Three Tax Partners Join Washington, D.C. Office
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 23, 2007) — The Washington, D.C. office of McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the addition of three tax partners to its practice. Blake Rubin, formerly head of Arnold & Porter’s tax practice, along with Andrea Whiteway and Jon Finkelstein have joined the Firm’s 100+ lawyer Tax Department, including 35+ lawyers in Washington, D.C. In addition, this group joins four other tax and benefits lawyers—Robert Dilworth, Elizabeth Erickson, Eugene Holmes and Jean Pawlow—who also joined the Washington, D.C. office as lateral partners in 2007.
"This is an exceptional team we welcome to our D.C. office," commented Bobby Burchfield, co-head of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. "This group's arrival follows on the heels of 13 lateral partners who have joined our D.C. office, including Abbe Lowell and Stephen Ryan, and more than 40 lateral partners Firm-wide, since January."
Mr. Rubin is a nationally recognized authority in the area of federal taxation, with particular emphasis on matters relating to partnerships and other pass-through entities and real estate taxation. He has extensive experience structuring large partnership and real estate transactions, and serves as principal outside tax counsel or does substantial work for three members of the Forbes 400, five publicly traded REITs and a variety of smaller organizations. His practice includes transactional, policy and controversy matters.
"The breadth and depth of McDermott’s experience in tax, real estate and corporate transactional matters, together with its extensive geographic platform, were key to our decision," commented Mr. Rubin. "We are looking forward to becoming part of McDermott’s well-known tax practice while also providing our clients a wealth of resources throughout the Firm."
Ms. Whiteway is widely regarded as a premier attorney in the area of partnership and real estate taxation. She regularly advises clients on matters involving tax advantaged dispositions and acquisitions of real estate, large partnership transactions, forward and reverse like-kind exchanges and exchanges of tenancy in common interests in real estate, real estate funds, REIT tax status and tax structured dispositions of real estate involving REITs, structuring private REITs, and corporate acquisitions and mergers.
Mr. Finkelstein practices primarily in the area of federal taxation with an emphasis on tax issues related to partnership and corporate transactions. He has substantial experience advising clients on issues related joint venture and fund formation, acquisitions, dispositions, recapitalizations and reorganizations.
"This group brings both talent and experience. They are a great match with our D.C. tax practice and will undoubtedly become a key asset to our worldwide tax practice," commented Michael Fayhee, head of McDermott's Tax Department.
McDermott Will & Emery has one of the largest and most comprehensive law firm tax practices in the world, advising clients on all tax-related areas, including corporate, employee benefits, private clients, state and local taxation, and international matters. McDermott’s depth of experience and sophisticated resources enable the Firm to serve every tax need of our clients.
Biographical Notes
Blake Rubin is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Super Lawyers in both the tax and real estate categories. He is also listed in America's Leading Business Lawyers, which describes him as "one of the best at tax structuring." Washingtonian magazine named him as one of the top lawyers in Washington, D.C. He is the author of more than 100 professional articles and has lectured on tax topics at hundreds of conferences across the country. He served as Chair of the 1,600 member District of Columbia Bar Section of Taxation, and currently is serving his second term as chair of its Pass-through Entities and Real Estate Committee. He served as Chair of the Real Estate Taxation Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, and serves as Real Estate and Partnership Taxation Chair for New York University’s Annual Institute on Federal Taxation. From 1984 through 1987, Mr. Rubin served with the Office of Tax Legislative Counsel, U.S. Department of Treasury. He was deeply involved in the development of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 provisions and administrative guidance affecting real estate and partnerships. Mr. Rubin received a B.A. from Haverford College, an M.B.A., with distinction, from the Wharton School, and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Order of the Coif, Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor fraternities, and is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. He is also the founder and president of the Washington, D.C., Center for Public Interest Tax Law, a not-for-profit corporation that provides pro bono representation to low income taxpayers before the U.S. Tax Court.
Andrea Macintosh Whiteway is Vice Chair of the Real Estate Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. She was recently recognized as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. She is an active member of Urban Land Institute, serves on the Tax Policy Advisory Committee of the Real Estate Roundtable, and is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. In addition, she is the executive director of the Washington, D.C. Center for Public Interest Tax Law. She has authored more than 70 professional articles and lectured at more than 90 conferences across the country. Ms. Whiteway earned her B.A. from Cornell University, her J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law and her LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center.
Jon Finkelstein has authored more than 30 professional articles and is a frequent lecturer at tax conferences across the country. He earned his B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, magna cum laude.
