Lucy S. Lee
Senior Counsel
Areas of Focus
- Tax
- International Tax
- Family Office & Private Wealth
- Private Client & Family Office Services
- Private Capital
- Focuses on domestic and international tax, family offices, trusts and estates, and private wealth management.
- Represents family offices and high–net-worth individuals on their business and personal matters, including tax-efficient structures for their U.S. and global holdings, management of trusts and investments, estate planning, succession, tax compliance in the cross-border context, pre-immigration planning and expatriations.
- Advises private companies, investment funds and financial institutions on domestic and international tax planning and compliance, and represents taxpayers in administrative controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Lucy has more than 20 years of experience advising private clients, family enterprises and businesses on international tax planning and controversy. She serves as the firm’s liaison between the private client and international tax practices, bringing together the two groups to deliver 360° tax advice to global entrepreneurs and families with cross-border interests.
Lucy represents high–net-worth individuals, family offices, multinational corporations, funds, trusts and estates, and nonprofit organizations. She advises clients in structuring and managing cross-border businesses and investments, pre-immigration planning and expatriations, personal tax and estate planning including domestic and foreign trusts, and U.S. tax compliance in the cross-border context. She represents foreign trusts and estates and their U.S. beneficiaries in U.S. tax planning and compliance.
Lucy works closely with entrepreneurs and fund managers to develop exit strategies and implements post-exit family office or wealth management structures. Lucy also provides business tax advice in structuring and exiting platforms in bilateral or multilateral jurisdictions, anti-deferral regimes, managing taxable nexus and permanent establishments, cross-border reorganizations, and benefits under bilateral tax treaties. She also represents globally mobile executives and companies in developing U.S. tax compliance programs.
Lucy represents taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and with foreign tax authorities under Mutual Agreement Procedures. She also helps U.S. taxpayers in curing their prior noncompliance, including voluntary disclosures.
Lucy previously served as a partner of the firm. She rejoined the firm after serving as the CEO of an international family office with investments in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She also served as the vice chairwoman and CEO of a multinational technology company focused on sustainable solutions for the paper and pulp industry. In a prior role, Lucy was a partner at a Big Four accounting firm, where she led cross-border private client services and represented U.S. and foreign taxpayers in controversies with the IRS. Lucy also served as international corporate tax counsel for General Electric Company, where she focused on businesses in Asia, Latin America and Europe.
LanguagesKorean
Korean
EducationLL.M., Georgetown University Law Center, 2005
J.D., The George Washington University Law School, 2001
B.A., University of Virginia, 1998
LL.M., Georgetown University Law Center, 2005
J.D., The George Washington University Law School, 2001
B.A., University of Virginia, 1998
Bar AdmissionsDistrict of Columbia
New York
District of Columbia
New York
- Chambers High Net Worth, Private Wealth Law.
- The Legal 500 US, Tax.
- The Corporate Tax Directors Handbook, Leading Lawyer.
- National Tax Service of Korea, Outstanding Contribution to the Deepening of Cooperation between the Korea and USA Tax Administrations.
- Steering Committee, Korean American Community Foundation
- Board Member, Council of Korean Americans
- General Counsel, Council of Korean Americans, 2016-2018
- National Unification Advisory Council of Korea (Presidential Appointee)
- International Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Tax Section
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- New York State Bar Association
- D.C. Bar Association
- International Association of Korean Lawyers
- Korean American Bar Association of Washington, D.C.
- Speaker, “All in the Family: A Tax Geek's Guide to Family Offices,” Lawline Webinar, 2022.
- Speaker, “U.S. Tax and Estate Planning for Global Entrepreneurs and Private Companies,” 49th Annual Portland Estate Planning Seminar, 2020.
- Speaker, “Cures for a Cosmopolitan Hangover: What We’re Doing for International Clients Following Tax Reform,” 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, 2020.
- Speaker, “Good People, Bad Structures: New CFC Rules and U.S. Tax Reform – Do You Need to Change Anything?” International Bar Association Conference, 2019.
- Speaker, “U.S.-Portugal Income Tax Treaty,” Portugal-U.S. Business Chamber Webinar, 2019.
- Speaker, “Nonresident Alien Tax Compliance,” Advanced Tax Institute, 2018.
- Speaker, “Understanding U.S. Tax Reform and Its Impact on Cross-border Activities,” Annual Korea-US Investment Forum hosted by Korea’s Ministry ofTrade, Industry and Energy, 2018.
- Speaker, “Income Taxation of Nonresident Aliens,” ALI-CLE International Trusts and Estate Planning Conference, 2017.
- Speaker, “Personal Wealth Management,” Akin Annual New York Private Investment Funds Conference, 2017.
- Speaker (Lecture Series), “Operating in the Current Environment of Transparency and Inter-government Cooperation: An Overview of FATCA, CRS, AML, FBAR and Streamlined Filing,” Korea International Trade Association in Korea, American Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and in Korea, 2016.
- Panelist, “Tax Efficient Strategies and Risk Management Event,” 100 Women in Hedge Funds, 2016.
- Panelist, “EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program: What Akin Can Do for Our Clients,” Akin CLE Event, 2016.
- Moderator and Emcee, “Visions for the Unified Korean Peninsula,” National Unification Advisory Council of Korea, 2015.
- Speaker, “Cross-border Asset Management,” International Association of Korean Lawyers, 2012.