick & West, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
US: Washington DC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Deloitte, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young, McDermott Will & Emery, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Venezuela Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Candal Taxand, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
North American Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Blake Cassels & Graydon, Ceteris, Deloitte, DLA Piper, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Taxand |
Latin American Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
AMERICAS TAX AWARDS 2010 - TAX DISPUTES |
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Argentina Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Abeledo Gottheil Abogados, Bruchou Fernandez Madero & Lombardi-Taxand, Mitrani Caballero Rosso Alba Francia Ojam & Ruiz Moreno, Negri & Teijeiro, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Brazil Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Bichara Barata Costa e Rocha Advogados, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, Machado Associados, Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Junior e Quiroga Advogados |
Canada Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon, Deloitte, Fraser Milner Casgrain, McCarthy Tétrault, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt |
Chile Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Carey y Cia, Cariola Diez Pérez-Cotapos & Cia, Phillipi Yrarrázaval Pulido & Brunner |
Colombia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Godoy y Hoyos, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Prieto & Carrizosa, Quiñones Cruz Abogados |
Mexico Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, Basham Ringe y Correa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tron Abogados |
Peru Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Estudio Echecopar, Estudio Ferrero Abogados, Miranda & Amado-Taxand, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rodrigo Elías & Medrano |
Uruguay Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Estudio Bergstein, Ferrere, Rueda Abadi & Pereira |
US Tax Court Award Firm of the Year |
Dickinson Wright – TG Missouri Corporation, Shearman & Sterling – Deere & Company, Thompson & Knight – Container Corporation |
Venezuela Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Baker & McKenzie, D'Empaire Reyna Abogados, Tinoco Travieso Planchart & Núnez |
Latin America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Bichara Barata Costa & Rocha Advogados, Estudio Ferrero Abogados, Godoy & Hoyos, Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Taxand |
North America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year |
Alston & Bird, Bingham, Blake Cassels & Graydon, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Dewey & LeBoeuf, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West, Kirkland & Ellis, Mayer Brown, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Tax Court of Canada Firm of the Year |
Blake Cassels & Graydon – HSBC Bank Canada, Fraser Milner Casgrain – Heron Bay Investments, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt – TD Securities, Thorsteinssons – Garron Family Trust |