Pacific Life Insurance Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer James T. Morris announced the promotion of[private] Tom Gibbons to senior vice president, Corporate Tax;
A resident of Newport Beach, Mr. Gibbons joined Pacific Life in 2004 as vice president, Tax. He has been responsible for overseeing and directing tax strategy, reporting, and compliance for Pacific Life and its subsidiaries. As senior vice president, Mr. Gibbons will continue to develop tax strategies for Pacific Life and will also oversee Vendor Management, Information Security, and Business Continuity. He received a B.S. from Widener University and is a licensed C.P.A. in the state of California.[/private]
About Pacific Life
Offering insurance since 1868, Pacific Life provides a wide range of life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans. Pacific Life also counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S. companies as its clients. For additional company information, including current financial strength ratings, visit the About Pacific Life section of this web site.
KPMG has appointed Michelle Quest as UK Head of People, to lead the UK firm’s people strategy and policy development.[private]
Michelle takes over in the UK from Rachel Campbell, who was recently appointed KPMG’s Global Head of People.
Michelle joined KPMG from Robson Rhodes in 1997 and became an M&A Tax partner in the firm’s Tax and People Services practice in 2003.
Commenting on her appointment, Michelle said: “People are KPMG’s most valuable asset helping our clients to succeed in these changing times, so I feel very privileged to be taking on this role. KPMG has established itself as a leading employer in recent years and I am determined to build on this and to continue to shape our people policies to enable our staff to reach their full potential and deliver outstanding service to our clients.
“With signs that the worst of the recession may be behind us, the outlook is a little brighter for professional services firms. At KPMG, we are positioning ourselves for selective growth, particularly in our Advisory services, though it is of course important to remain extremely responsive to market conditions. We have also recently increased our planned September 2010 graduate intake by 25 percent, to over 750 students.”
John Griffith-Jones, senior partner of KPMG in the UK, commented: “I am delighted that Michelle is taking on this very important role. We know that in order to deliver the best service to clients we need to have the best people – our people philosophy is geared to enable us to achieve this, creating an environment where talent can flourish.”[/private]
RSM Tenon’s Chiltern Street offices has announced that [private]Pete Hackleton joined the firm from Deloitte on 1 February 2010 as an Associate Director in the entertainment, media and sports team. Pete has over 10 years of corporate tax experience, focussing on the sports sector since 2005. His clients have ranged from large multinational groups to smaller UK focused entities and he has advised on a whole range of sports tax assignments, from tax structuring for international governing bodies, to advising clubs and organisations across a range of tax issues, advice on corporate acquisitions, new stadium construction projects and cross-border IP structures.
Utilising his experience, Pete will help to bolster RSM Tenon sports and entertainment department with his extensive corporate tax knowledge and experience. Pete has previously helped to advise a number of major National Governing Bodies of sport in the UK as well as a range of other sports businesses. Pete also provided valuable input to HM Treasury during the drafting of specific tax legislation in relation to the 2012 Olympics.
Head of RSM Tenon Sports and Entertainment division, Julian Hedley, said: ‘Pete’s experience and knowledge will enhance our service offering as we are now able to provide an all round service from being able to offer a full range of tax services to sports and entertainment individuals to corporate bodies’.
Pete said: ‘I am delighted to be taking on a new challenge in joining this progressive organisation at such an exciting time for the firm, following the recent merger of the Tenon and RSM Bentley Jennison businesses in the UK. The team have an impressive client list in terms of personal tax and I am looking forward to raising the RSM Tenon corporate tax profile in the sports sector’.[/private]
CETERIS®, a global economic consulting firm that provides transfer pricing and business valuation services, announced today that[private] Leslie Prescott-Haar has joined the company, further extending its global presence. Leslie was previously a partner with one of the Big 4 firms and comes to Ceteris with over 15 years experience specializing in transfer pricing in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. Leslie brings to Ceteris extensive transfer pricing and commercial experience with APAs, tax authority reviews, investigations and audit defense, risk reviews, supply chain planning, and global, regional and local documentation projects, as well as expertise across a broad range of industries.
“This is an exciting time for Ceteris. Not only are we welcoming Leslie and her exceptional expertise to our company, but we are continuing to expand our brand internationally.” says Mike Heimert, CEO of Ceteris.[/private]
Recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America in 2008 and 2009, CETERIS® is a global economic consulting firm providing transfer pricing and business valuation services to the largest multinational companies, top-ranked law firms and leading government agencies. Our global group of advisors spans the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) announced today (12 February 2010) that [private]Andrey Shpak has been recruited to lead the Goltsblat BLP tax team in Moscow.
The announcement of Andrey’s appointment coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of Goltsblat BLP, the first international Russian law firm. The new firm was created when renowned corporate lawyer Andrey Goltsblat and some of his colleagues left Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners (PGP) to join BLP. Since leaving PGP, the Goltsblat BLP team has retained 90% of its former client base, and gained numerous new international mandates.
Andrey, a former PwC director and a specialist in advising both Russian and foreign companies on tax related issues, will lead the development of tax services at Goltsblat BLP to respond to increasing demand from clients. Following significant growth, the team now includes seven highly-qualified tax lawyers who provide tax consulting services to large-scale, complex projects across the firm.
Andrey, who joins Goltsblat BLP as a partner, started his career at PwC in 1995 and has worked across a number of sectors including FMCG, manufacturing, automotive, telecommunications and media. As a director in PwC’s M&A Tax Practice, he worked with Russian and foreign corporates on a variety of matters. For example, he recently advised on the acquisition of a leading pharmaceuticals distributor by a major private equity fund and on the acquisition of US assets by a leading Russian steel producer.
Within the UK, the BLP tax team has also grown considerably and is now the largest in the London legal market, following a number of major hires, including industry leader Michael Wistow in 2007 and more recently private client expert Murray North from Clifford Chance. The combined Goltsblat BLP / Berwin Leighton Paisner team now includes over 60 British and Russian tax lawyers based in Moscow and London. It offers the full range of tax services associated with financing, M&A transactions, real estate and funds operations and structuring. The team also has proven experience in representing clients’ interests before the various tax authorities.
Andrey Goltsblat, Managing Partner of Goltsblat BLP, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Andrey, who is one of the strongest tax lawyers in Russia, to our team. We are building the practice in response to a growing demand for tax services from our clients and in line with our aim to provide comprehensive legal support in all areas of law, both in Russia and globally.”
Andrey Shpak said: “I am delighted to be part of the dynamic Goltsblat BLP team and pleased to have an opportunity to work with such highly-qualified specialists in Moscow, London and other jurisdictions that are key to Russian clients. In addition to the global capabilities of the firm, I am excited about working across the other key specialisms such as real estate and corporate to provide our clients with tailored, commercially-focused advice.”
[/private]
Blair, Bohlé & Whitsitt, PLLC, (BBW) has expanded its partner group to include[private] Sylvia A. Warren, CPA. Ms. Warren, the fifth partner in the firm’s group, has been with BBW for five years as a Senior Tax Manager. BBW’s four existing partners, John D. Blair, Sr., CPA, George W. Bohlé, CPA, MST, Bryant A. Whitsitt, CPA, MBA and Steven J. Johnston, CPA, welcome Ms. Warren into their close-knit group and the impact she will have on the firm.
Ms. Warren’s deep knowledge and experience makes her contribution to the BBW Tax Group a significant one. Her attentiveness to individual client needs and project details parallels the benchmark the firm has already established.
“Sylvia has a stellar reputation – proved by the long-standing relationships she has with clients – and goes out of her way to make it convenient for her clients to do business with us. Sylvia brings significant value as a Tax Partner through her extensive experience in the areas of tax planning and compliance,” says John Blair, Partner and Firm Manager.
“I’m proud to be part of BBW’s partner group and have tremendous confidence in the knowledge and capabilities of our firm. We have strong skills and extensive knowledge in areas that are critical to financial success for both businesses and individuals. I look forward to my new role and the contributions that I can make in growing the firm in all of our service areas,” comments Ms. Warren.
Blair, Bohlé & Whitsitt, PLLC was formed in 2000 to offer services to clients in a comfortable atmosphere where their unique needs and circumstances are the primary focus. The firm has attracted highly-skilled and experienced professionals to their group, as illustrated in the first expansion of their partnership in 2007 with the addition of their Audit & Attest Practice Leader, Steven Johnston. Ms. Warren joins George Bohlé and Bryant Whitsitt as Tax Practice partners in the firm.[/private]
ABOUT BLAIR, BOHLÉ & WHITSITT, PLLC
Blair, Bohlé & Whitsitt, PLLC is full service CPA firm meeting critical business needs with Accounting, Audit and Attest, Tax Planning, Preparation, Compliance and Advisory Services for clients in the Charlotte, NC region. BBW ensures that, through extensive knowledge and experience of its seasoned partners, each BBW client gains financial perspective and has confidence that the firm is taking care of the details that are critical to its business. BBW’s partner group brings over 65 years of public accounting experience with local, regional and “Big Four” accounting firms and has direct access to the extensive global knowledge and resources through the BDO Seidman Alliance.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch named Charles-Henry Courtois as the new head for its International Trust and Wealth Structuring business in Charles-Henry Courtois, according to a report in London-based Wealth Bulletin, a Dow Jones publication.
Courtois, previously a director of Merrill’s ITWS business with responsibility for bespoke trust and fiduciary products, reports to David Jervis, head of Merrill’s wealth-management operations in the firm’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region, which is based in London.
Courtois joined Merrill Lynch in June 2007 from BNP Paribas, where he was deputy chief of tax and estate planning. Original article here: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201002111051dowjonesdjonline000529&title=street-moves-merrill-appoints-new-international-trust-head
Highly regarded international tax lawyer [private]John Couch has joined Baker & McKenzie LLP as a partner in Houston. Couch joins the Firm from Bracewell & Giuliani LLP where, among other activities, he spent significant time assisting clients in the United Arab Emirates and the former Soviet Union.
“We are excited to have someone of John’s stature in the international tax community join our North American Tax Practice Group in Houston,” said Len Terr, Chair of the Firm’s North American Tax Practice Group. “John is a seasoned professional with an established track record of attracting and discharging sophisticated international tax work. He will be an important player on a team that already includes nationally recognized international tax experts Melinda Phelan and Susan Stone, among others. John will assist us in strengthening and expanding our capabilities, including in the oil and gas and related areas of tax practice.”
For the last 20 years, Couch has represented multinational corporate clients engaged in a variety of cross-border transactions, corporate tax planning, organization, reorganizations and finance. He has experience working with and in tax regimes of more than 45 countries in Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia and South America and has in the past represented instrumentalities of the governments of Kazakhstan, China, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and Chile. In addition to his law firm experience, Couch has senior in-house tax experience in the oil and gas industry, and has participated in the reorganization, acquisition, financing and divestment of upstream and midstream assets and companies.
“John is a well-respected and highly effective attorney whose addition to our tax practice complements an already established practice and will further its successes here and globally,” said Lisa Meyerhoff, Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie LLP Houston. “We are extremely pleased to have John join the Firm.”[/private]
