Solving Problems in Creative Ways—Sarah Beth Rizzo of Skadden

What do you love most about your job?

In transactional tax, we get to solve complicated problems with very smart people in creative ways. Sometimes, we work on essentially one-party deals, such as REIT conversions or IPOs, where we have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a client’s business to find a structure that maximizes value and, more importantly, helps the client sleep at night without impacting the day-to-day operations or hindering the big-picture strategic goals.

While we often also work on matters where we are negotiating with “the other side,” such as a joint venture or a merger, I find that the transactions with the best outcomes are the ones where the discussions with the attorneys on the other side are genuinely collaborative instead of argumentative. Each team (and each member of the team, from the junior associate to the partner) is working to achieve a solution that achieves both sides’ business objectives in a tax-efficient manner.

There is a curiosity and collegiality in a great tax lawyer’s approach that recognizes we all still have much we can learn about the tax code, our clients, and the ideas of other tax professionals.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Sarah Beth Rizzo is a tax partner based in the Chicago office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. She advises clients on a wide range of federal income tax planning matters.