Howard B. Jacobson, Partner Emeritus,Tax | Akin

Howard B. Jacobson

Partner Emeritus

Areas of Focus

Howard B. Jacobson, Partner Emeritus,Tax | Akin

Howard B. Jacobson

Partner Emeritus

hjacobson@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Provided tax advice for distressed, insolvent and bankrupt companies and their creditors.
  • Provided tax planning advice to clients on business transactions.
  • Counseled exempt organizations.

Howard retired from the partnership in 2023. He advised clients on the tax consequences of financial restructuring and bankruptcy reorganizations, taxable and tax-free stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, partnership and limited liability formations and transactions, public and private offerings of equity and debt, real estate investments, exempt organizations governance and taxation, American Indian tribal and member taxation and executive compensation.

Howard worked extensively with the firm’s financial restructuring practice to provide tax advice to official and informal committees of creditors, debtors, investors and other potential acquirers of businesses in chapter 11 and out-of-court restructuring proceedings.

Howard also worked extensively with our corporate group to provide tax structuring advice and diligence in connection with structuring new and existing businesses, as well as acquisitions and dispositions of those businesses.

In addition, Howard counseled exempt organizations, including public charities, private foundations and other exempt organizations. He was involved in resolving multiple disputes between exempt organizations.

Howard also advised American Indian tribes, as well as lenders to, and investors with, tribes on tax issues specific to the tribal governments, their business activities and their members, including taxable and tax-exempt financing transactions.

Within the firm, Howard served as a member of the Retirement Committee from its formation in 1990 through his retirement in 2023, including more than a decade as its chair. He also served as chair of the firm’s Health Insurance Committee for many years.

Representative Work

Financial Restructurings

  • Advised creditors of energy companies, including Energy Future Holdings and Longview Power.
  • Advised creditors in coal industry cases, including Arch Coal and James River Coal.
  • Advised creditor committees of Washington Mutual and creditors of other bank holding company cases.
  • Advised creditor committees in opioid cases, including Purdue and Mallinckrodt.
  • Advised creditors of communications and satellite companies, including iHeart Media and Cumulus Media.
  • Advised creditors of airline industry companies, including Delta and Aeromexico.
  • Advised creditor committees of shipping companies, including Overseas Shipholding Group and U.S. Shipping.
  • Advised creditors or debtors in retail industry restructurings, including Sears and Eddie Bauer.
  • Advised debtors in 363 sales with stranded liabilities (including tax liabilities) in Life Care Holdings and Inner City Broadcasting.
  • Advised liquidating and litigation trusts, including for Tribune and Motors Liquidating Company (GM) GUC Trust.
  • Advised on the restructuring of an American Indian tribal casino’s debt.

Corporate Transactions

  • Tax structuring in connection with acquisitions and dispositions of public and private companies.
  • Structured the disposition of an international business held by a multinational U.S. public corporation that separated the business line from foreign and domestic subsidiaries of the parent.
  • Structured sales of limited liability companies and blockers held by private equity sponsors.
  • Structured both acquisitions and sales of interests in companies with significant net operating losses (NOLs) and/or tax credits.
  • Modified entity classifications to facilitate the refinancing of company debt and sales of equity in the company.
  • Obtained ruling for a private S corporation to avoid inadvertent termination in connection with family succession planning and the sale of company.

Education
  • J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude, 1979

  • A.B., University of Michigan, with high distinction, 1976

Clerkships
  • U.S. Tax Court

Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia

Recognitions
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Tax Law, 2020-2022.
  • Turnarounds & Workouts, Top Bankruptcy Tax Specialist, 2017-2018, 2020.
  • Akin Pro Bono Hall of Fame, 2013.
  • Rod Boggs Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, 2022.
Affiliations and Public Service
  • Member, Taxation Section, American Bar Association
  • Member, Taxation Section, D.C. Bar Association
  • General Counsel, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Insights and Achievements

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