David Forst Elected to Leadership Spot in Fenwick & West Tax Group
Fenwick & West LLP has announced that David Forst has been elected as the new Chair of the firm’s Tax Group. James Fuller, who has chaired the Tax Group for over 20 years, decided not to stand for re-election in order to devote full time to his tax practice and to create an opportunity to develop additional leadership in the group. Forst has served as an “at large” member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and will continue to serve on that Committee as Chair of the Tax Group. Fuller continues to serve on the firm’s Compensation Committee.
Forst has accepted his new responsibility with a commitment to continue the tradition of technical excellence and superior client service established by Mr. Fuller. “I have been with Fenwick & West since I graduated from law school in 1992, and have had the unique opportunity of spending fifteen years learning from the best tax lawyer in America. The Tax Group will continue to do exactly what it has been so successful at – providing sophisticated tax advice at the very highest level to Fortune 500 companies and clients throughout the world.”
“We are delighted that David has agreed to assume the reins of our Tax Practice,” said firm Chair Gordon Davidson. “David is a consummate tax lawyer. He dazzles every client he deals with, and like Jim Fuller, David has stellar reputation in the international tax community. David is also a thought leader in our partnership and is part of the next generation of leadership in the firm. He is a strategic thinker and thoughtful member of our firmwide Executive Committee and will be a solid and steady hand leading the Tax Group.”
Outgoing Tax Group Chair James Fuller believes in growing leadership internally. Fuller said, “In my view, the surest way to build a strong institution is to develop great leaders from within. We have chosen a wonderful group leader in David. It is a tradition at Fenwick & West to purposefully promote capable internal candidates. Throughout the history of the firm, we have promoted new practice group heads when we saw the opportunity to develop new leaders. We have seen them grow into positions of leadership and develop a global view of the firm. I am delighted that David will have that opportunity as leader of our tax group.” Fuller plans to remain as busy as ever. “While I will be available to help David, my plans are to devote full time to my growing practice.”
Managing Partner Kathryn J. Fritz agrees. “It’s a terrific example of our planning for the future. Our commitment to home grown leaders has resulted in a powerful depth and breadth of management. Cooperative and shared leadership is an intentional habit at Fenwick & West and is a source of our strength. From the time he joined the firm from law school through his service on our Executive Committee, David has been an exceptional contributor to the firm. We look forward to working with him as Tax Practice Group leader.”
DAVID FORST
David L. Forst is the Chair of the Tax Group of Fenwick & West LLP. He was named as one of the country’s top tax advisors in Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Tax Advisors.
Mr. Forst’s practice focuses on international corporate and partnership taxation. He currently teaches international tax at Stanford Law School and has taught law school courses on partnership taxation and section 482 transfer pricing at San Jose State University. He is an editor of and regular contributor to the Journal of Taxation. Mr. Forst has published articles on, among other topics, international joint ventures, international tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and the business purpose and economic substance doctrines. He has Chaired and spoken at numerous tax seminars, including the NYU Tax Institute, meetings of the International Fiscal Association, and various TEI conferences.
Mr. Forst graduated from Stanford Law School, with distinction in 1992, and from Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Phi Beta Kappa, 1989
JAMES FULLER
James P. Fuller is a tax partner and immediately prior Chair of the Tax Group at Fenwick & West LLP in Mountain View, California. Mr. Fuller was named one of the world’s top 3 tax advisors by Euromoney in 2006. Law and Business Research (2006) ranked Mr. Fuller in the top 4 worldwide.
Mr. Fuller writes a widely read monthly column in Tax Notes International and appears in Woodward White’s Best Lawyers in America. He speaks regularly for organizations such as TEI (12 national and chapter meetings this year) and PLI (two conferences in five cities this year).
Mr. Fuller graduated from the New York University School of Law, Graduate Law School with an LL.M., in taxation. He is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, J.D., and NYU with a Bachelor’s of Science degree.
About the Fenwick & West Tax Practice
Fenwick & West has achieved a reputation as having one of the nation’s leading domestic and international tax practices. The firm has represented 38 of the Fortune 100, and approximately 100 of the Fortune 500 companies in federal tax matters, including international tax planning, joint ventures and M&A. Fenwick & West was named one of only seven U.S. law firms in the first tier in tax by the World Tax Review (2007).
Five Fenwick & West partners appear in Euromoney’s 2007 survey of the World’s Leading Tax Advisors: Jim Fuller, Ron Schrotenboer, Walter Raineri, Jennifer Fuller and David Forst.
Fenwick & West LLP was awarded “Tax Litigation Firm of the Year for the Americas,” and also “Tax Firm of the Year for the San Francisco Bay Area” by International Tax Review at its annual Americas awards dinner in New York in September 2006.