Brian McManus

Practice Areas

Brian McManus, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Tax Controversy Practice and Chair of the firm’s Boston Tax Department, advises companies and high net-worth individuals in all phases of civil and criminal tax disputes.

Widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading tax litigators, Brian helps clients confidentially resolve a range of controversies — from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits and appeals to litigation before federal and state courts throughout the United States. He delivers clear and technically astute counsel to a diverse mix of American and international clients, including multinational and Fortune 500 corporations across industries, such as technology, banking, insurance, energy, pharmaceuticals, airlines, entertainment, and retail, as well as global professional services firms, international charitable organizations, trust companies, and offshore corporate service providers.

Drawing on more than two decades of “inside the Beltway” experience, Brian regularly handles controversy matters with broader tax policy implications. His Washington ties include serving since 2015 as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center where he currently teaches IRS Practice and Procedure in the graduate tax (LLM) program.

Brian brings a winning track record in court handling some of the nation’s largest tax disputes. His work encompasses all areas of federal and state taxation, with an emphasis on disputes involving cross-border and international tax matters, sophisticated corporate transactions, enterprise and asset valuations, transfer pricing, partnerships, tax-exempt organizations, employment taxes, R&D credits, REITs, oil and gas taxation, renewable energy tax credits, tax shelters and promoter penalty defense, and cryptocurrency matters. He also frequently handles sensitive tax matters involving allegations of fraud and potential criminal tax charges, as well as voluntary disclosures of domestic and offshore filing errors. Brian is admitted to practice before the US Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit and First Circuit, the US Tax Court, the US Court of Federal Claims, and the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Brian currently serves as Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Tax Section’s Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee and is a member of the ABA’s Appointments to the US Tax Court Committee. He is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. Brian regularly speaks at national tax conferences and authors tax controversy-focused articles.