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Russell Lawson

Russell Lawson

Associate
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Russell Lawson is an associate in Baker McKenzie's Global Tax Practice Group in the Chicago office, with a focus on the Firm's Funds & Investments Tax practice. Russell advises on US federal income tax issues and provides tax structuring advice to US and foreign taxpayers. He is a member of both the Chicago office's Pro Bono Committee and Associate Committee, and has served as a teaching assistant for the federal partnership tax class taught at the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to joining the Firm, Russell contributed to the Property Tax Appeal Project in Detroit, for which he authored appeals on behalf of city residents to contest unconstitutional property tax assessments.

Practice Focus

Russell's practice focuses on a wide variety of federal income tax matters with an emphasis on partnerships, limited liability companies, and other pass-through entities, with experience in related corporate and real estate matters.

Russell has several years of experience with inbound and outbound real estate projects, including real estate investment funds, leveraged partnerships, synthetic lease structures, strategic joint ventures, qualified opportunity funds, real estate investment trusts, UPREITs, and tax-advantaged IRC Section 1031 structures such as syndicated tenancy-in-common arrangements and Delaware statutory trust offerings.

In addition, Russell regularly advises clients with respect to structuring investments in renewable energy projects, using partnership and leasing structures to efficiently generate and allocate energy tax credits and other tax benefits. He also provides advice to investment managers on the formation and structuring of international private equity funds, hedge funds and other alternative investment vehicles. Furthermore, Russell has experience with advising sovereign clients with respect to claiming IRC Section 892 benefits, together with structuring and negotiating their US and international investments.

Admissions

  • Illinois~United States (2021)

Education

  • University of Michigan (JD) (2020)
  • Michigan Technological University (BS Mathematics) (2016)

Languages

  • English
  • German
  • Mandarin
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.