Former Treasury Assistant Secretary Eric Solomon Joins Steptoe
Steptoe & Johnson LLP announced that Eric Solomon, who has more than 40 years of tax experience in private practice and government service, has joined the firm’s Tax Group as a partner in the Washington office. He joins the firm from Ernst & Young LLP, where he was co-director of the national tax department.
Solomon served as assistant secretary for tax policy at the US Treasury Department from 2006–2009. In this role, he headed the Office of Tax Policy, which serves as the primary advisor to the Treasury secretary on legal and economic matters relating to domestic and international taxation.
Solomon joined the Treasury Department in 1999 and served in both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He was senior advisor for policy, deputy assistant secretary (tax policy) and deputy assistant secretary (regulatory affairs) before his 2006 confirmation as assistant secretary.
Prior to his service with the Treasury Department, Solomon was a principal in Ernst & Young’s national tax mergers and acquisitions group. Previously, he was assistant chief counsel (corporate) at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), heading the IRS legal division responsible for all corporate tax issues. He began his career in private practice with law firms in New York and Philadelphia.
At Steptoe, Solomon will focus his practice on transactional work, including structuring, opinions, and ruling requests. He will also advise clients on tax policy issues, including regulatory issues arising from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as on IRS controversy matters.
In a release, the firm said Solomon has garnered numerous awards for his legal achievements and government service. In recognition of his contributions at the Treasury Department, Solomon was presented with the Alexander Hamilton Award, which is the highest award for Treasury service, and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. Solomon also received distinguished service awards from the Tax Foundation, Tax Council Policy Institute, Tax Executives Institute, and the taxation sections of the State Bar of California, the State Bar of Texas, and the Federal Bar Association.
This past year Solomon served as chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. He is also a member of the executive committee of the tax section of the New York State Bar Association. In addition, Solomon is co-chair of the Practising Law Institute conference on tax strategies for corporate acquisitions and dispositions.
Solomon is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a course in corporate taxation. He received the Charles Fahy Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award for Georgetown University’s graduate law programs.
Solomon received his A.B. from Princeton University, Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia. He earned his LL.M. in taxation from New York University.
