Former International Tax Counsel for US Treasury joins Sonnenschein
John L. Harrington, who recently served as international tax counsel for the U.S. Department of Treasury, has joined Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, the law firm announced today. Prior to joining Treasury, Harrington was tax counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means. Harrington, who joins the firm as a partner in its Taxation practice, will reside in Sonnenschein’s Washington, D.C., office.
“Understanding tax policy on the domestic and international level, as well as its direction, is the key driver for business planning. The level of sophistication and expertise that John brings in this regard is a coup for our clients,” said Marc D. Teitelbaum, national chair of Sonnenschein’s Taxation Practice. “John’s distinguished service in government provides him with an exceptional background in the key administrative and legislative tax matters on the international level that will be critical for the next dozen years and beyond.”
Harrington joined the Treasury Department in 2001 and served as international tax counsel from 2007-2009. In that role, he worked extensively with the IRS on regulations and other guidance dealing with the foreign tax credit, subpart F, transfer pricing, cross-border activities and other international tax issues. He led tax treaty negotiations and drafted and reviewed technical explanations and revisions to existing treaties. Harrington also served as the United States representative at meetings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Committee on Fiscal Affairs and at World Trade Organization meetings on tax-related trade disputes.
“In light of the increasing focus on major tax policy changes, especially in the international context, joining the firm with the pending SNR Denton global combination just months away is an exceptional opportunity,” said Harrington. “The reputation of Sonnenschein’s tax and policy practices already made the firm stand out for me, and I am delighted to be part of building the next phase, during which international tax considerations truly will be an important factor for clients in every global business sector.”
Harrington began his legal career in private practice in Washington. He earned a J.D. degree from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, and a B.S. degree from the University of Florida.
With more than 700 lawyers and other professionals in 13 offices in the United States and Europe, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (SNR) serves the legal and public interest needs of many of the world’s best-known and most admired businesses, nonprofits and individuals.
On June 9, 2010, the partnerships of both SNR and UK-based Denton Wilde Sapte LLP (Denton) approved a combination to form SNR Denton, to become effective on September 30, 2010. The combination joins complementary practices with a disciplined focus on meeting evolving client needs in eight key sectors: Financial Institutions and Funds; Energy, Transport and Infrastructure; Insurance; Real Estate, Retail and Hotels; Technology, Media and Telecommunications; Health and Life Sciences; Manufacturing; and Government. With its focus on quality, the combination will include 1,400 lawyers and other professionals in 18 countries and 33 locations across four continents, including the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, South-East Asia, and a network of exclusively associated firms in Africa.