Yesterday Bloomberg reported that Helen Garrett, nominee for Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, has withdrawn her nomination citing personal reasons. For the original article on this please click here
[private]Levi Strauss & Co. has named Blake Jorgensen the company’s new executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective July 1, 2009. Jorgensen is currently the chief financial officer for Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company. He will report directly to LS&CO.’s Chief Executive Officer John Anderson.
“Blake is a seasoned finance executive who brings a broad background of leadership, operational and strategic experience to Levi Strauss & Co.,” said Anderson. “He has a successful track record of working with global consumer product companies and his deep financial experience will be a tremendous asset as we continue to position the company for future growth.”
Prior to joining Yahoo!, Jorgensen co-founded Thomas Weisel Partners in 1998, where he served as chief operating officer, co-director of investment banking and a member of the Executive Committee. He managed all aspects of the publicly traded investment bank. Jorgensen also managed the investment bank’s relationships with key investors and several strategic alliances with international partners.
Before founding Thomas Weisel Partners, Jorgensen served as a managing director and principal in the corporate finance department of Montgomery Securities, where he oversaw the integration of Montgomery Securities into NationsBank and Bank of America. Earlier in his career, he worked as an independent management consultant to global corporations and held strategic planning and consulting positions with MAC Group/Gemini Consulting and Marakon Associates.
“I’m excited to be part of an iconic company with leading global brands,” said Jorgensen. “The Levi’s® and Dockers® brands are loved by consumers around the world. Based on the strength of these brands, I believe there are tremendous opportunities ahead for growth worldwide. I look forward to working with John Anderson and the entire Levi Strauss & Co. worldwide leadership team to realize this growth potential.”
Jorgensen takes over the chief financial officer role from Heidi Manes, the company’s vice president and controller, who has served as interim CFO for the past nine months.
“I want to thank Heidi for her strong leadership during the past nine months and our entire finance leadership team for continuing to build the financial strength of the company while we searched for our new CFO,” said Anderson. “Blake will work closely with Heidi once he is on board to ensure a smooth transition.”
Jorgensen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University with a major in Economics, and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
About Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world’s largest branded apparel companies and the global leader in jeanswear, marketing its products in more than 110 countries worldwide. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s®, Dockers® San Francisco and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ brands. Levi Strauss & Co. reported fiscal 2008 net revenues of $4.4 billion.[/private]
[private]David Freeman recently joined the Chicago office of WTAS LLC as a Managing Director in its rapidly growing corporate tax practice.
Freeman has over 25 years of experience providing tax planning advice to both publicly held and private businesses. During the last six years at Grant Thornton, Freeman served as the lead tax partner for both the Consumer and Industrial Products and the Technology industry teams in the Chicago office. Prior to Grant Thornton, Freeman was a tax partner at Ernst & Young in Chicago, where he led the Middle Market Technology practice, and later the High Net Worth tax practice.
Freeman brings to WTAS a wealth of experience rendering sophisticated tax advice related to business growth, transactional planning, cash preservation, and financial reporting to private and public companies in a variety of industries.
Dave earned B.S. degrees in both Accounting and Finance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and a law degree from Loyola University (Chicago). He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Dave is currently the treasurer and a Board member with The Center for Companies That Care.
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WTAS is one of the largest independent firms in the United States, providing a wide range of tax, valuation, financial advisory and related consulting services to individual and corporate clients across the country. The firm is comprised of over 500 personnel located in fourteen major cities and encompasses top advisors with previous experience in the international accounting firms, law firms, the IRS, and state taxing authorities. Our advisors hold multiple professional credentials and have depth in a wide range of capabilities allowing us to provide clients with comprehensive, integrated solutions.
[private]Regal Beloit Corporation has announced that John Perino has been named the Company’s Vice President, Investor Relations.
In this new role, Mr. Perino will oversee the Company’s communications and relationships with investors and analysts. Mr. Perino joined Regal Beloit in 2005 as Director of Tax. He assumed responsibility for the treasury function along with the tax function in 2006 as Vice President, Tax and Treasury. Prior to joining Regal Beloit, Mr. Perino held various financial positions with CLARCOR Inc., Maytag Appliance, Ingersoll Milling, Coopers and Lybrand, and Clifton Gunderson.
Mr. Perino earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Loras College and a MBA from Notre Dame University. Mr. Perino is also a CPA.[/private]
Regal Beloit Corporation is a leading manufacturer of mechanical and electrical motion control and power generation products serving markets throughout the world. Regal Beloit Corporation is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing, sales, and service facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia.
[private] Wolf Theiss is delighted to receive the award for Austrian Tax Law Firm of the Year 2009, as announced by the International Tax Review. Wolf Theiss was presented with the award at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 19 May 2009.
This prestigious award reflects Wolf Theiss’ continued in-depth expertise in the notoriously complex area of tax law. Wolf Theiss’ tax team deals with all areas of tax law, including advising on tax aspects of M&A transactions, corporate reorganizations, financial products, international holding structures and private wealth management.
“The intricacies of tax law require a superior level of expertise. Our growing team has detailed knowledge of all aspects of national and international tax law. We are immensely proud to be honoured with this award, for the third time now,” said Niklas Schmidt, head of Wolf Theiss’ Tax Practice Group.
Wolf Theiss Austria is already ranked as a top tier tax law firm in the Legal 500, as well as having consolidated its position among the elite band of Austrian tax law firms in the Chambers & Partners rankings. This latest award reinforces Wolf Theiss’ position as the foremost expert in Austrian tax law.[/private]
[private]Faludi Wolf Theiss law office has announced that it is launching a dedicated tax practice, with the hire of Mr. Balázs Békés, who joined the firm on 18th May as the third partner in the Wolf Theiss Budapest office. With his recognised expertise in international and European tax law, Mr. Békés will also play a pivotal role in the regional tax practice of Wolf Theiss, one of the leading law firms in Central and Eastern Europe.
With the addition of this tax practice, Faludi Wolf Theiss can now provide its clients with an integrated legal and taxation service. This is particularly important as tax issues often constitute a key driver in relation to corporate and commercial transactions, as well as complex project structuring.
As Regional Tax Partner, Balázs Békés’s role will be to establish this new practice, drawing upon the team of highly qualified and experienced lawyers and future recruits.
Before joining Faludi Wolf Theiss, Balázs Békés worked as an international Tax Partner in Hungary and in various Deloitte foreign offices including Vienna, London, Paris and New York. Following Hungary’s accession to the EU, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Commissioner Kovács in the European Commission of the European Union. Prior to joining Faludi Wolf Theiss he acted as the leader of the International Tax Group of Deloitte Russia and CIS. And in 2008, he was awarded “Leading Tax Advisor” by the International Tax Review.
Zoltán Faludi, Managing Partner at Wolf Theiss Budapest, said: “We think it is important to provide integrated legal and tax services. Therefore we are pleased to have a renowned national and international tax expert join our team. With the appointment of Békés as regional Tax Partner, our new tax practice group will be managed by an expert with proven expertise and long-standing experience.”
Balázs Békés, regional Tax Partner of Wolf Theiss Budapest, commented on his new appointment: “I see great potential in working with a law firm of Wolf Theiss’ calibre, and I am delighted to contribute my experience to the growth of the regional tax practice of one of the most dynamic firms in the region.” law office is delighted to announce that it is launching a dedicated tax practice, with the hire of Mr. Balázs Békés, who joined the firm on 18th May as the third partner in the Wolf Theiss Budapest office. With his recognised expertise in international and European tax law, Mr. Békés will also play a pivotal role in the regional tax practice of Wolf Theiss, one of the leading law firms in Central and Eastern Europe.
With the addition of this tax practice, Faludi Wolf Theiss can now provide its clients with an integrated legal and taxation service. This is particularly important as tax issues often constitute a key driver in relation to corporate and commercial transactions, as well as complex project structuring.
As Regional Tax Partner, Balázs Békés’s role will be to establish this new practice, drawing upon the team of highly qualified and experienced lawyers and future recruits.
Before joining Faludi Wolf Theiss, Balázs Békés worked as an international Tax Partner in Hungary and in various Deloitte foreign offices including Vienna, London, Paris and New York. Following Hungary’s accession to the EU, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Commissioner Kovács in the European Commission of the European Union. Prior to joining Faludi Wolf Theiss he acted as the leader of the International Tax Group of Deloitte Russia and CIS. And in 2008, he was awarded “Leading Tax Advisor” by the International Tax Review.
Zoltán Faludi, Managing Partner at Wolf Theiss Budapest, said: “We think it is important to provide integrated legal and tax services. Therefore we are pleased to have a renowned national and international tax expert join our team. With the appointment of Békés as regional Tax Partner, our new tax practice group will be managed by an expert with proven expertise and long-standing experience.”
Balázs Békés, regional Tax Partner of Wolf Theiss Budapest, commented on his new appointment: “I see great potential in working with a law firm of Wolf Theiss’ calibre, and I am delighted to contribute my experience to the growth of the regional tax practice of one of the most dynamic firms in the region.”[/private]
[private]Transfer Pricing Associates, the leading independent provider of global transfer pricing and valuation services, has announced that the firm has won the 2009 Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year award in the Netherlands and in Switzerland, and Best Newcomer Firm of the Year for Europe in the annual International Tax Review European Tax Awards.
The awards were presented at the official ceremony that was held at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 19th May 2009.[/private]
[private]CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAI), a worldwide leader in providing management, economic, and financial consulting services, has announced that John Brown has joined the transfer pricing team.
Dr. John Brown, Vice President, has analyzed economic aspects of international and domestic intercompany pricing matters in scores of cases across many industries, including telecommunications, computer and chemicals manufacturing, and distribution of all kinds. Dr. Brown also has extensive economic litigation consulting experience. He has provided economic support and testified as an expert witness in damage, antitrust, product liability and other cases calling for economic expertise. He is widely published on a range of topics, mainly in law and economics. Prior to his work in transfer pricing, Dr. Brown was a professor of economics at Brown University and a professor of law and economics at the Cornell Law School. He was also the assistant director for consumer protection in the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission and later, a private consultant in the economics of law and regulation. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago Law School and holds a PhD degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA degree in Economics from Harvard University. Dr. Brown is based in CRA’s New York City office.
About CRA International
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Founded in 1965, CRA International is a leading global consulting firm that offers economic, financial and business management expertise to major law firms, businesses, accounting firms and governments. CRA’s consultants combine uncommon analytical rigor with practical experience and in-depth understanding of industries and markets. CRA is adept at handling critical, tough assignments with high-stakes outcomes. CRA’s analytical strength enables it to reach objective, factual conclusions that help clients make important business and policy decisions and resolve critical disputes. Headquartered in Boston, CRA has offices throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
