US taxes: contentious

Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered

Client Satisfaction

Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered is a Washington DC-based boutique known for its strength in both civil and criminal tax disputes that is hailed by clients as ‘true leaders of the tax litigation bar’. The group acts on behalf of both businesses and private individuals and is noted for its strength in matters involving undisclosed offshore bank accounts and assets, though it also routinely handles other complex international tax mandates. Leading the team are highly experienced criminal tax practitioner Scott Michel and Christopher Rizek, whose practice covers conservation easements, estate and gift taxes, and tax shelter investigations. Michel and Rizek are praised for being ’knowledgeable, accessible, and very sensitive in dealing with clients’. Niles Elber handles both civil and criminal matters and has recently demonstrated strengths in the conservation easement space, Mark Matthews is primarily active on behalf of high net worth individuals, including those holding assets internationally, and Charles Ruchelman is a key name for captive insurance matters. Other core team members include international tax specialist Victor Jaramillo as well as Benjamin Eisenstat.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'The entire team is first-rate. Scott Michel, Mark Matthews, and Chris Rizek are as fine as any tax controversy lawyers in the land. Niles Elber and Victor Jaramillo are also formidable. They are all true leaders of the tax litigation bar, not just by their casework, but also by providing their time and talents to issues on behalf of taxpayers in general.'
'The experience and judgment they provide on cases is profound. I appreciate their ability to evaluate cases and their strategic thinking on how to reach results that exceed expectations.'
'Scott and Niles are knowledgeable, accessible, and very sensitive in dealing with clients who are vulnerable. They are respected by US tax administrators, which is critical in an area which can result in substantial penalties or incarceration.'
'Scott and Niles are comforting in files which require a leap of faith.'

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