Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
02.03.25
In a move that meaningfully boosts the diverse capabilities of Pillsbury’s global Tax practice, the firm has recruited Mark Leeds as a partner in its New York office. Leeds, who operates a wide-ranging tax practice serving financial institutions, exchange-traded and private funds, digital asset traders and private wealth clients, joins from Mayer Brown.
“Mark’s tax expertise aligns with a number of thriving Pillsbury practices and supports the evolving needs of numerous client types,” said firm Chair David Dekker. “His proven ability to collaborate meaningfully enhances our ability to tackle complex tax issues for the various financial market participants, investment funds, and individuals we advise, in the United States and globally.”
Leeds has an established track record of resolving tax issues relating to highly nuanced financial products, for buy-side and sell-side market participants. His work extends to developing recovery strategies for loss companies, hedge and multi-strategy funds, insurance products, structured finance, and derivative transactions. He also advises on hedge fund and other investment vehicle formation matters and works with tax considerations posed by digital asset trading and blockchain transactions. Leeds has a broad cross-border private client practice, including working with US individuals migrating businesses to Puerto Rico and pre-immigration tax planning.
Previously, Leeds was a managing director and senior tax counsel with Deutsche Bank AG in New York. He also served as general counsel of a credit derivative company and was a partner at Deloitte, where he founded and led the Capital Markets Tax Practice. Mark frequently writes and presents on emerging tax topics impacting the capital markets and digital assets.
“Mark is a highly regarded tax lawyer whose strengths include working with co-counsels across legal disciplines and building and developing relationships that stand apart,” said Nora Burke, Pillsbury’s Global Head of Tax. “His experience and insights are relevant to so many Pillsbury clients, adding new tax capabilities and reinforcing important existing ones. We are so pleased to have him join us.”
Leeds is the second lateral partner to join Pillsbury’s Tax practice in New York in the past six months, following the July 2024 arrival of tax controversy and private wealth lawyer Larry Sannicandro. Firmwide, several other tax lawyers with wide-ranging skill sets have been promoted to partner over the past two years, including State & Local Tax practitioners Zack Atkins, Aruna Chittiappa and Evan Hamme; Private Client & Family Office advisers Joshua Becker and Megan Jones; and Executive Compensation & Benefits practitioner Colleen Lamarre.
“I am very excited to join Pillsbury and its well-respected global Tax practice,” Leeds said. “The firm’s established strengths, particularly in the financial sector and high net worth representations, align perfectly with my practice and interests, and the highly collaborative environment Pillsbury is known for fostering is equally appealing. I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues and helping the firm’s many clients achieve continued success.”
Pillsbury is regularly recognized for excellence in transactional tax and tax controversy matters by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. The firm’s lawyers advise on the full range of complex tax issues— including business & financial transactions; private wealth strategies and tax-advantaged investments; renewable energy tax credits; state & local tax issues; federal tax controversy; cross-border strategies; and tax-exempt organizations—and represent clients ranging from serial entrepreneurs to blue-chip companies to some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and family offices.