McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Richard C. Call focuses his practice on a broad range of state and local tax matters, including litigation, advisory, and transactional work. He represents clients in proceedings before administrative bodies, trial courts, and appellate courts across multiple jurisdictions.

Corporate Income Tax Litigation and Transactions: Richard has significant experience with all major areas of corporate income tax, advising clients on complex issues such as nexus, apportionment, addbacks, transfer pricing, and combination . He represents clients on transfer pricing and alternative apportionment issues in various states, including Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina. He also regularly works with clients to evaluate and efficiently structure state income and franchise tax related to mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions.

Sales Taxes and Company Business Models: Richard advises clients on sales tax issues that are affecting their overall business models, helping companies structure transactions to mitigate sales tax exposure, which often results in significant savings. As states increasingly expand the taxation of software, digital products, and services, he assists companies in identifying and managing their exposure to such taxes, particularly in advance of mergers, acquisitions, and other liquidity events.

Personal Income Tax Residency: Richard routinely advises clients on residency for various states, including New York, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois

Speeches and Publications: Richard frequently speaks on state and local tax issues and has presented before organizations such as the NYU SPS Annual Institute on State and Local Taxation, the Council On State Taxation, the Tax Executives Institute, and the Practising Law Institute. He also publishes frequently on state and local tax topics, with articles appearing in several publications, including Tax Notes State, Bloomberg BNA Weekly State Tax Report, Bloomberg BNA Multistate Tax Report, Tax Executive, Journal of State Taxation, Boston Business Journal, and NYU SPS Annual Institute on State and Local Taxation.

Shawn O’Brien is nationally recognized by his peers and clients as a leading tax practitioner with a focus on tax litigation and controversies involving state, federal and international tax authorities. Drawing on his 25 years of experience, Shawn represents clients in tax examinations and administrative appeals and, when necessary, serves as a forceful advocate in litigation before the US Tax Court, US district courts, the US Court of Federal Claims, state courts and federal appellate courts. Shawn is the managing partner for the firm’s Houston office.

Clients interviewed in the Chambers USA Legal Guide 2024 shared that Shawn is “a trusted adviser and his level of service is superb” and he “has been a good strategic tax partner for our company,” particularly noting his “in-depth knowledge of our industry.”

Shawn’s experience spans a broad range of tax issues that affect many different industries, including energy, renewables, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, technology and aviation. He advises domestic, foreign and multinational corporations, partnerships, master limited partnerships, real estate investment trusts and limited liability companies on tax issues in connection with foreign and domestic transactions.

He also counsels clients in disputes involving transfer pricing, debt versus equity, loss carrybacks, international withholdings, advance pricing agreements, tax shelter disallowances, research and development tax credits, changes in accounting methods, captive insurance, related-party transactions, repatriation structures, inbound distributors, foreign credit transactions and penalty abatements. Shawn has also developed a market-leading federal and state excise tax practice that advises some of the largest corporations on excise tax planning and controversies.