Attorneys
Chamberlain Hrdlicka ranked in the top ten U.S. tax law firms by Chambers & Partners
For the 17th consecutive year Chambers & Partners ranked Chamberlain Hrdlicka among the top ten tax law firms in the United States on both state and national levels. The firm made Band 1 in Tax Fraud nationwide, as one of only six law firms. And, its nationwide Tax Controversy was ranked in Band 2, placing Chamberlain Hrdlicka among the top eight U.S. tax controversy firms. The firm was ranked in Band 4 for Texas Tax placing Chamberlain Hrdlicka among one of the top tax firms in Texas. Individual Chamberlain Hrdlicka attorneys also achieved state and national rankings in the areas of high net worth, immigration, tax, tax controversy, tax litigation, and tax fraud. Notably, David Aughtry is ranked consecutively for the 21st time, while Philip Karter, Peter Williamson, Larry Campagna, and Hale Sheppard are ranked for 18, 17, 16, and 15 years in a row, respectively.
“I am proud to see our firm’s rankings improve each year,” said Larry Campagna, managing shareholder, Chamberlain Hrdlicka. “The continued recognition by Chambers & Partners and the marketplace feedback shared with Chambers researchers affirms the sophisticated expertise and our commitment to delivering the highest level of service to our clients.”
Sources interviewed by Chambers noted that Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s tax attorneys: were very knowledgeable; have a depth of experience in complex tax matters; understand how to deal with the IRS and government; are comfortably in the top tier for tax fraud work nationwide; understand complex issues and provide practical advice; are among the best practitioners in the country; and are capable senior litigators.
David Aughtry has tried or argued more than 100 federal civil and criminal tax cases ranging across Tax Court, various District Courts, the Court of Federal Claims, eight Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Citadel, and both his graduate degree in accounting and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a Master of Laws in taxation from Emory University School of Law where he taught Tax Controversy for a number of years. David served as President and then Chair of the Southern Federal Tax Institute and was selected as a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers and American College of Tax Counsel. He’s been named to Chambers for 21 consecutive years, including as a Star Individual in Tax in Georgia for the 11th year in a row.
Brett Berly focuses his practice on the representation of high net-worth individuals and fiduciaries of trusts and estates with respect to estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, closely-held business succession planning as well as probate and fiduciary litigation matters. He’s been named to Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers and Top Lawyer by Houstonia Magazine.
Larry Campagna has an established reputation as an authoritative litigator in matters of business litigation and white-collar criminal defense, as well as federal, state and local tax controversies. Throughout his career, he has resolved thousands of civil and criminal litigation matters, many of which involved sophisticated and complex legal issues that established precedent in courts at all levels. He’s been repeatedly ranked in the top band nationwide in Tax Fraud and Tax Litigation in Texas and recently received the prestigious Jules Ritholz Memorial Merit Award from The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Tax Section Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee.
Habeeb ‘Hobbs’ Gnaim serves as Practice Chair of the firm's Tax Planning & Business Transactions Section. He previously served on the firm’s Board of Directors and as head of the Recruiting Program. He focuses his practice on tax and business planning matters, including the formation, governance, reorganization and internal restructuring of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies to achieve tax and business objectives. He has significant experience in all aspects of structuring, negotiating and implementing business acquisitions and dispositions, corporate reorganizations, mergers, recapitalizations, deferred recognition transactions, admissions of and providing equity incentives for management and key employees, as well as choice of entity considerations, and state tax planning. Hobbs' practice also includes the design and implementation of tax efficient business succession plans and business separation matters.
Jennifer Karpchuk serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s State and Local Tax (“SALT”) practice. She represents companies and individuals in all aspects of SALT controversy and planning, including issues related to corporate income taxes, franchise taxes, gross receipts taxes, excise taxes, personal income taxes, sales and use taxes, business privilege taxes, and real estate and property taxes. She has extensive experience planning for, advising on, and anticipating the SALT implications of various transactions, as well as litigating complex SALT matters.
Philip Karter specializes in tax controversy and tax litigation and has been named by Chambers & Partners in its nationwide rankings of top tax controversy and litigation attorneys for 18 consecutive years. He has litigated Federal tax cases in the United States District Courts, the United States Tax Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims for some of the nation’s most prominent companies, including high-profile, first-impression matters, and resolved hundreds of other matters at the audit level or with IRS Appeals.
Hale Sheppard is a Shareholder in the firm’s tax controversy practice, representing individuals and businesses during tax audits, appeals and litigation. He has participated in over 150 cases in the Tax Court, District Court, and Court of Appeals. In addition, Hale has obtained dozens of favorable Private Letter Rulings for clients from the IRS National Office on procedural, tax, and international issues. Hale obtained five college degrees, including an LL.M. in taxation, earning various scholarships and academic distinctions along the way. Hale ranks among the most active tax writers in the country, having published over 230 articles in top law reviews and tax journals. Hale has been widely cited as a tax/legal authority in many domestic and foreign journals, inducted into the American College of Tax Counsel, invited to present at major tax conferences, and recognized as a leader in tax disputes for 15 years by Chambers USA as well as other respected organizations.
Juan F. Vasquez, Jr. serves as the Chair of the Firm's Nationwide Tax Controversy Section and concentrates his practice on federal, state and local tax controversy matters, including in connection with examinations, administrative appeals and trial. Mr. Vasquez also represents clients in administrative and policy matters before the IRS, various states, and local taxing authorities. Mr. Vasquez represents a broad range of clients including individuals, privately held businesses, and large Fortune 500 companies and multinationals. Mr. Vasquez has been involved in complex cases at various levels of the court system, including the Tax Court, Federal District Courts, Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeal (the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh, and Federal Circuits), and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Vasquez also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches Tax Controversy & Litigation and Tax Procedure & Practice.
Stewart M. Weintraub is a nationally recognized expert in state and local taxation. He brings 50 years of legal experience to help clients plan and structure transactions so that state and local tax obligations are minimized. Weintraub represents clients in all aspects of state and local tax compliance and litigation, from audits, through trials and appeals, to the appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and the American Bar Foundation and is also chair emeritus of the Firm’s State and Local Tax practice. Weintraub is widely published in various tax journals and has spoken at or chaired many state and local tax conferences.
Peter Williamson possesses considerable experience handling the entire spectrum of immigration and nationality matters, from employment-based non-immigrant and immigrant, to investor cases, labor certifications and family-based cases. He has represented families and companies in all parts of the United States and over 100 countries, in all aspects of immigration, and has developed particular experience in appellate matters and removal cases. He is board-certified in immigration law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been recognized by Chambers as Senior Statesperson in the area of Immigration Law for 17 consecutive years.
Published by Chamber & Partners, Chambers USA compiles an annual list of the nation’s top attorneys according to practice area. The directory identifies and ranks leading firms and attorneys based on interviews conducted by researchers with clients and lawyers worldwide.
This year’s Chamberlain Hrdlicka rankings in Chambers USA included the following practice areas and individual attorneys:
Nationwide
Tax Fraud – Band 1
Tax Controversy – Band 2
Larry A. Campagna (Tax Fraud – Band 1 & High Net Worth: Tax: Private Client – Band 1)
David D. Aughtry (Tax Controversy – Senior Statesperson)
Georgia
Tax – Band 2
David D. Aughtry (Tax - Star Individual)
Hale E. Sheppard (Tax – Band 3)
Pennsylvania
Tax – Band 3
Jennifer Karpchuk – (Tax - Up and Coming)
Philip Karter (Tax – Band 3)
Stewart Weintraub (Tax - Band 3)
Texas
Tax – Band 4
Brett Berly (High Net Worth: Private Wealth Law – Band 2)
Larry A. Campagna (Tax Litigation – Band 1)
Habeeb ‘Hobbs’ Gnaim (Tax – Up and Coming)
Juan F. Vasquez Jr. (Tax Litigation – Band 2)
Peter D. Williamson (Immigration – Senior Statesperson)
About Chamberlain Hrdlicka
Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a diversified business law firm with offices in Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. The firm represents both public and private companies as well as individuals and family-owned businesses across the nation. In addition to tax planning and tax controversy, the firm offers corporate, securities and finance, employment law and employee benefits, energy law, estate planning and administration, intellectual property, international and immigration law, commercial and business litigation, real estate and construction law.