Bloomberg Selects Tax Partner Jocelyn Tau for “They’ve Got Next” Series
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Akin Gump tax partner Jocelyn Tau has been featured in Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next” series, which spotlights young lawyers who are “raising the bar” in various practice groups. The latest installment focuses on tax lawyers.
Bloomberg notes that Tau stands out as a tax lawyer representing major energy companies, which requires thinking about more than just tax. When working with corporate attorneys on business transactions, she tries to think about not just what they are asking, but why. “To come up with commercial solutions, rather than just telling them the tax answer—I think that’s what kind of sets apart a tax lawyer who is successful,” she said.
Tau has also advised on many large corporate transactions, such as 7-Eleven’s $21 billion agreement last year to buy the Speedway gas station chain, including about 3,900 convenience stores, from Marathon Petroleum. (Click here to learn more.)
Fellow tax partner Alison Chen told Bloomberg that Tau was essentially the “right-hand lieutenant” on the tax team for the deal, leading the negotiations and supervising and working with an associate to go through documents related to the deal.
Chen observed that Tau stands out among her colleagues through her ability to get buy-in from various people involved in a transaction. She’s able to “not just be the geeky tax lawyer and technical expert on the call,” said Chen, but is also “very good at facilitating discussions and bringing consensus.”
Tau attributed some of her success to her passion for her practice area. “I really do love tax law,” she said. “I love how structured it is, but also at the same time, how you can use it to achieve objectives that you’re looking to achieve.”
Chen pointed out that Tau also plays a key role with Akin Gump’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, which includes helping young associates with their professional growth and working to recruit a diverse group of lawyers to the firm. “It’s not just the professionalism and the technical expertise that she brings to the table—it’s the whole-person approach,” Chen said.
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