Practice Areas & Industries: Winston & Strawn LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Winston & Strawn’s tax practice takes a long-term, strategic approach to meeting client needs on the federal, state and local levels.  The firm has the depth and breadth of resources to provide assistance in virtually every area of the broad and complex field of tax law, from planning through audit,  appeals and litigation, as well as influencing changes to the law and administrative practices of the government  when necessary. We resolve significant tax issues for clients through creatively planning transactions, effectively influencing tax policy through the legislative and regulatory processes, carefully working with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and effectively representing clients in matters of controversy.  The strength of our practice is found in its balance of substantive and procedural experience that we provide to solve our clients' problems.  More and more of these challenges are presented by the international growth of our multinational corporate clients.

Our federal governmental relations and legislative practice works closely with our tax practice on issues of tax policy.  With the combination of substantive tax law capabilities and in-depth knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process, we are able to offer clients exceptional service in developing innovative strategies that produce positive results.  We regularly work with the staffs of the Treasury Department and the tax-writing committees to develop and refine legislative and regulatory text and are adept at modifying proposals to achieve a favorable cost estimate form the Joint Committee on Taxation.  We have demonstrated the experience, resources and strategic capability to shepherd tax legislative and regulatory proposals to a successful conclusion.

In addition to our general practice tax planning, controversy matters and tax policy, the firm's tax practice has substantial experience in a number of particular industries.  For example, the firm offers a leading foreign bank tax practice, representing major banks from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom, and many other countries in connection with their operations in the United States.  A number of our tax attorneys also work closely with the firm's energy practice to deal with specific tax provisions that provide incentives to these companies and resolve their often unique tax problems.

Representative Matters

Section 45 Tax Credit Experience
Winston & Strawn attorneys have combined their skills in the areas of project finance and partnership taxation to assist clients in connection with Section 45 financings, as well as numerous other facility deals similar in type and structure to those qualifying for Section 45 credits.      
 
Soka University Property Tax Litigation
Soka University
Winston & Strawn tax attorneys represented Soka University in litigation against the county of Los Angeles, California, and the state board of equalization in which the University sought a refund of property taxes assessed to Soka’s campus.      
 
Federal Tax Controversy Matters
Winston & Strawn's tax controversy practice is involved in representing our clients interests at all administrative and judicial levels.      
 
Appellate Cases - Tax
Our attorneys have handled appeals involving a variety of legal issues, including those in the tax law area.