Paul, Weiss strengthens its tax and finance offers in New York

Paul, Weiss strengthens its tax and finance offers in New York

Leading Tax and Finance lawyers Brian Krause and David Tarr are joining the firm as Partners

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP has announced that leading tax and finance lawyers Brian Krause and David Tarr are joining the firm as partners in the New York office.

While Krause will be a partner in the Tax Department, Tarr is poised to join as a partner in the Corporate Department and the Finance Practice Group.

Krause, a versatile and experienced tax lawyer, advises on the complex US and international tax matters, with a particular focus on cross-border public transactions and restructurings.

Tarr, on the other hand, has advised private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers and lenders in a variety of secured and unsecured transactions, with an emphasis on leveraged and acquisition finance.

"We are thrilled to welcome Brian and David, who are each recognized as outstanding in their respective practices, to our partnership," said Paul, Weiss Chairman Brad S. Karp. "Both share our commitment to excellence and to collaborating across practice areas to deliver for our clients, and they will be superb additions to our firm."

"With their experience on some of the market's most complex transactions, Brian and David will contribute greatly to our clients and to our transactional teams," said Scott A. Barshay, chair of the firm's Corporate Department. "Brian has guided some of the world's best-known public companies through complex tax-related issues connected with their most important strategic transactions and restructurings, while David has a stellar track record of helping leading private equity firms and corporate borrowers in their most significant acquisitions."

Both Krause and Tarr expressed their excitement at the prospect of working with Paul, Weiss.

Krause carries broad experience as a domestic and international tax lawyer. He advises on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, post-acquisition integration transactions, internal restructurings, and the establishment of a private equity fund and hedge fund structures, besides providing tax advice in connection with the restructurings of financially distressed corporations and partnerships, distressed companies both in and out of bankruptcy court and in matters involving master limited partnerships.

He has advised Pfizer Inc. on the tax aspects of its consumer health care joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline that created the world's largest maker of over-the-counter products; Exxon Mobil Corporation in its joint venture with Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), Gulf Coast Growth Ventures; Worldpay, Inc. in its $43 billion merger with FIS; and Frontier Communications Corp. in its $10.54 billion acquisition of the wireline operations from Verizon Communications Corp.

Krause has also advised clients on tax issues related to their restructurings, including Atlas Resource Partners, L.P. in its prepackaged bankruptcy; Triangle USA Petroleum Corp. in its chapter 11 reorganization; and CIT Group Inc. in its prepackaged bankruptcy.

Krause is recognized as a leading tax lawyer in New York by Chambers USA, was named a 2020 "Rising Star in Tax" by Law360, and was named among Euromoney LMG's tax "Rising Stars Americas 2020".

After advising Vantiv on its $12 billion acquisition of Worldpay, Krause was part of the team that was awarded The American Lawyer and Legalweek's 2018 "Transatlantic Tax Team of the Year" and International Tax Review's "Americas Tax Awards 2018: Americas Technology" and "Telecommunications Tax Deal of the Year."

Krause is co-chair of the Committee on Bankruptcy and Losses and a member of the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association and is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Tarr has extensive experience representing corporate borrowers, private equity sponsors and lenders in a variety of sophisticated secured and unsecured debt financing transactions. His recent private equity sponsor experience includes representing Insight Partners in numerous matters, including acquisitions of Veeam, Diligent and Recorded Future; portfolio company Episerver's recent acquisition of Optimizely; and an investment in PDI. He has also represented The Sterling Group in multiple acquisitions and recapitalizations, including its purchases of Tangent Technologies and Bad Boy Mowers.

Tarr's public and private company leveraged finance and restructuring experience has included advising Franchise Group in multiple financings, including for its acquisitions of Vitamin Shoppe and Pet Supplies Plus; Hudson's Bay Company in multiple financings, including in connection with its recent take-private transaction; and HealthEquity, Inc. on several financing matters, including for its acquisition of WageWorks.