Americas Tax Awards 2013

PwC stood out for work that included important engagements for local and foreign multinationals.

Marval O’Farrell & Mairal worked on some of the biggest M&A transactions of the last 12 months and acted in high-profile litigation.

Machado Associados advised clients on questions related to marketing services and went to court in a case dealing with the resale profit less price method

Lefosse Advogados stood out for its transactional tax work, tax-based structured finance, complex tax advice and tax litigation.

Gowlings – Taxand showed its prowess in APA and MAP advice for clients in the e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and auto industries.

McCarthy Tétrault has been involved in some of the most important M&A transactions in their market; local advice on a global spin-off and defence work against assessments by the tax authorities.

Prieto Carrizosa won for its practice covering analysis, design and defence

Deloitte stood out for work that included due diligence during a takeover and the creation of a tax and legal compliance matrix for a large local taxpayer.

PwC added three new partners recently, which reflects the continuing demand for their services from leading taxpayers.

Deloitte won for its transactional and litigation advice on issues including expansion, reorganisation and withholding tax.

PKF Peru Vila Naranjo made a technical study and planning work for a local multinational, allowing it to use transfer pricing as an effective management and planning tool.

Rodrigo Elías & Medrano advised Peru’s second largest bank on its first-ever debt issue

Ferrere stood out for its breadth of practice including the pharmaceutical, energy and media industries.

KPMG advised a client on the construction of a cellulose plant, one of the largest investments in Uruguay, and other taxpayers in administrative litigation on VAT and excise tax.

Deloitte assisted clients when dealing with inspections initiated by the tax authority, carrying out critical documentation and audit defence work.

Deloitte performed significant Fatca work for a major bank and was responsible for the documentation of tax-related criteria for another client.

Mayer Brown stood out for its premium advice in controversy matters.

McDermott Will & Emery won for its advice on restructuring, M&A, joint ventures and litigation.

Deloitte demonstrated unique skills in the design, development and implementation of solutions that saved taxes and produced efficiencies for clients in the chemicals, oilfield services and equipment, and medical device industries.

Mayer Brown stood out for a varied slate of work including M&A, reorganisations and Chapter 11 work, particularly in the energy sector.

DLA Piper has a renowned planning and controversy practice that attracts clients from all sectors.

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom had particular success this year in advising clients in the entertainment and internet sectors on M&A and debt and equity issues.

Deloitte is the leader in the market for providing practical transfer pricing solutions in a time of increasing complexity.

Sullivan & Cromwell advised on strategic alliances, structured finance and IRS examinations.

Mayer Brown’s abilities in controversy matters saw it climb to the top of the tree this year.

Fenwick & West displayed overall strength especially in M&A, controversy and general advisory work.

Deloitte boasts an ability to see through the complexities in the rulebook and come up with advice that is practical and successful.

Miller & Chevalier worked on bespoke advice on restructurings and joint ventures.

Davis Polk & Wardwell showed, in the Pepsico case, the ability to hold its nerve and prevail in this momentous debt / equity matter; a keen source of tension between taxpayers and the IRS.

Munoz Manzo y Ocampo demonstrated a clear ability to provide innovative advice for high-profile domestic and international clients.

Its ONESOURCE Operational Transfer Pricing product has helped Thomson Reuters become the clear leader in helping taxpayers effectively manage, forecast and plan their transfer pricing during the year.

DLA Piper showed an impressive capability in the last 12 months in advising multinational corporations on complex direct and indirect tax matters.

Work on the taxation of medical devices and asset replacements shows why Miller & Chevalier is the firm many taxpayers hire to represent their interests during the legislative process.

Godoy y Hoyos shone in advising on turning Ocensa, the largest pipeline company in Colombia, from a cost centre into a profit centre in a tax-efficient manner.

This landmark financing worth $527 million for the construction of the Vía Parque Rímac toll road required some careful tax advice on all sides.

The original joint venture to buy NBC Universal was one of the biggest media deals of recent years. This one allows Comcast to add significantly to its media assets.

Innovative tax planning was required for this transaction which saw strategic buyers and private equity firms come together to buy and then divide the component parts of the acquired company.

This merger, in which Leucadia joined together with Jefferies, was an all-stock transaction that needed some precise, high-quality tax advice from the firms involved.

This transaction, the largest-ever cross-border deal by a Chinese company, involved some complex tax advice on pre-closing and post-closing reorganisations.

All the firms on this $20.1 billion transaction collaborated well to pull off this multi-party, multi-jurisdiction acquisition.

The tax and due diligence work were important parts of this cross-border acquisition of a well regarded company by this US investment manager and pensions provider.

Despite the complexity of the ownership arrangements in these transactions, the tax practitioners responded when under pressure to provide bespoke advice to their clients.

The firms that worked on this multi-jurisdictional transaction coped successfully with a disposal that changed form between asset and share sales in different jurisdictions

Mattos Filho achieved some impressive results for clients in complex planning and disputes matters, particularly in the customs area.

Tenacity and sound advice, delivered at the right time, earned Taxand the leading reputation in the last year for winning complex tax disputes in Latin America.

PwC demonstrated outstanding abilities in helping clients understand and comply with transfer pricing requirements throughout Latin America.

The all-round nature of PwC’s tax practice and its expertise in delivering practical advice that works, means it took the title of best tax firm in Latin America again.

Gowlings’s advice in some notable matters, including possibly the biggest-ever sales tax dispute in the e-commerce industry in Canada, helped it stand out as an indirect tax adviser.

Sullivan & Cromwell achieved some outstanding results for clients during 2012/2013, including in cases concerning contract manufacturing and foreign base company sales income, section 861 allocations and refunds.

The breadth of Deloitte’s advice in a range of industries including energy and financial services helped its clients implement effective transfer pricing planning and audit defence strategies.

McDermott Will & Emery stood out as a firm that time and time again came up with business-driven tax planning and disputes advice that achieved optimum results for clients.

In numerous direct and indirect tax matters throughout North and Latin America, Deloitte led the way in providing answers that fitted in with the commercial objectives of clients.