CHICAGO – July 27, 2011 – Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is pleased to announce that Diane Ryan, former National Chief of Appeals for the Internal Revenue Service, is joining the firm’s Chicago office as of counsel, effective August 1. Ms. Ryan will become part of the firm’s tax controversy practice in Chicago.
Ms. Ryan recently retired as the agency’s appeals chief after a distinguished career. Based in Washington, DC, she served as appeals chief from 2009 until 2011, overseeing all tax-related administrative dispute resolution and reporting directly to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
During more than three decades with the IRS, Ms. Ryan’s work encompassed multiple operational areas, including tax policies and procedures, alternative dispute resolution and settlement initiatives. She established and led both the technical guidance and international operations and authored many of the policies and procedures that govern the IRS appeals process. She also served as the IRS technical services liaison to the Joint Committee on Taxation of the United States Congress.
Prior to serving as appeals chief, Ms. Ryan was director of technical services in the IRS appeals division from 2006 to 2009, providing technical tax support to IRS appeals operations and coordinating technical matters among the agency’s divisions. She began her career as a special agent in the IRS criminal investigations division in 1977.
“Diane possesses a singular command of tax controversies and is a proven advocate for fair, efficient resolution of disputed tax matters,” said Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., co-head of Skadden’s tax group.
“Her high-level legal and accounting experience will benefit clients tremendously, particularly in the current climate of heightened regulatory scrutiny and corporate reporting requirements,” said Brian W. Duwe, managing partner of Skadden’s Chicago office. “We look forward to having Diane join our Chicago tax team.”
“Skadden’s tax practice is renowned both domestically and internationally,” said Ms. Ryan. “I look forward to collaborating with the firm’s other attorneys to offer clients innovative solutions and strategies for complex tax matters across multiple legal disciplines.”
Ms. Ryan and Nathaniel Carden, a partner who joined the Chicago office tax controversy practice last year, are part of Skadden’s nationally acclaimed tax controversy practice which includes, among others, three former assistant secretaries for tax policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Kenneth W. Gideon, Fred T. Goldberg, Jr. and Pamela F. Olson), a former IRS commissioner (Fred T. Goldberg, Jr.) and three former IRS chief counsels (Kenneth W. Gideon, Fred T. Goldberg, Jr. and B. John Williams, Jr.). In addition to Mr. Carden, Ms. Ryan will be joining a tax group in Chicago recognized throughout the U.S. for its work in mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and regulated investment companies (RICs). The team includes Louis S. Freeman, Andrew S. Kenoe, David F. Levy, Maxwell M. Miller, David Polster and John D. Rayis.
Ms. Ryan graduated from Southern Illinois University with M.B.A. and B.S. degrees in accounting and is a C.P.A. Ms. Ryan received her J.D. from St. Louis University Law School (magna cum laude), where she also served as an adjunct professor.