The IRS has itself a new associate chief counsel, international, in the Office of the Chief Counsel, and the agency plucked him away from our favorite four-letter Big 4 firm.
Peter Blessing is his name, and international tax law is his game.
“We are very fortunate to attract an individual of his caliber and expertise,” said Michael Desmond, IRS Chief Counsel. “Peter Blessing will be bringing a deep and wide-ranging technical expertise and strong leadership qualities and will be a great addition to the Office of Chief Counsel.”
The Associate Chief Counsel, International, is responsible for coordinating and directing all activities of the international organizational component of the Office of Chief Counsel. That organization provides legal advisory services on all international and foreign tax matters, including all matters relating to the activities of non-U.S. persons or entities within the United States and the activities of U.S. or U.S.-related persons or entities outside the United States. These services support uniform interpretation, application and enforcement of all international provisions of the United States revenue laws, all bilateral and multilateral tax treaties and agreements to which the United States is a party, and all foreign revenue laws that pertain to or affect tax matters in the United States.
Blessing most recently served as a Managing Director for Washington National Tax (WNT) and International Tax units of KPMG LLP. He was a partner for over 25 years with Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he had a sophisticated tax practice with an emphasis on financial institutions and international tax matters. For a number of years, he managed the International Tax Department and grew a European tax practice for the firm.
Blessing joined KPMG in April 2013 as head of cross-border corporate transactions in the WNT practice.
He received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and his Master in Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Blessing received his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
[IRS]