Ivins, Phillips & Barker, Chartered announced that Lawrence M. (“Larry”) Axelrod has joined the firm as a partner in the corporate tax group, effective August 1, 2016.  Mr. Axelrod, who most recently served as Special Counsel to the IRS Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate), joins the Ivins corporate tax group and will lead the firm’s consolidated return and M&A tax practices.

“We are thrilled to have a professional of Larry’s caliber join our corporate and M&A tax team – there are very few attorneys of his sophistication and knowledge in the complex corporate tax matters space” said Ivins Managing Partner Eric Fox.  “While the firm has always been a leader in corporate tax, when Bob [Wellen] was tapped last year to lead corporate tax at the IRS we recognized a clear need to find a compelling successor to lead our corporate and M&A tax practice.  Larry not only fills that gap, but also brings with him unparalleled expertise gained through high-level government service.”

“Larry is simply unmatched in his expertise in corporate, M&A and consolidated return tax matters” commented Ivins partner, Jeff Moeller.  “His extensive, specialized knowledge in this complicated area, coupled with his intimate knowledge of the Washington tax landscape, complement the strengths and skills of the Ivins business tax team and provide a meaningful benefit to our large domestic and multinational clients.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Axelrod has demonstrated exceptional talent in numerous areas of federal income taxation, with a particular emphasis on M&A, internal restructuring, spin-off, debt versus equity, and consolidated return matters.  At the IRS, Mr. Axelrod drafted and supervised the promulgation of corporate tax regulations and similar guidance, and worked with taxpayers seeking private letter rulings on vexing corporate tax issues.  Prior to the IRS, he served for more than 20 years as a partner in Deloitte Tax’s Washington National Tax office, where he advised clients and other Deloitte offices around the world on the most challenging corporate tax questions.

Mr. Axelrod is author of Consolidated Tax Returns, a leading treatise on consolidated returns published by Thompson Reuters.  In addition, he has authored numerous articles on consolidated return tax issues including The Supreme Court, Consolidated Returns, and 10-Year Carrybacks, which was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 8-1 decision in favor of the firm’s client in United Dominion Industries, Inc. v. U.S., 532 U.S. 822 (2001).  Mr. Axelrod is a regular speaker at American Bar Association Taxation Section meetings and corporate tax panels presented by the Practising Law Institute.  He also is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School, where he teaches a consolidated returns course in the Master of Law in Taxation program.  He earned an LL.M from Georgetown, a J.D. from the USC School of Law, and a B.A. from SUNY at Stony Brook.