Former DOJ Tax Head Joining DLA Piper

NEW YORK (September 18, 2014) – DLA Piper announced today that Kathryn Keneally is joining the firm’s global Tax practice as chair of its Civil and Criminal Tax Litigation group. She arrives in October as partner in the New York office.

Recognized as a national leader in the tax and criminal defense bar, Keneally served as Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division of the US Department of Justice from 2012–2014, where she was responsible for the work of over 350 attorneys. During her tenure, she developed a groundbreaking program to redress past wrongdoing by foreign banks, and she worked closely with federal and state regulators on a precedent-setting prosecution of a large financial institution. She also developed and implemented a comprehensive approach to civil and criminal tax enforcement. Attorney General Eric G. Holder recognized her achievements by awarding her the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service to the Department of Justice and the nation, the highest honor that the Attorney General may award to a department employee.

“We are pleased to welcome Kathy, who served as the nation’s top tax prosecutor, to our tax and white collar teams,” said Heidi Levine, co-managing partner of DLA Piper’s New York office. “Her impressive accomplishments in government and private practice will be an asset to the firm and our clients here and around the world.”

Prior to her service at the Department of Justice, Keneally represented businesses and individuals before the IRS and other government agencies.  She was the lead trial counsel in a precedent-setting gift tax case, and has litigated extensively in the Tax Court and before state and federal courts in tax, litigation, and criminal matters. She has served as a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, and chaired two of the Section of Taxation’s Committees – the Committee on Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties, which addresses matters relating to civil and criminal tax litigation, and the Committee on the Standards of Tax Practice, which addresses ethics standards for tax practitioners. She is currently a chair of the National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud and the National Institute on Tax Controversy.

“Kathy’s in-depth tax and enforcement background uniquely positions her to handle the most complex matters, from both regulatory and litigation perspectives,” said David Colker, global and US chair of DLA Piper's Tax practice. “She is an ideal fit for our global platform and will be a great asset for a broad range of international matters.”

Keneally earned her LL.M. in Taxation from NYU School of Law, her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, and her B.S. from Cornell University.

About DLA Piper

DLA Piper has 4,200 lawyers located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.