Overview
(September 26, 2019, Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that Eric Solomon, who has more than 40 years of tax experience in private practice and government service, has joined the firm's Tax Group as a partner in the Washington office. He joins the firm from Ernst & Young LLP, where he was co-director of the national tax department.
Solomon served as assistant secretary for tax policy at the US Treasury Department from 2006–2009. In this role, he headed the Office of Tax Policy, which serves as the primary advisor to the Treasury secretary on legal and economic matters relating to domestic and international taxation.
Solomon joined the Treasury Department in 1999 and served in both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He was senior advisor for policy, deputy assistant secretary (tax policy) and deputy assistant secretary (regulatory affairs) before his 2006 confirmation as assistant secretary.
Prior to his service with the Treasury Department, Solomon was a principal in Ernst & Young's national tax mergers and acquisitions group. Previously, he was assistant chief counsel (corporate) at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), heading the IRS legal division responsible for all corporate tax issues. He began his career in private practice with law firms in New York and Philadelphia.
At Steptoe, Solomon will focus his practice on transactional work, including structuring, opinions, and ruling requests. He will also advise clients on tax policy issues, including regulatory issues arising from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as on IRS controversy matters.
In welcoming Solomon to the firm, Steptoe Chair Phil West remarked: "I'm thrilled to welcome my friend and esteemed colleague to Steptoe. I've worked closely with Eric for years, including when we overlapped at Treasury, and there are few, if any, tax professionals who are as well-respected and well-liked as Eric. His talents are valued by clients, colleagues, and government officials."
Solomon commented: "I know many of the partners in Steptoe's Tax group quite well, having worked with them over the years in the government, on client matters, and in professional organizations. As I embark on this next phase of my career, I'm delighted to be joining Steptoe, where I will have the opportunity to serve clients in a collaborative team environment."
Steptoe's Tax Group advises businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and tax-exempt organizations on their most significant federal and state tax planning, tax controversy, and tax policy issues. The group includes former senior government officials from Treasury, the IRS, the Justice Department, and congressional tax-writing committees. Steptoe's highly regarded Tax Group has earned top rankings and recommendations from the prestigious legal directories Chambers USA and The Legal 500, among other publications.
Solomon has garnered numerous awards for his legal achievements and government service. In recognition of his contributions at the Treasury Department, Solomon was presented with the Alexander Hamilton Award, which is the highest award for Treasury service, and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Solomon also received distinguished service awards from the Tax Foundation, Tax Council Policy Institute, Tax Executives Institute, and the taxation sections of the State Bar of California, the State Bar of Texas, and the Federal Bar Association.
This past year Solomon served as chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. He is also a member of the executive committee of the tax section of the New York State Bar Association. In addition, Solomon is co-chair of the Practising Law Institute conference on tax strategies for corporate acquisitions and dispositions.
Solomon is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a course in corporate taxation. He received the Charles Fahy Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award for Georgetown University’s graduate law programs.
Solomon received his A.B. from Princeton University, Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia. He earned his LL.M. in taxation from New York University.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.