Alston & Bird LLP is pleased to announce that Carolyn E. Smith has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Ms. Smith will advise clients on a wide range of tax-related issues, with a focus on employee benefits, executive compensation, health and long-term care and tax legislative matters.
Ms. Smith served as Associate Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Counsel with the United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. In this capacity, Ms. Smith provided technical and policy advice to Members and staffs of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees on a broad spectrum of Federal tax issues. Ms. Smith was instrumental in the development and drafting of Federal tax legislation, including, most recently, the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the “409A” deferred compensation provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, and health savings account legislation in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. Ms. Smith was also responsible for a variety of staff investigations and reports, including the Joint Committee staff report recommending simplification in all Federal tax areas and the report on the tax activities of Enron Corporation.
“Carolyn’s extensive legislative background along with her intricate knowledge of the tax rules will be a significant asset in addressing the complex needs of Alston & Bird’s clients,” said “Rusty” M. Connor, partner-in-charge of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. “We are delighted she has joined the firm.”
“It’s an honor to join Alston & Bird. I hope to add to the firm’s already strong tax, employee benefits and legislative practices and look forward to serving the firm’s roster of premier clients,” said Ms. Smith.
Previously, Ms. Smith was with Morrison & Foerster and served as a law clerk for Judge Samuel Conti, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. She earned her J.D. from the Boalt Hall School of Law, the University of California, Berkeley and her B.A. in economics from the University of California, San Diego. Ms. Smith is a member of the California Bar, and is not yet licensed to practice law in Washington DC.
About Alston & Bird
With more than 800 attorneys, Alston & Bird is a leading national AmLaw 100 firm. The firm’s core practice areas are intellectual property, complex commercial litigation, corporate and tax, with national industry focuses in financial services, health care, energy and public policy. The firm has built a reputation as one of the country’s best employers, appearing on FORTUNE magazine’s ranking of the “100 Best Places to Work For” eight years in a row, more often and more highly ranked than any other law firm in the United States.