Baker & McKenzie Strengthens Global Tax Practice with New Hire in China
Baker & McKenzie strengthens its Global Tax Practice in China with the addition of Brendan Kelly in the Firm’s Shanghai office as Partner, together with two China tax associates. Mr. Kelly joins the Firm from Deloitte in Beijing.
“The strengthening of our Tax Practice comes at an opportune time when China’s tax system is undergoing ‘harmonization,’ entailing the abolition of special tax holidays for foreign investors and the application of a single tax rate for both foreign-owned and domestic enterprises. This has significant implications for all our clients with operations in China,” said Michael Olesnicky, who heads the Firm’s tax practice in Asia Pacific.
Mr. Kelly brings with him more than eight years of tax advisory experience. He has advised a wide range of clients on tax and legal implications in China and has supported a broad range of cross border transactions. He has developed strong relationships with various levels of tax and government authorities in China, and throughout the international legal and business community in Asia. He has published numerous articles and journals and is frequently cited as a ‘China Tax Expert’ in the media.
Commenting on Mr. Kelly’s joining, Winston Zee, a senior partner in the China practice group, said, “With the addition of Brendan Kelly to our Shanghai office, we now have a full suite of experienced tax advisors to assist our clients in all three commercial and financial centers in China: Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Also, Brendan and his team in Shanghai will complement and expand our existing tax practice in the Greater China region, which includes partner Jon Eichelberger and his team in Beijing and the team led by partners Michael Olesnicky and Steven Sieker in Hong Kong.”
Mr. Kelly received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1997 and his B.A. with honors in Economics and Chinese from Trinity University in 1994.
Baker & McKenzie’s China tax practice is ranked as the ‘most successful’ of the law firms operating in China while its Hong Kong tax practice is ranked as the ‘most highly regarded’ law firm with Michael Olesnicky voted as leading tax adviser for M&A and cross-border structuring and tax controversy and Steven Sieker for tax controversy by the International Tax Review, World Tax 2005.
With a worldwide team of more than 550 tax lawyers, economists and financial analysts, Baker & McKenzie’s Global Tax Practice is the largest tax practice of any law firm in the world. It ranks in 21 countries and 39 of its lawyers were named as leading individuals in their field in the International Tax Review World Tax 2006. International Tax Review also voted them European Tax Firm of the year in 2005 and the Firm was awarded the Tax & Trusts Law Firm of the Year at the Asian Legal Business Awards 2005.