International

  • June 27, 2024

    IRS Tells 10th Circ. To Deny Liberty Global's $110M Refund Bid

    The U.S. government urged the Tenth Circuit on Thursday to reject telecommunication giant Liberty Global's push for a $110 million tax refund, arguing a lower court correctly deduced that the company's business restructurings were carried out solely to avoid tax.

  • June 27, 2024

    $2.1B Danish Tax Fraud Suspect Won't Testify, Court Says

    A New York federal court denied dueling requests from U.S. pension plan investors accused of participating in a $2.1 billion Danish tax fraud scheme and from Denmark's tax agency to bring in the man that both sides say masterminded the scheme, or to bring in one of his employees.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ex-Skadden Tax Head And M&A Pro Joins Freshfields In NY

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP has added the former head of the tax practice at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP as a partner this week, who brings to the role experience in deals like 21st Century Fox's $71 billion acquisition by Disney and the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.

  • June 27, 2024

    New FATCA Deal Requires US Banks To Share Info With Swiss

    The United States and Switzerland signed a Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act agreement that will require U.S. banks to share financial account information on a bilateral basis, Switzerland's Federal Department of Finance announced Thursday.

  • June 27, 2024

    Algeria Commits To OECD Tax Treaty Standards

    Algeria signed on to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's multilateral convention Thursday, committing to implement the group's standards to fight base erosion and profit shifting in bilateral tax treaties, the OECD said.

  • June 27, 2024

    New EU Chair Wants VAT Deal Despite Calendar Omission

    The incoming chair of meetings of European Union countries wants agreement on a proposal to require that platform companies such as Airbnb and Uber collect value-added tax for service providers despite leaving it off its work calendar, a spokesperson said.

  • June 26, 2024

    EU Court Tosses Spanish Shipping Cos. State Aid Appeal

    A European court on Wednesday once again dismissed a 2014 challenge to the European Commission's move to block a Spanish tax scheme benefiting Spanish shipbuilders and their suppliers.

  • June 26, 2024

    Repatriation Tax Ruling May Sway State Wealth Tax Debates

    The U.S. Supreme Court's upholding of the federal repatriation tax could indirectly affect state tax policy discussions, including by influencing consideration of wealth taxes and encouraging states to keep potential due process issues in mind when enacting tax legislation.

  • June 26, 2024

    Pepsi's Royalty Tax Liability Overturned By Australian Panel

    A Federal Court of Australia judge incorrectly ruled that payments for beverage concentrate between Pepsi subsidiaries in Australia and Singapore included the license to use Pepsi's trademark and so triggered royalty taxes, a panel of the court ruled Wednesday. 

  • June 26, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Denies Contractor's $37M Tax Reimbursement Bid

    A U.S. State Department armed security contractor is not entitled to $37 million in reimbursement tied to tax payments to the Afghan government because the contractor's parent company, not the company itself, incurred the costs associated with the payments, the Federal Circuit said Wednesday.

  • June 26, 2024

    Medical Device Co. To Pay $935K Atty Fees In Tax Fraud Suit

    A medical equipment company's leaders will pay $935,000 in attorney fees to investors' counsel after mediating a settlement in a proposed class action alleging the company breached fiduciary duty in failing to disclose its former CEO's involvement in a tax fraud dispute with Denmark.

  • June 26, 2024

    Kenya President Backs Off Finance Bill After Fatal Protests

    Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday that he will withdraw a controversial finance bill that included tax hikes that inspired mass protests, including storming the country's Parliament building leaving multiple people dead, according to local news reports.

  • June 26, 2024

    EU Justice Head Loses Bid To Lead Human Rights Group

    The European Union's justice commissioner failed in his bid to lead a European human rights organization and returned Wednesday from his leave of absence for the remaining four months of his term as commissioner.

  • June 26, 2024

    EU State Auditors Must Respect Tax Incentives, Lawyer Says

    European Union countries need to make sure that their tax authorities are supporting incentive programs, such as those related to research and development, rather than interpreting laws in inconsistent ways, a tax lawyer said Wednesday.

  • June 26, 2024

    Irish Pick New Finance Minister After Former Heads To EU

    Ireland picked a current junior minister as its new finance minister, the ministry confirmed to Law360 on Wednesday, one day after the government nominated the outgoing finance minister to serve on the next European Commission. 

  • June 25, 2024

    US Needs To Broaden Tax Base, Increase Rates, OECD Says

    The United States' debt-to-gross-domestic-product ratio is the highest it's been since World War II, necessitating a wide range of tax changes to both expand the tax base and increase rates to alleviate fiscal pressures, the OECD said Tuesday.

  • June 25, 2024

    Pharma Co. Teva To Pay Israel $750M In Tax Debt Settlement

    Israel-based multinational Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. reached an agreement with the Israel Tax Authority to settle 12 years' worth of pending tax litigation by paying $750 million over the course of five years, the company said Tuesday.

  • June 25, 2024

    Asia, Pacific Tax-To-GDP Ratio Returns To Pre-COVID Level

    Tax revenue in Asia and the Pacific rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 thanks to boosts in tourism and commodity prices, but the region's average tax-to-gross domestic product ratio is still lagging behind the average OECD ratio, the group said Tuesday.

  • June 25, 2024

    Pension Plans Can't Escape $2B Danish Tax Fraud Dispute

    Two U.S. pension plans made an "extremely strained" contention that Denmark's tax administrator waited too long to accuse them of participating in a $2.1 billion fraud scheme, a New York federal judge said in declining to toss the case.

  • June 25, 2024

    Hong Kong, Armenia Reach Double-Tax Treaty Deal

    Hong Kong signed an agreement with Armenia on a treaty to prevent double taxation as part of a larger goal to establish such treaties with countries participating in China's Belt and Road global infrastructure project, Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department said.

  • June 25, 2024

    Ex-DOJ Atty Among New Trio At Chamberlain Hrdlicka

    Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry has strengthened its tax controversy and litigation practice with the addition of three attorneys in Atlanta, including a former senior trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for more than three decades.

  • June 25, 2024

    J&J Counsel Urges OECD To Ease Burdens Of Global Min. Tax

    Counsel for Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday urged the OECD and government officials working on the Pillar Two global minimum corporate tax to consider more permanent safe harbor provisions to reduce the compliance burdens associated with the levy.

  • June 25, 2024

    Global Tax Overhaul Won't Squash Competition, US Rep. Says

    The global tax overhaul designed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development won't eliminate countries competing for companies' investments, a U.S. House lawmaker said Tuesday.

  • June 25, 2024

    EU Leaders To Include Tax Revamp In 5-Year Plan, Draft Says

    A targeted makeover of the tax systems in European Union countries will be part of the bloc's top priorities for the next five years as it aims to improve business financing to sharpen its competitiveness, a draft document suggested.

  • June 25, 2024

    New EU Chair Hungary Eyes Talks On Corp. Tax, But No Deals

    Hungary, the incoming chair of meetings of European Union countries, plans to discuss energy taxation and several proposals on corporate taxation during the next six months but doesn't expect to reach any agreements, according to meeting agendas.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves

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    As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • US-Chile Tax Treaty May Encourage Cross-Border Investment

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    Provisions in the recently effective U.S.-Chile bilateral income tax treaty should encourage business between the two countries, as they reduce U.S. withholding tax on investment income for Chilean taxpayers, exempt certain U.S. taxpayers from Chilean capital gains tax, and clarify U.S. foreign tax credit rules, say attorneys at Kramer Levin.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout

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    While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • Cayman Islands Off AML Risk Lists, Signaling Robust Controls

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    As a world-leading jurisdiction for securitization special purpose entities, the removal of the Cayman Islands from increased anti-money laundering monitoring lists is a significant milestone that will benefit new and existing financial services customers conducting business in the territory, say lawyers at Walkers Global.

  • The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift

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    As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.

  • As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders

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    The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

  • The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • 6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

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