International law firm McDermott Will & Emery welcomes Shawn O’Brien to its Tax Practice Group as a partner based in Houston. Shawn is nationally recognized for his work on tax disputes and controversies with state, federal and international tax authorities.

“Shawn is a highly regarded, business-oriented advisor,” said Timothy Shuman, global head of McDermott’s Tax Practice. “He has become a trusted counselor to clients in many different industries, including energy, renewables and manufacturing. His work will further strengthen our unique tax controversy platform, which serves a full range of high-value tax issues facing our clients.”

Shawn represents clients during tax examinations, administrative appeals and litigation. He 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.

Some of his most notable work includes:

Representing a major integrated energy company in the US Court of Federal Claims related to the company’s eligibility of tax credits to produce crude oil from tar sands

Arguing on behalf of a publicly traded multinational oil and gas exploration and production company in the US Tax Court related to foreign tax credits and deductions

Providing tax advice to a substantial foreign-based airline involving the federal excise taxes applicable to air transportation services

“I’m pleased to join McDermott, a top-notch Firm in both tax and energy, where my clients will benefit tremendously from the cross-practice collaboration,” said Shawn. “McDermott recognizes the importance of investing in the Texas market — a priority that aligns with growing my practice.”