McDermott Boosts International M&A Tax Practice

LOS ANGELES AND SILICON VALLEY (February 7, 2017) — International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to welcome Alexander M. Lee and Alejandro Ruiz to the Firm’s Tax Practice Group. Mr. Lee will be based in Los Angeles and Mr. Ruiz will be based in Silicon Valley; together they will bolster McDermott’s transactional tax capabilities on the West Coast and across the Firm’s global platform.

Mr. Lee was the immediate past head of Paul Hastings’ Los Angeles transactional tax practice.  He has broad experience advising corporates ranging from the largest multinationals to emerging technology companies on the tax aspects of their international as well as M&A transactions.  Mr. Lee’s practice focuses on mergers, acquisitions, capital markets, lending and finance; with an emphasis on the health industry and Asian international corporate transactions.

Mr. Ruiz is joining from an international law firm where he advised various entities on the tax aspects of complex domestic and cross-border transactions including mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, recapitalizations, securities offerings, debt and equity restructurings, joint ventures, and investment fund formations. Mr. Ruiz also has in-depth experience representing a number of private equity funds on tax aspects of their transactions.

“Mr. Lee and Mr. Ruiz are a great addition to our growing West Coast tax practice,” said Lowell D. Yoder, global head of McDermott’s Tax Practice Group. “They represent McDermott’s next generation of tax talent as we strategically enhance our talent pool to meet increased client demand for corporate tax services.”

“We look forward to the tax advice that Mr. Lee and Mr. Ruiz will provide for our growing private equity and M&A practices and our increased deal work,” added Harris Siskind, global head of McDermott’s Transactions Practice Group. “Tax structuring and analysis are always of paramount importance in our most complex transactions and we are enthusiastic about the expansion of our capabilities in this critical area.”

Mr. Lee and Mr. Ruiz bolster the Firm’s West Coast capabilities both in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. “We are excited to welcome such talented laterals to the ranks of those who have recently joined our West Coast offices over the past several months,” said Bill Gaede, partner-in-charge of McDermott’s Silicon Valley office.  Eric Gordon, partner-in-charge of McDermott’s LA office added, “The particular skillsets of these laterals cement the cross-disciplinary cooperation between our tax and transactions practices, to better serve our clients here on the West Coast and internationally.”

Mr. Lee is a highly regarded practitioner in the area of domestic and international taxation, and has been recognized by various publications including Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Legal 500 U.S., The Legal 500 International and has been recognized for many years by Super Lawyers magazine. He received his LL. M. from New York University School of Law, his JD from University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and his BA from University of California Santa Barbara.

Mr. Ruiz has been listed multiple times by Super Lawyers magazine as a Northern California “Rising Star.” He received his JD from Harvard Law School and his BA with high distinction from Indiana University.

About McDermott Will & Emery’s Tax Practice Group

McDermott Will & Emery’s Tax Practice Group includes more than 250 lawyers practicing in the areas of US and international taxation, estate and gift taxation, state and local taxation, and employee benefits. Among this group of exceptional lawyers is our US & International Tax group, comprised of 100 lawyers in the US, Europe and Asia, who provide counsel in all areas of taxation to a wide range of public and private multinational companies with operations in more than 70 countries. They assist with mergers and acquisitions, domestic and international tax planning, internal restructurings, transfer pricing, controversies, joint ventures, legislative matters and compliance.

McDermott was named “Tax Law Firm of the Year” in the 2016 “Best Law Firms” survey published by U.S. News Media Groupand Best Lawyers. This is the second time in four years that the Firm has received this prestigious recognition. McDermott was also named “Law Firm of the Year in Tax Litigation” in 2014, “Law Firm of the Year in Tax Law” in 2013 and “Law Firm of the Year in Employee Benefits” in 2012, all in the Best Law Firms rankings published by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers.

About McDermott Will & Emery’s Corporate and Transactional Practice Group

McDermott’s Corporate & Transactional Practice represents business interests around the world, from global corporations and industry-leading companies to privately funded and entrepreneurial driven enterprises, as well as the financial institutions that support them. McDermott consistently ranks in the leading league tables, including Mergermarket, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg and PitchBook. The Corporate & Transactional Practice Group was named “Team of the Year” for Middle Market M&A/Buyouts by The Legal 500 and is highly ranked by Chambers in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.

About McDermott Will & Emery

McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.