Lockton today announced that prominent tax attorney John Rayis has joined its industry-leading Transaction Liability group as Senior Strategic Advisor. In his new role, Rayis will advise clients on tax insurance and other transaction-related insurance solutions.
Rayis joins Lockton following a distinguished 25+ year career as a tax partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he served as tax advisor for companies in a variety of industries, with a particular focus on real estate investment trusts (REITs), as well as external tax counsel for several large private equity funds. Rayis has consistently been hailed as one of the country’s top tax attorneys, receiving numerous accolades for his work in the REIT space from Chambers USA and several other nationally regarded legal publications.
“I can think of no better way to demonstrate the arrival of tax insurance as a ‘must have’ tool in the toolkit of tax professionals than John joining our team,” said Eric Ziff, partner and co-practice leader of Lockton’s Transaction Liability practice. “What we are building at Lockton is truly unique, and John is another example of our singular focus on bringing best-in-class solutions and advisory capabilities to our clients. We couldn’t be happier that someone with his credentials and track record has joined Lockton.”
Dan Berger, head of Lockton’s Tax Insurance practice, said: “John’s experience as a tax practitioner is second-to-none, and he brings to Lockton a tremendous depth of experience in advising clients and guiding them through complex tax risks. As more and more of our real estate clients in particular turn to tax insurance as a risk mitigation strategy, there is no better steward for them in the industry than John Rayis.”
Lockton’s Tax Insurance practice — a specialization within its broader Transaction Liability group — structures, negotiates and advises companies on the placement of insurance policies that address potential tax risks. Policies are placed for corporate clients and private equity funds alike and can be used to address deal-related tax risks as well as standalone tax issues facing tax payors.
“I have witnessed and spearheaded a number of critical developments and strategic applications in tax planning during my decades of legal practice,” said Rayis. “I believe tax insurance can and will have a significant impact on the broader tax industry and am delighted to join a Lockton team that has pioneered so many innovations in the transaction liability insurance industry. I have always strived to serve and counsel my clients as expertly as possible and look forward to doing the same here at Lockton.”