Methodology |
In July and August 2011, International Tax Review asked law firms and tax advisory firms to submit examples of their best work in M&A and capital markets tax transactions, tax disputes, indirect tax, restructuring and transfer pricing, and for best use of the internet. Additional awards for the best tax teams in energy, media and entertainment, banking and private equity, as well as the international tax law firm of the year and the tax policy firm of the year awards were judged from these submissions. Firms could rely on their World Tax 2012 submissions to enter for these awards, but were encouraged to make separate entries as the World Tax research questionnaire does not break down practice areas in the way the methodology for the Americas Awards does. International Tax Review's editorial staff considered these submissions and the information obtained through interviews with tax directors, as well as peer interviews, for World Tax 2012, to compile shortlists and choose winners for each of the country and regional awards. |
The Veritas case, which came to an end in November 2010 after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decided that it would not appeal the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case, covered the value of the transfer of marketing and technical intangibles in a cost-sharing agreement between Veritas, a software company, and its Irish subsidiary. The tax authorities argued that the cost of the transaction should have been $1.5 billion more than was paid.
Symantec, which subsequently bought Veritas, won the North America In-house Tax Team of the Year award at the Americas Tax Awards, which were presented in New York on September 27. In Latin America, the equivalent honour went to the Argentine unit of Monsanto, the agri-business multinational.
Other big winners included PwC, which was named the Latin America Tax Firm of the Year, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which won the same award for North America. Deloitte was recognised as transfer pricing firm of the year in both North and Latin America.
Awards were presented to the best firms for tax and transfer pricing in eight South American jurisdictions, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and six US cities. An award for the best tax disputes firm of the year was also presented in each of these locations, except for the US.
Each of these categories was also included in the North and South America regional awards, which also comprised awards for industry sectors: banking, energy, media & entertainment and private equity, specialist awards for areas such as capital markets and M&A tax.
The only individual winner was John DiCicco, head of the Tax Division at the US Department of Justice, though he was unable to attend the ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.
Argentina Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Argentina Tax Firm of the Year
Argentina Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Brazil Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Brazil Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Canada Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Canada Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Chile Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Chile Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Colombia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Colombia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Mexico Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Mexico Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Peru Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Peru Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Puerto Rico Tax Firm of the Year
Puerto Rico Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Uruguay Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Uruguay Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
US: Chicago Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: Chicago Tax Firm of the Year
US: Dallas/Houston Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: Dallas/Houston Tax Firm of the Year
US: New York Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: New York Tax Firm of the Year
US: Los Angeles Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: Los Angeles Tax Firm of the Year
US: San Francisco Area Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: San Francisco Area Tax Firm of the Year
US: Washington DC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
US: Washington DC Tax Firm of the Year
Venezuela Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Venezuela Tax Firm of the Year
Venezuela Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Latin America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Latin America Banking Tax Firm of the Year
Latin America M&A Firm of the Year
Latin America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Latin America Indirect Tax Team of the Year
Latin America Energy Tax Firm of the Year
Latin America In-House Tax Team of the Year
North America In-House Tax Team of the Year
North America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
North America Energy Tax Firm of the Year
North America Tax Restructuring Team of the Year
North America Capital Markets Tax Team of the Year
Tax Court of Canada Firm of the Year
North America M&A Tax Team of the Year
North America Banking Tax Firm of the Year
North America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
North America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year
International Law Firm in the Americas
North America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year
Americas Tax Policy Firm of the Year
Latin America Capital Markets Tax Firm of the Year
Latin America Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year
Latin America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year
Latin America Tax Firm of the Year
Latin America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year
North American Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
North America Tax Firm of the Year
Argentina Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi - Taxand Deloitte MCRLex Negri & Teijeiro Abogados |
Winner: Deloitte |
Argentina Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi -Taxand Negri & Teijeiro Abogados Deloitte Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal MCRLex |
Winner: Negri & Teijeiro Abogados |
Argentina Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi - Taxand Negri & Teijeiro Abogados Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal MCRLex |
Winner: Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi - Taxand |
Brazil Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Barbosa, Müssnich and Aragao - Taxand Ernst & Young Lacaz Martins Halembeck Pereira Neto Gurevich & Schoueri Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters PwC |
Winner: Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters |
Brazil Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ernst & Young KPMG Lacaz Martins Halembeck Pereira Neto Gurevich & Schoueri Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Machado Associados Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Pinheiro Neto PwC |
Winner: Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga |
Brazil Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Barbosa, Müssnich and Aragao - Taxand Bichara, Barata, Costa & Rocha Advogados Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Lacaz Martins Halembeck Pereira Neto Gurevich & Schoueri Machado Associados |
Winner: Bichara, Barata, Costa & Rocha Advogados |
Canada Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake Cassels & Graydon Deloitte Ernst & Young Gowlings - Taxand KPMG Osler Hoskin & Harcourt PwC |
Winner: Gowlings - Taxand |
Canada Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake, Cassels & Graydon Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg Deloitte Gowlings - Taxand McCarthy Tétrault Osler Hoskin & Harcourt |
Winner: Blake, Cassels & Graydon |
Canada Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake, Cassels & Graydon Fraser Milner Casgrain Gowlings - Taxand McCarthy Tétrault Osler Hoskin & Harcourt |
Winner: McCarthy Tétrault |
Chile Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie-Santiago Ernst & Young PwC Chile Salcedo & Cia Sapag & Gonzalez |
Winner: Salcedo & Cia |
Chile Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Carey y Cia Deloitte Ernst & Young KPMG PwC Salcedo & Cia |
Winner: PwC |
Chile Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Cariola Diez Pérez Carey y Cia |
Winner: Baker & McKenzie |
Colombia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Deloitte Ernst & Young Godoy y Hoyos Abogados KPMG Lewin & Wills Prieto & Carrizosa |
Winner: Deloitte |
Colombia Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Deloitte Godoy y Hoyos KPMG Lewin & Wills Prieto & Carrizosa |
Winner: Deloitte |
Colombia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Deloitte Godoy y Hoyos Abogados KPMG Prieto & Carrizosa |
Winner: Godoy y Hoyos Abogados |
Mexico Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Deloitte Ernst & Young Ortiz, Sosa Ysusi y Cía PwC |
Winner: PwC |
Mexico Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Basham, Ringe y Correa Deloitte Muñoz Manzo y Ocampo Ortiz, Sosa Ysusi y Cía PwC Tron Abogados |
Winner: PwC |
Mexico Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Basham, Ringe y Correa Deloitte Tron Abogados |
Winner: Basham, Ringe y Correa |
Peru Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Ernst & Young Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano Abogados |
Winner: Deloitte |
Peru Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Estudio Echecopar Hernandez y Cia Miranda & Amado Abogados PwC |
Winner: Hernandez y Cia |
Peru Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Estudio Echecopar Miranda & Amado-Taxand PwC Rodrigo Elías & Medrano |
Winner: Miranda & Amado-Taxand |
Panama Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ernst & Young PwC Taxand Panama |
Winner: Ernst & Young |
Puerto Rico Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Adsuar Muñiz Goyco Seda & Pérez-Ochoa Deloitte McConnell Valdés O’Neill & Borges PwC Zaragoza Alvarado - Taxand |
Winner: Zaragoza Alvarado - Taxand |
Puerto Rico Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Adsuar Muñiz Goyco Seda & Pérez-Ochoa Goldman Antonetti & Córdova McConnell Valdés O’Neill & Borges Zaragoza Alvarado - Taxand |
Winner: McConnell Valdés |
Uruguay Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Grant Thornton KPMG PwC Rueda Abadi Pereira |
Winner: Grant Thornton |
Uruguay Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Uruguay Ferrere Grant Thornton Guyer & Regules Rueda Abadi Pereira |
Winner: Guyer & Regules |
Uruguay Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ferrere Guyer & Regules Rueda Abadi Pereira |
Winner: Ferrere |
US: Chicago Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Ceteris Ernst & Young Mayer Brown Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Winner: Ernst & Young |
US: Chicago Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Kirkland & Ellis Mayer Brown McDermott Will & Emery Sidley Austin |
Winner: Mayer Brown |
US: Dallas/Houston Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker Botts Ceteris Deloitte Ernst & Young Gardere Wynne Sewell Vinson & Elkins |
Winner: Ceteris |
US: Dallas/Houston Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Alvarez & Marsal Taxand Andrews Kurth Bracewell & Giuliani Deloitte Locke Lord & Bissell |
Winner: Alvarez & Marsal Taxand |
US: New York Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ceteris Deloitte DLA Piper |
Winner: Deloitte |
US: New York Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Cleary Gottlieb Davis Polk & Wardwell Deloitte Dewey & LeBeouf Mayer Brown Shearman & Sterling Sullivan & Cromwell |
Winner: Sullivan & Cromwell |
US: Los Angeles Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte DLA Piper Ernst & Young Gibson Dunn & Crutcher |
Winner: Deloitte |
US: Los Angeles Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees DLA Piper Pillsbury Winthrop PwC Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Winner: DLA Piper |
US: San Francisco Area Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ceteris Charles River Associates Deloitte DLA Piper |
Winner: Charles River Associates |
US: San Francisco Area Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Armanino McKenna Deloitte DLA Piper Fenwick & West McDermott Will & Emery |
Winner: DLA Piper |
US: Washington DC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Bingham McCutchen Caplin & Drysdale Cherry Bekaert & Holland Ernst & Young PwC Sutherland |
Winner: Ernst & Young |
US: Washington DC Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Alston & Bird Baker & McKenzie Bingham McCutchen KPMG Mayer Brown Miller & Chevalier PwC Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom Sullivan & Cromwell White & Case |
Winner: Bingham McCutchen |
Venezuela Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Candal/Taxand Deloitte PwC |
Winner: Candal Taxand |
Venezuela Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Candal/Taxand Deloitte Macleod Dixon PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Winner: Baker & McKenzie |
Venezuela Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Deloitte |
Winner: Deloitte |
Latin America Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Deloitte Grant Thornton PwC Salcedo & Cia |
Winner: Deloitte |
Latin America Banking Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Ferrere Guyer & Regules Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Mattos Filho Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados |
Winner: Guyer & Regules |
Latin America M&A Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Bichara, Barata, Costa & Rocha Advogados Deloitte Godoy y Hoyos Hernández & Cía KPMG Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados Miranda & Amado Abogados - Taxand Muñoz Manzo y Ocampo PwC |
Winner: Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados |
Latin America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Basham, Ringe y Correa Bichara, Barata, Costa & Rocha Advogados Carey y Cia Ferrere Godoy & Hoyos Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Rueda Abadi Pereira |
Winner: Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga |
Latin America Indirect Tax Team of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Basham, Ringe, and Correa Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi (Taxand) Deloitte Lefosse Advogados (Linklaters) Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga Negri & Teijeiro Abogados |
Winner: Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga |
Latin America Energy Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Bruchou, Fernandez, Madero & Lombardi - Taxand Cariola Diez Pérez Deloitte Colombia Godoy & Hoyos Guyer & Regules Lefosse Advogados (Linklaters) Muñoz Manzo y Ocampo |
Winner: Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters |
Latin America In-House Tax Team of the Year
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Nominees Camuzzi Gas Monsanto Argentina Philip Morris Brasil |
Winner: Monsanto Argentina |
North America In-House Tax Team of the Year
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Nominees Diamond Foods Exxon Mobil Tronox Veritas (Symantec) |
Winner: Veritas (Symantec) |
North America Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake Cassels & Graydon Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Deloitte Fraser Milner Casgrain Mayer Brown McCarthy Tetrault McDermott Will & Emery Osler Hoskin & Harcourt Pillsbury Winthrop |
Winner: Blake Cassels & Graydon |
North America Energy Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake Cassels & Graydon Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg Dewey & LeBeouf Linklaters Pillsbury Winthrop Vinson & Elkins White & Case |
Winner: Dewey & LeBoeuf |
North America Tax Restructuring Team of the Year
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Nominees Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg Deloitte Dewey & LeBeouf KPMG Canada |
Winner: Deloitte |
North America Capital Markets Tax Team of the Year
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Nominees Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Debevoise & Plimpton Linklaters McCarthy Tétrault Pillsbury Winthrop Sullivan & Cromwell |
Winner: Debevoise & Plimpton |
Tax Court of Canada Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake Cassels & Graydon Fraser Milner Casgrain McCarthy Tétrault Osler Hoskin & Harcourt |
Winner: Osler Hoskin & Harcourt |
North America M&A Tax Team of the Year
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Nominees Alvarez & Marsal Taxand Blake Cassels & Graydon Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Deloitte McCarthy Tetrault Pillsbury Winthrop Shearman & Sterling Torys White & Case |
Winner: Shearman & Sterling |
North America Banking Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Davis Polk & Wardwell Fasken Martineau Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Pillsbury Winthrop Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Winner: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
US Tax Court Firm of the Year
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Nominees Cooley Mayer Brown McDermott Will & Emery |
Winner: Cooley |
North America Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Alvarez & Marsal Taxand Baker & McKenzie Deloitte Ernst & Young PwC |
Winner: PwC |
Best use of the Internet
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Nominees Deloitte Ernst & Young PwC |
Winner: PwC |
North America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Davis Polk DLA Piper |
Winner: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
International Law Firm in the Americas
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Nominees DLA Piper Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Linklaters |
Winner: DLA Piper |
North America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Alvarez & Marsal Taxand Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Davis Polk Kirkland & Ellis McCarthy Tétrault Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Winner: Kirkland & Ellis |
Americas Tax Policy Firm of the Year
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Nominees Blake Cassels & Graydon Deloitte Canada KPMG Miller & Chevalier White & Case |
Winner: Deloitte Canada |
Latin America Capital Markets Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Guyer & Regules Hernández & Cía Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados Miranda & Amado Abogados - Taxand Muñoz Manzo y Ocampo |
Winner: Guyer & Regules |
Latin America Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Bichara, Barata, Costa & Rocha Advogados Bruchou Fernandez Madero & Lombardi - Taxand KPMG Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados Negri & Teijeiro Abogados Prieto & Carrizosa |
Winner: Negri & Teijeiro Abogados |
Latin America Media & Entertainment Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Carey y Cia Estudio O’Farrell Godoy y Hoyos Abogados KPMG |
Winner: Carey y Cia |
Latin America Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Basham, Ringe, & Correa Candal/Taxand Deloitte KPMG Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Miranda & Amado Abogados - Taxand PwC |
Winner: PwC |
Latin America Private Equity Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Lefosse Advogados in cooperation with Linklaters Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal Prieto & Carrizosa Rodrigo Elias & Medrano Veirano Advogados |
Winner: Veirano Advogados |
North America Tax Firm of the Year
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Nominees Bingham McCutchen Blake Cassels & Graydon Cleary Gottlieb Davis Polk DLA Piper Deloitte Ernst & Young Kirkland & Ellis Mayer Brown McCarthy Tétrault McDermott Will & Emery Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Winner: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
North American Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
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Nominees Baker & McKenzie Ceteris Deloitte DLA Piper Ernst & Young |
Winner: Deloitte |
