Mark Silverman
Steptoe & Johnson
Mark J. Silverman is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he heads Steptoe’s tax practice. Mr. Silverman was named one of the top 10 tax lawyers in Washington, D.C., in 2005 by Legal Times. He is a member of The American Law Institute, Tax Advisory Group for the Study of Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code.
Mr. Silverman was formerly an advisor to the Committee on Ways and Means during its consideration of revisions to the corporate tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. He is a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. Mr. Silverman was formerly a council member of the American Bar Association, Section of Taxation and was formerly chair of the Corporate Tax Committee. He chaired the Tax Section Task Force on Leveraged Buyouts. Mr. Silverman co-authored the Tax Advisors Planning Series on Financially Troubled Businesses, was formerly corporate tax editor of The Journal of Taxation, and is a member of the advisory boards of the NYU Institute on Federal Taxation and BNA Tax Management, Consolidated Returns Tax Report, M&A Tax Report and Corporate Taxation magazines.
Mr. Silverman is on the editorial board of The American Journal of Tax Policy, and is on the board of trustees of the Southern Federal Tax Institute. Mr. Silverman chairs the ALI-ABA annual consolidated returns program. Mr. Silverman was formerly a member of the executive committee of the New York State Bar Association. In addition, he is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and was formerly attorney-advisor to Judge Samuel B. Sterrett of the U.S. Tax Court.
Mr. Silverman received his LL.M. from New York University Law School in 1971. He graduated from Suffolk University Law School with his J.D. in 1970 and received his B.S. from Indiana University in 1967.
Mr. Silverman is a frequent speaker on tax matters and has published numerous articles on the subject. He is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Robert Wellen
Ivins, Phillips & Barker
Robert H. Wellen is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Ivins, Phillips & Barker. His practice involves principally the tax planning of business transactions and representing taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service.
Mr. Wellen received his B.A. from Yale College in 1968 (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, high honors in English literature), his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1971 and his LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1975. From 1971 until 1975, he served on active duty in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 1975 he joined the Washington, D.C., office of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP and became a partner in that firm in 1979. He joined Ivins, Phillips & Barker as a partner in 1993.
Mr. Wellen’s work focuses on tax aspects of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, joint ventures and financings. He has also served as an arbitrator and as an expert witness in commercial disputes involving tax issues.
Mr. Wellen is active in the Tax Section of the American Bar Association. Among other posts, he has served as chair of the section’s Corporate Tax Committee. As a member of the Tax Section’s Government Submissions Committee, he reviews comments on proposed legislation, proposed regulations and rulings. He is also a member of the American College of Tax Counsel, the District of Columbia Bar Taxation Section and the Federal Bar Association Tax Committee.
Mr. Wellen lectures and writes on topics such as corporate acquisitions, restructurings and spin-offs. In recent years, he has lectured at institutes conducted by the Tax Executives Institute, the Federal Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, New York University, Penn State/Dickinson College of Law, UCLA, University of Miami, ALI/ABA and the Practising Law Institute, among others. His articles on tax subjects have been published in the Practising Law Institute volumes on corporate transactions, Tax Notes, Journal of Taxation, Taxes and other publications.
Mr. Wellen is admitted to practice in Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia and various federal courts.
William Alexander
Internal Revenue Service
William D. Alexander is the Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate) at the Internal Revenue Service. He has been with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel (Corporate) since 1990. Prior to joining the IRS, he was associated with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York. He has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a law degree from Columbia Law School, and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law.