LAW
{ TAX }
SHAD BROWN
ELIOT KAPLAN
Managing partner Brown & Jensen Law Firm brownandjensen. com
Brown represents clients in a variety of legal areas, including estate planning, probate, trust administration, guardianships, conservatorships, tax matters and QDROs. Trend to watch: “The possibility of significant tax reform is the issue that will have the biggest impact on the tax and estate planning industry in the coming years. Our country continues to operate in a deficit, which logic would indicate, is an unsustainable path in the long term. How our elected officials ultimately address this issue will have a significant impact on how we structure estate plans and many business transactions in the future.”
PAT DERDENGER
Partner Steptoe & Johnson steptoe.com Derdenger focuses on federal, state and local taxation law. Widely recognized as one of Arizona’s top tax lawyers, Derdenger has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 1995, and in 2016, was selected as the Phoenix Tax Lawyer of the Year. He also has been listed in Southwest Super Lawyers for 10 consecutive years and in 2013, was selected as one of the “Top 50 Attorneys in Arizona.” Trend to watch: “Federal income tax reform, which would be the first major reform since 1986, will impact not only the federal income tax practice, but also the state income tax practice, particularly with respect to states that ‘piggyback’ the Internal Revenue Code.”
124 ABL | Nominate at azBIGmedia.com
Partner Perkins Coie perkinscoie.com
YALE GOLDBERG
Partner Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP frgalaw.com Goldberg has a national reputation for successfully representing businesses and individuals in tax controversies in state and federal tax courts, trial courts and courts of appeal. He began his career as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Goldberg is a Certified Specialist in Tax Law (Arizona Board of Legal Specialization) and is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. Business advice: “We are in a service profession and a people profession. The best thing we can do to preserve and enhance our reputation is to serve our clients professionally, promptly and with empathy.” Trend to watch: “As government at all levels continues to grow, the demand for tax revenues could result in heightened audit and collection efforts by state and federal taxing authorities, putting individual and business taxpayers under increased scrutiny.” Surprising fact: “I juggle and I have run more than 60 marathons, many of them in under three hours.”
Kaplan counsels clients on private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures, entity planning and structuring, entity formation and dissolution, corporate governance, fund formation and business reorganizations and restructurings and the potential and related tax liabilities triggered by complex transactions and entity structures and administrative tax controversies. Business advice: “The legal profession has many different practices. Find the practice you most enjoy, learn everything you can about it and let your existing and prospective clients see your competence and passion for it.”
MARTHA PATRICK
Shareholder Burch & Cracchiolo bcattorneys.com Patrick’s law practice focuses exclusively on civil and criminal tax controversies. She joined Burch & Cracchiolo in 1987 after nine years with the IRS chief counsel. Patrick is a peer review rated AV Preeminent attorney, recognized since 2008 by Best Lawyers in America for Tax Law and named 2014 “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Controversy in Phoenix. Business advice: “Don’t let others define your success. Do what brings you satisfaction, be true to your values and treat others fairly. As simply stated by Mark Twain and Spike Lee: ‘Do the right thing.’” Trend to watch: “Cuts to the IRS budget and limits on federal hiring will have a substantial impact on the ability to get things done at the IRS.”