Swiss tax administration appoints next Director

The Swiss Federal Council has appointed Tamara Pfammatter as the new Director of the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) with effect from April 1, 2023.

Pfammatter, who will succeed Adrian Hug, is currently an ambassador and a member of management at the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF). As the Head of the Tax Division, she is responsible for Switzerland’s international tax dossiers and for the multilateral negotiations in the OECD’s project on taxing the global economy.

For over a year prior to her current post, she was deputy divisional head in the Tax Division and divisional head in the Corporate Taxation Policy Division at SIF. From 2009 to 2020, she worked as a project leader in the Tax Policy Division of the FTA. 

Martín Guzmán joins ICRICT as Commissioner

The Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT) is pleased to announce Martín Guzmán as a new Commissioner.

Martín Guzmán served as Argentina’s Minister of Economy between December 2019 and July 2022.

Guzmán advocated for the interests of emerging and developing countries during the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework negotiations to reform the international tax system that led to the global agreement in October 2021. 

White & Case adds Carlos Martinez to global tax practice

Law firm White & Case LLP has roped in Carlos Martinez as a partner in the firm’s Global Tax Practice.

Martinez will be based out of Mexico. Martinez joins White & Case from Creel Abogados, S.C.

Martinez has extensive experience providing tax advice to domestic and multinational companies on corporate transactions. He also provides advice on international taxation, transfer pricing and tax litigation.

White & Case partner Sang I. Ji, Global Head of the Tax Practice, said: “Carlos brings a wealth of experience acting as tax counsel on complex, cross-border deals. Further strengthening our tax capabilities in Mexico through Carlos’s arrival will support the continued growth and development of our corporate practice in this key market.”

Fabrizia Lapecorella to chair OECD’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs from 2022

The OECD’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs has designated Fabrizia Lapecorella as the next Chair of the Committee beginning January 2022.

Lapecorella has served as Italy’s Director General of Finance since June 2008. As Director General of Finance, she is responsible for tax policy, domestic European and international, the governance of the Tax Agencies, the coordination of the IT infrastructure serving the whole Tax Administration, and the administrative services for the Tax Judicial system.Continue Reading

Brian Untermeyer joins Andersen’s international tax practice

Tax firm Andersen has hired Brian Untermeyer as a Managing Director in the firm’s Dallas office.

Untermeyer will join the firm’s international tax practice while serving in a key national role within the US National Tax practice. Untermeyer comes to the firm with more than 30 years of experience in advising inbound and outbound multinational public and private companies on US domestic and international tax issues across multiple industries.Continue Reading

Raoul Stocker joins Bär & Karrer as Partner

Leading Swiss law firm Bär & Karrer has hired Raoul Stocker as a tax partner.

Raoul has 10 years of experience as a partner in tax law and is an honorary professor of tax law at the University of St. Gallen and director of the Institute of Finance and Fiscal Law.

Daniel Hochstrasser, senior partner, commented: “He will support our tax team in corporate tax law, dispute resolution in national and international tax law, as well as transfer pricing. His legal expertise and know-how will help us continue to grow our offering for our clients.”

Manuel Koch joins transfer pricing specialist Questro’s Stuttgart office

Transfer pricing specialist Questro International has hired Manuel Koch as a Partner for the firm’s office in Stuttgart, Germany.

Koch brings significant experience of over ten years specialization in transfer pricing consulting. Koch has wide experience in international tax planning engagements for international corporates including holding and principal structures as well as Swiss finance branches and IP boxes.Continue Reading

Jill Weise to lead Duff & Phelps’ transfer pricing practice

Global advisory firm Duff & Phelps has announced that Jill Weise will succeed Michael Heimert as the Global Leader for the firm’s transfer pricing practice.

Weise has nearly 25 years of expertise in transfer pricing. She previously served as the firm’s transfer pricing practice leader for North America.
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Transfer pricing expert Mark Madrian joins Valentiam Group

Transfer pricing expert Mark Madrian has joined Valentiam Group as a Partner in the firm’s West Coast practice.

Madrian has advised clients on complex cross-border transfer pricing and other international tax issues. He was recently recognized as a Leading Transfer Pricing Adviser by Legal Media.
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BDO Melbourne Gets New Tax Partner in Michael Smith

Michael Smith has joined BDO Melbourne’s transfer pricing team as a partner.

Smith has nearly 20 years’ of transfer pricing experience from around the world. He has worked in London, New York, and Sydney.   Continue Reading

Manal Corwin to Lead KPMG’s Washington National Tax practice

Audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG LLP has named Manal S. Corwin as the principal-in-charge of the firm’s Washington National Tax practice.

Corwin is based in Washington DC and succeeds Joe Pari. Corwin has served the firm for over five years as national leader of the firm’s International Tax practice and principal-in-charge of international tax policy.Continue Reading

Curtis Best Joins Andersen Tax as Managing Director

Curtis Best has joined the New York office of Andersen Tax as Managing Director. 

Curtis has over 26 years of experience in several areas, including international tax structuring. Best will be a part of the firm’s Commercial Practice group, with a particular focus in international services.Continue Reading

Former US Committee on Ways and Means Tax Counsel Joins Miller & Chevalier

Loren Ponds has joined US law firm Miller & Chevalier as a Member in the firm’s tax department.

Previously, Ponds served as Tax Counsel to the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, where she was instrumental in the development of the international tax provisions included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.Continue Reading

Charles Rettig Confirmed as US IRS Commissioner

The US Senate has, by a 64 – 33 vote, confirmed Charles Rettig to be the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner.

During his more than 35 years of professional career with Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, PC, Rettig represented numerous taxpayers before every administrative level of the IRS as well as in matters before the Tax Division of the US Department of Justice, and various other tax authorities.Continue Reading

Former OECD Transfer Pricing Head Joins Squire Patton Boggs

Former OECD Head of Transfer Pricing, Jefferson P. VanderWolk, has joined international law firm Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in the Tax Strategy & Benefits Practice. VanderWolk will work from the firm’s Washington DC office.Continue Reading

Franka Sturm Joins Houthoff’s Tax Practice as Counsel

Houthoff, one of the largest law firms in the Netherlands, has hired Franka Sturm as Counsel for the firm’s tax practice.

Sturm has over 13 years of experience as a tax specialist in international practice with a focus on M&A and oil and gas.

Before joining Houthoff, Sturm worked with the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration and with PwC as a Senior Tax Manager.

Baker McKenzie Elects New Tax Partners

Law firm Baker McKenzie has announced the election of 13 new tax partners.

The newly elected partners are: Michael Nixon (Singapore), Simone Bridges (Sydney), Kirill Vikulov (Moscow), David Jamieson (London), Jessica Eden (London), Rodrigo Castillo Cottin (Bogota), Paul F. DePasquale (New York), Tatyana Johnson (New York), Victor Alejandro Morales-Chavez (Mexico City), Jonathan Welbel (Chicago), Joshua Nixt (New York), Andrew C. O’Brien-Penney (Chicago), and Ivan Tsios (Chicago).Continue Reading

WZ Advogados Gets New Tax Partner in Artur Braga

Artur Braga has joined São Paulo firm WZ Advogados as a Tax Partner.

Braga joined WZ Advogados after a 20-year career at Ernst and Young (EY). Braga specializes in advising clients in cross-border tax planning, tax litigation, audit reviews, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate restructurings.Continue Reading