Jason Fleischer, Partner - Energy Regulation, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Jason’s practice focuses primarily on energy litigation, regulatory, permitting, and transactional matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Commodities Futures Trading Commission, other federal agencies and the federal courts.

Jason advises clients on obtaining permits and authorizations on electric, oil and gas projects subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) from federal agencies and defending those permits in the federal courts. Jason also represents a wide variety of electric utilities, investment banks, power marketers and natural gas companies and pipelines in agency investigations and enforcement matters including alleged market manipulation, market power, and reliability matters, and transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions. In addition, he assists clients with crisis management, strategic planning, internal corporate investigations and Congressional investigations.
 

Kaitlin Gray, Partner - Tax, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Kaitlin’s advisory practice focuses on transfer pricing, international tax and dispute resolution.

In her transfer pricing practice, Kaitlin has experience developing transfer pricing policies, managing complex audits, and handling tax litigation and competent authority applications for companies with cross border business operations. Kaitlin also has expertise in other areas of international tax, such as the implementation of the global minimum tax in Canada and the hybrid mismatch rules.

Kaitlin has broad-based experience in the resolution of tax disputes relating to transfer pricing and international tax as well as other tax issues such as tax avoidance, the deductibility of expenses and resource taxation matters. Kaitlin has appeared before the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal in disputes with the Canadian tax authorities.

Kaitlin was previously seconded to the Department of Finance Canada where she worked on legislation relating to international outbound matters.

Roger Smith, Associate - Tax, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Roger’s emerging tax law practice includes several areas of focus. In particular, Roger has expertise in sales taxes, including GST/HST, provincial sales taxes and the Select Luxury Items Tax.  Roger also advises on tax disputes, including matters within the administrative processes of the Canada Revenue Agency and tax litigation at the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal.

Roger has worked on matters for clients including Canadian and US financial institutions, pension funds, and major companies in sectors including utilities, commodities and aerospace and defence. 

Roger has completed the Canadian Bar Association’s Tax Law for Lawyers and CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax Course. Before joining Osler, Roger worked at a boutique law firm affiliated with a global accounting firm. 

Adriana Wirtz, Partner - Tax, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Adriana focuses her practice on tax controversy and litigation. She represents clients at all phases of a tax controversy from audit through litigation, including before the IRS Office of Appeals, US Tax Court, and US district courts of appeal, as well as before state taxing authorities and state courts. Adriana represents large corporate taxpayers and partnerships and has particular experience in advising clients in audits and disputes arising under the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA) and more recently the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA). She has represented clients in the energy, real estate, life sciences, mining and software industries. She has particular experience in matters involving tax insurance.

Adriana’s matters cover a wide variety of tax issues such as transfer pricing, debt-equity classification, partnership allocations, worthless stock deductions, basis adjustments under IRC section 743, foreign tax credits, business aircraft related matters, bonus depreciation, charitable contribution deductions, and employment tax issues.

Prior to joining V&E, Adriana served as an attorney advisor to Judge Carolyn P. Chiechi of the US Tax Court from 2007 to 2009. While attending law school, she completed an externship with the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel.