Richard Husseini Talks Move to Kirkland, Clients’ Tax Concerns

Prominent tax controversy and planning attorney Richard Husseini officially joined Kirkland & Ellis last week. The Texas Lawbook reported on Husseini’s expected departure from Baker Botts in June. The Houston partner held numerous leadership positions at Baker Botts including executive committee member and firmwide chair of the tax department. He was also considered for firmwide managing partner two years ago. Husseini represented Pennzoil on its tax liability for the settlement proceeds that resulted from the company’s historic litigation against Texaco in the 1980s. On the transactional side, he advised on Halliburton’s $35 billion acquisition of Baker Hughes, which was eventually terminated; Chesapeake Energy’s spinoff of Seventy Seven Energy; and Mariner Energy’s merger with Apache. Richard HusseiniKirkland has tasked Husseini with growing the controversy side of the firm’s tax practice. The Texas Lawbook caught up with him on why he made the big move after spending his entire 30-year career at one firm, clerking for Judge Richard Posner and changes at the Internal Revenue Service. The Lawbook: Why did you make the move to Kirkland?Husseini: Kirkland offered me a unique opportunity to practice on its phenomenal platform and to help the firm grow its tax controversy practice. The Lawbook: How influential was the partnership vote for managing…