Calista Li
Biography
Calista Li is a special counsel in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office and a member of the Firm's Tax Practice Group. Calista focuses on Hong Kong tax advisory, tax dispute resolution and tax litigation.
Practice Focus
Calista regularly advises corporations and individuals on Hong Kong tax and stamp duty matters. She also represents taxpayers in tax disputes with the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
Representative Legal Matters
- Regularly advises multinational corporations, including financial institutions, on a wide range of income tax and stamp duty matters, including the source of profits; the capital or revenue nature of income and expenses; permanent establishment; treaty benefits; intra-group stamp duty relief; and tax issues relating to employee compensation and benefits, including equity-based compensation.
- Regularly advises multinational corporations on planning tax-efficient business structures, mergers and acquisitions, and group restructurings.
- Represents taxpayers, including multinational corporations and individuals, in resolving income tax and stamp duty disputes with the IRD.
- Represents taxpayers in appeals against profits tax assessments before the Inland Revenue Board of Review and the Courts.
- Advises high-net-worth individuals and families on establishing charitable institutions and obtaining tax-exempt charitable status.
- Assisted a real estate investment trust in successfully defending its tax position in a dispute with the IRD concerning gains on property disposals, with potential tax exposure of approximately USD 300 million.
- Assisted a multinational corporation in reaching a USD 70 million settlement with the IRD in an offshore profits dispute involving potential tax exposure of USD 30 billion.
- Assisted a multinational corporation in reaching a USD 15 million settlement with the IRD in a tax dispute concerning offshore profits that had lasted more than 20 years, representing a 74% reduction from the settlement proposed by its former tax representative.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Law Society of Hong Kong – Member
Admissions
- Hong Kong (2017)
Education
- University of British Columbia (Bachelor of Commerce (Honours))
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (Juris Doctor)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (Postgraduate Certificate in Laws)
Languages
- Cantonese
- English
- Mandarin
Baker & McKenzie, a Hong Kong Partnership, is a member of Baker & McKenzie International.