David K. Burton advises clients on a wide range of U.S. tax matters, with a particular emphasis on project finance and energy transactions. In addition, he also advises clients on tax matters regarding the formation and structuring of domestic and offshore investment funds.

Practice & Background

Mr. Burton has extensive experience structuring tax-driven vehicles, such as sale-leasebacks, flip partnerships, inverted leases and other structures, for the acquisition and financing of renewable energy assets.

Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Burton was the managing director and senior tax counsel at GE Energy Financial Services (GE EFS), one of the world’s leading investors in energy projects. At GE EFS, Mr. Burton oversaw all of the tax aspects for over $21 billion in global energy projects from structuring transactions to accounting for taxes to formulating tax policy initiatives. During his tenure at GE EFS, the division’s investments in wind, solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal power grew to $6 billion, making GE EFS the largest tax-advantaged energy investor in the U.S. Before joining GE EFS, Mr. Burton was a tax lawyer at GE Capital and primarily focused on aircraft and equipment leasing and financing and asset acquisitions. From 1996-2000, Mr. Burton was a tax lawyer at a large, international law firm in Philadelphia.

Mr. Burton is editor of Akin Gump’s Tax Equity Telegraph blog that is intended to address the intersection of tax policy and energy policy in the United States.

Mr. Burton was also quoted in North American WindPower’s article “Is Treasury More Closely Scrutinizing Cash-Grant Applications.”

Mr. Burton received his B.A. magna cum laude from Ithaca College in 1993 and his J.D. cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1996, where he was on the staff of The Tax Lawyer.

Community Involvement

Mr. Burton is involved in community, civic and charitable activities that include:

• being a member of the tax committees of the American Wind Energy Association, the Solar Energy Industry Association and the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association
• being a trustee of an educational trust

Speaking Engagements

• "Market Landscape for Project Finance” WINDPOWER 2013, May 2013
• “Foundations 1: Sale Leasebacks,” SEIA Finance and Tax Seminar, February 2013
• “Tax Issues in Financing Alternative Energy Projects,” Project Finance: The Tutorial, February 2013
• “Beyond the Fiscal Cliff: International Tax Issues on the U.S. Horizon,” American Foreign Lawyer’s Association, February 2013
• “Partnership Deep Dive,” SEIA Finance & Tax Seminar, July 2012
• “Project Finance: The Tutorial 2012,” Information Forecast, March 2012
• “Tax Issues in Financing Alternative Energy Projects and Mainstream Companies’ Use of Clean Tech,” Practicing Law Institute in Green Technology Law and Business, February 2012
• “Lease Structures and Benefits in the ITC World,” SEIA Finance & Tax Seminar, January 2012
• “Prospects for Extension of Green Energy Incentives,” Infocast Webinar, November 2011
• “Tax Credit Partnerships: Energy Credit Deals,” Practicing Law Institute, May 2011
• Solar Power Finance & Investment Summit 2011, “Dynamics of Lease Financing,” March 2011
• Equipment Leasing & Finance Association’s Lease Accountant’s Conference: “Alternative Energy Tax Session,” September 2010
• Yale Clean Energy Innovation Conference, “Developing Clean Energy in Developing Countries,” April 2010
• Yale School of Management, Structured Finance, Guest Lecturer: “Tax, Accounting & Legal Aspects of Leasing,” December 2009.