International Tax, Estate Planning Attorney Lee Joins GT

MCLEAN, Virginia, March 7 -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release:

International tax and estate planning heavyweight Lucy S. Lee has joined the robust Tax Practice at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a shareholder. She joins from Akin Gump where she was a partner. Lee focuses her practice on international tax and estate planning for clients and high-net-worth individuals and families.

"Lucy's concentration in international taxation and structuring and managing businesses and investments in bilateral or multilateral jurisdictions will benefit the ever-rising needs of our clients," said Michael L. Lehr, a regional operating shareholder for Greenberg Traurig, and Mary F. Voce, chair of the firm's Cross-Border Tax Planning Practice. "We are elated that someone with Lucy's credentials and experience in international tax has joined Greenberg Traurig and we welcome her to the firm."

"Overall, this is an excellent opportunity for us," said Laura Foote Reiff, co-managing shareholder of the firm's Northern Virginia (NVA) office and co-chair of its Global Immigration & Compliance Practice, and Michael R. Sklaire, NVA office co-managing shareholder. "Her experience with pre-immigration planning for high-net-worth individuals and families as well as succession planning, including the use of domestic and foreign trusts and gift planning, compliments our local and national private wealth services and immigration practices."

Lee's experience includes providing consolidated tax advice in structuring offshore businesses and investments, cross-border mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and reorganizations, funding offshore operations, repatriations to the United States; resolving U.S. and cross-border tax controversies; and advising multinational corporations and pass through entities on their inbound and outbound business and investment transactions, foreign tax credits, FATCA, and U.S. tax compliance obligations in the cross-border context.

"Greenberg Traurig's U.S. footprint and global platform are important to my practice and my clients," Lee said. "Because of the firm's well-earned reputation for collaboration across practices and global markets, I am confident that my experience will serve as a valuable resource to a wide range of firm clients and to my new colleagues throughout Greenberg Traurig."

Lee has represented taxpayers in controversies with the IRS (and foreign tax authorities), including civil audits and competent authority proceedings. Additionally, she has guided foreign governments and professional advisors with regard to U.S. tax issues; settlors, beneficiaries and fiduciaries on tax implications of foreign trusts and foundation; and large private foundations in developing tax efficient cross-border investment strategies and U.S. tax compliance programs.

Lee received an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005, and a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 2001. She received her B.A. in 1998 from the University of Virginia. Before working at Akin, Lee was a partner at Ernst & Young and an International Tax Counsel with General Electric. She is admitted in the District of Columbia and New York. She is not admitted in Virginia. Her practice is limited to federal tax practice.

Lee is also frequent lecturer. She has been a special guest lecturer on U.S. international tax issues for the International Tax Division of the National Tax Service of Korea, and at the National Tax Service Officials Training Institute. Lee conducts an annual series of public tax seminars with the Korean National Tax Service and local embassies in major U.S. cities to address U.S. tax issues for businesses and individuals with U.S.-Korea bilateral nexus, and she is a frequent guest lecturer to major investment firms and their top clients.