Howard Jacobson provides tax planning advice to clients on business transactions. He has advised clients on the tax consequences of partnership and corporate formations, taxable stock and asset acquisitions, tax-free reorganizations, public and private offerings of equity and debt, spin-offs, financial restructuring and bankruptcy reorganizations, partnership and limited liability company transactions, financial products and structured transactions, real estate investments, REITs, mortgage servicing, leasing and executive compensation.
Mr. Jacobson also works extensively with Akin Gump’s financial restructuring practice to provide tax advice to creditors, debtors, investors and other potential acquirers of businesses in Chapter 11and out-of-court restructuring proceedings. He has recently provided tax advice for informal and official committees in restructurings of Bally Total Fitness, Congoleum, Delta Air Lines, Propex, Quebecor World, Remy International, TOUSA, Wellman and The Wornick Company.
In addition, Mr. Jacobson also advises exempt organizations, including public charities, private foundations and other exempt organizations. As hospitals have restructured, he has conducted internal audits to identify potential problems and defended them on audit by the Internal Revenue Service. He also regularly advises Native American Indian tribes on tax issues specific to the tribal governments, their business activities and their members, including taxable and tax-exempt financing transactions. He recently advised one Indian nation in connection with an award-winning tax-exempt and taxable bond offering securitizing a portion of its gaming revenue stream to provide governmental offices, water and sewage projects, athletic facilities and other infrastructure improvements for the nation and its members.
Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Jacobson served as attorney-adviser for Chief Judge Theodore Tannenwald Jr. of the U.S. Tax Court and also practiced with a tax specialty firm.
Mr. Jacobson received his A.B. in economics and philosophy with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1976 and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1979. He is the chairman of the firm’s retirement committee.
Mr. Jacobson is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the U.S. Tax Court. Howard is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association, and DC Bar Sections of Taxation. He also serves as general counsel for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.