Practice Areas & Industries: Graham & Dunn PC

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Graham & Dunn’s Tax Resource Team includes most substantive fields of federal, state, and local taxation. The firm’s attorneys have the skills and expertise to provide effective and efficient legal representation of clients in such tax matters.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR THE BUSINESS PERSON
The firm’s tax attorneys work closely with one another and with other firm lawyers to assure that the tax practice is integrated into all transactions and projects for clients. Close coordination with the corporate, real estate and other business attorneys at an early stage in transactional planning is emphasized through both formal and informal contact. This coordination extends to the succession planning practice, where it is especially important that business planning for closely held businesses be coordinated with tax and estate planning.

A notable characteristic of Graham & Dunn’s tax attorneys is that they have significant corporate and general business law experience, in addition to their expertise in the tax field. This broad business experience assists in meeting all of a client’s objectives, rather than unnecessarily compromising business goals solely for the sake of tax results.

Services Available

GENERAL TAX PRACTICE
The firm’s Tax practice includes structuring transactions and comprehensive planning for individuals and businesses. Clients include corporations, partnerships and individuals, and range from small enterprises to publicly traded concerns. The firm’s tax attorneys have expertise in corporate combinations, separations, liquidations, redemptions, distributions and utilization of net operating losses (especially as they are affected when a business changes ownership). Graham & Dunn’s services include obtaining private letter rulings from the IRS National Office and representing clients in tax controversies at both the state and federal levels.

INTERNATIONAL TAX
The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience in dealing with the tax aspects of both foreign individuals and entities engaging in activities in the United States, and U.S. individuals and entities active in foreign jurisdictions.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The employee benefits practice includes qualified pension and profit sharing plans and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, including qualified and nonqualified stock options. The firm has significant expertise with the “golden parachute” provisions of the tax laws, which commonly arise in its mergers and acquisitions practice, Section 162(m) plans, Section 409A rules and other aspects of executive compensation.

STATE AND LOCAL TAXATION
Graham & Dunn routinely deals with issues of state and local taxation, including Washington State business and occupation, sales and use, real property and other excise taxes. In addition, the firm’s practice includes state and local tax planning for enterprises involved in multi-state transactions.

TAX CONTROVERSIES
The firm has extensive experience in audits, appeals, and Tax Court and other court proceedings involving IRS and state tax audits of taxpayers.

TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS
Graham & Dunn is regularly involved with exempt organization matters, including unrelated business taxable income issues and maintenance of tax-exempt status where an organization engages in for-profit activities. In addition, the firm has extensive experience in counseling private foundations established by individuals and families.