K&L Gates offers tax partner job to former KPMG tax principal

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Kent Wisner as a tax partner in the firm’s Palo Alto office, which celebrates its five-year anniversary this month. The fourth new partner to join the office since January, Wisner arrives from KPMG LLP, where he was a tax principal in the firm’s International Corporate Services group.

Focusing on international tax planning for multinational enterprises and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations, Wisner has served global clients based in the Silicon Valley since 1991, including in such areas as inter-company pricing analyses, private equity fund formation and portfolio company optimization, and tax disputes at the audit as well as appellate levels. During his more than two decades of work in the international tax arena, he has advised companies across a wide spectrum of industries, including electronics, software, semiconductor, renewable energy, consumer business, and shipping, among others.

“Given the ever-increasing global focus of business in Northern California, and the Silicon Valley in particular, K&L Gates is pleased to expand our Palo Alto offerings to include international tax advice and services,” said Jon Michaelson, Administrative Partner of K&L Gates’ Palo Alto office. “Kent is a well-known, highly creative practitioner who has helped clients successfully navigate this challenging area of law for many years.”

“I’m excited at the prospect of bringing the truly global capabilities of K&L Gates to bear to serve the international needs of a broad spectrum of clients as they negotiate the business challenges and opportunities of the interdependent world economy,” stated Wisner.

Peter J. Kalis, K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner, said: “With Kent’s arrival, our formidable tax group takes another step forward.”