Bernie J. Pistillo

Mr. Pistillo is a partner in the San Francisco office of the firm’s Federal Tax Group. He regularly advises on the U.S. federal income tax aspects of international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and spin-offs, the development and exploitation of technology and intellectual property and the structuring of international operations for both start-up entities and existing corporate groups. His practice involves the coordination of tax laws in multiple jurisdictions to develop and implement cross-jurisdictional tax planning, overall operational synergies and worldwide tax minimization strategies. He is also regularly involved in the negotiation of strategic joint ventures and partnerships, the structuring of private equity funds and their investments and the formation and operation of investment funds. Mr. Pistillo also advises on financial product development and the tax aspects of financial institution and insurance company operations.

Mr. Pistillo is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at Tulane University School of Law, the Planning Committee for the USC Gould School of Law Tax Institute, and the Tax Review and the Tax Club, both in New York City. He is admitted to practice in California and New York.

He is a frequent lecturer and author on matters relating to international taxation and corporate taxation generally.

Mr. Pistillo is recommended by Legal 500 US 2017 for International Tax.

Recent Client Transactions include:

• Boyd Gaming Corporation in the sale of its 50% equity interest, valued at $900 million, in Marina District Development Holding Company, LLC, the parent company of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to MGM Resorts International.
• SoftBank Corp. in connection with its acquisition of a 78% interest in Sprint Nextel for an enterprise value of $44.8 billion.
• MicroPort Scientific Corp. in connection with its acquisition of the worldwide OrthoRecon operating segment of Wright Medical Group Inc.
• Toshiba Tec Corp. on its $874 million acquisition of the worldwide retail store solutions business of IBM Corp.
• Textainer Group Holdings Ltd. in connection with a review of its worldwide operating structure to improve financial and legal efficiencies.
• Novellus Inc. in its tax-free stock-for-stock acquisition by Lam Research Corp valued at $3.3 billion.
• Carlyle Group in its acquisition of Walbro Engine Management from Sun Capital Partners and related LBO financing.
• Nokia Corp. in a restructuring of its executive reporting and corporate structure.
• British Telecom in connection with a proposed worldwide joint venture requiring a review of its global operating structure to ensure minimum operating costs and tax exposures.
• EDF Renewable Energy (formerly enXco Development Corp.) in its acquisition of a windpowered electric generating project, including negotiations for a joint venture to develop, construct and operate a neighboring project.