For our clients, tax issues are incredibly important, but can also be quite daunting. I spend much of my day immersed in the highly technical and complex world of tax law, but our clients are rightfully focused on growing their business or successfully completing a transaction. What I enjoy most is bridging that gap—explaining and breaking down the most difficult tax issues facing our clients into clear, digestible guidance. By promoting our clients’ understanding about tax issues, they feel confident in their decisions and that they have achieved the best possible outcome.

Tax combines what I view as my best skills—the ability to think logically but also critically about a complex set of rules. As an undergraduate studying math, I developed my ability to work through difficult problems of logic, which is critical to applying the tax law to real world situations. At the same time, studying government helped me to understand why the laws were passed, which is key to understanding how tax authorities will apply that law. Entering practice, what I liked most about my academic experience translated perfectly into helping clients solve their real world problems.

In addition to helping clients achieve great results, and the personal intellectual challenge of working in the tax law, I have the opportunity to work on incredibly rewarding pro bono matters. I have helped non-profit organizations working in areas I am passionate about to solve their tax and corporate issues. I have worked with organizations that help formerly incarcerated individuals reenter society, build spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and create economic opportunities for underprivileged individuals. Combining my commercial skills with improving people’s lives and supporting diversity and inclusion adds greater meaning to my work.

Changes in the tax law can impact our clients immediately, so one of the most important responsibilities of a tax lawyer is educating our clients about those changes. Our clients know that I take that responsibility seriously through direct experience, but we also update them through client alerts on new issues relevant to them. I also have been asked to provide those updates to a wider audience on a number of occasions through offering external trainings, including presenting on rules for qualified foreign pension funds for Strafford and on carried interest changes for several tax conferences.